Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Florida SE: typically 18–27 in, 1/person, 2/vessel. Harvest banned in federal waters. Keys backcountry, not oceanside. Boca Harbor yes.
Florida · Florida Bay / Flamingo
Redfish should be the day — flood Snake Bight and the Flamingo banks — backcountry reds and snook, not oceanside bones.
Backcountry. Reds and snook live here, not on the oceanside. Snake Bight, First National, the banks west of Flamingo. Wind and water color decide the day.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-08-21, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
- ⚠ Snook are typically closed to harvest on the SE/Atlantic coast in this window. Verify FWC.
Forecast
low confidence
Forecast brief for Friday, August 21. Back to this morning
Morning line
Flamingo 7.4 on Friday, August 21. 5 mph E. Overcast. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
incoming · -0.09 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From E · gust 9
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clouds
Overcast
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
58% lit
First quarter
neap range · 58%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 1.8 ft
incoming
-0.09 ft modeled
Clock
NOAA 8723970
- LowFri 5:00 AM · -0.89
- HighFri 11:00 AM · 0.89
- LowFri 5:00 PM · -0.87
- HighSat 12:00 AM · 0.86
- LowSat 6:00 AM · -0.86
Bahamas tides are modeled from lunar M2. Use them for windows, not a bar crossing.
Monthly YOLO day
Friday, August 28 · 8.1
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. full · spring · tide range ~0.7 ft · wind to 10 mph · Thunderstorms · 51%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
- 7.4
Flamingo basins / Buttonwood
mangrove edge · public structure · mid
Creeks and basins. Outgoing along the roots. Summer heat: early.
- — mangrove edge on a incoming tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Tarpon.
skiffkayakspinfly - 7.4
FL - Florida Bay (Flamingo)
mangrove edge · saved map · mid
Snake Bight & the backcountry; campground on site. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — mangrove edge on a incoming tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Tarpon.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 6.7
Snake Bight
grass flat · field manual · skinny
USGS GNIS 291282 (Snake Bight Channel). Flamingo backcountry. Reds live here, not on the oceanside. Wind and color decide it.
USGS GNIS 291282
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish.
skiffflyspin - 6.7
First National Bank
hard flat · public structure · skinny
A named bank, not a secret. Sight if the water holds.
- — hard flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish.
skifffly
When
Incoming water
9.0Fri 8:00 AM → Fri 1:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.9Fri 12:00 PM → Fri 7:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
9.9Fri 7:00 PM → Sat 1:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
9.9Sat 1:00 AM → Sat 8:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
9.9Sat 7:00 AM → Sat 2:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Launch and beach access
County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.
Flamingo Marina
NPS Everglades National Park
The Florida Bay launch. Park fee. Backcountry permit if you camp.
Official source
Legal water
NOAA FKNMS management zones — Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves, Research-Only.
No FKNMS polygon in this box. Mainland Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the Bahamas are not Keys sanctuary closures.
Why — and who
- — Tide is incoming (modeled — the NOAA gauge did not answer).
- — Overcast. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 5 mph E. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
- — First quarter moon — neap tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
6.6
Tarpon
Megalops atlanticus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Florida: catch-and-release. Fish over 40 in must stay in the water. One harvest tag/year only for a potential IGFA record.
Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
Thermal window
—
Closed to harvest — still swims, do not keep. Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Region matters. SE/Atlantic (Jupiter, Biscayne): typically 28–32 in, 1/day, closed Dec 15–Jan 31 and June 1–Aug 31. Charlotte Harbor / Southwest (Boca Grande): typically 28–33 in, closed Dec 1–end of Feb and May 1–Sep 30. Snook permit required. Verify FWC.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.
Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Ciguatera risk rises with size. Do not keep a big one for the table.
Regs citedFWC saltwater recreational · current FWC regional rules · rolls in 8 days. Snook closures are regional. Boca Grande is not Jupiter. Verify FWC before you keep one.