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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 2026-09-23, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
8.4OF 10

Forecast

low confidence

Forecast brief for Wednesday, September 23. Back to this morning

Morning line

Flamingo 8.4 on Wednesday, September 23. 5 mph E. Overcast. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
-0.9-0.5-0.00.40.9LHLHLHLHWed 8 AMThu 8 AMFri 8 AMSat 8 AM
incoming · -0.66 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge

Wind

OPEN-METEO

NESW5MPH

From E · gust 9

Sky

OPEN-METEO

Clouds

Overcast

A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.

Moon

89% lit

Waxing gibbous

mid range · 89%

Water

No gauge

Water

—

48°92°

Today’s range 1.3 ft

incoming

-0.66 ft modeled

Clock

NOAA 8723970

  • LowWed 7:00 AM · -0.68
  • HighWed 2:00 PM · 0.65
  • LowWed 8:00 PM · -0.64
  • HighThu 2:00 AM · 0.61
  • LowThu 8:00 AM · -0.59

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%

Stay or drive · Flamingo vs MarathonOpen the calendarMorning dispatch

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • Flamingo basins / Buttonwood

    mangrove edge · public structure · mid

    8.0

    Creeks and basins. Outgoing along the roots. Summer heat: early.

    • — mangrove edge on a incoming tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Snook, Redfish, Tarpon.
    skiffkayakspinfly

  • FL - Florida Bay (Flamingo)

    mangrove edge · saved map · mid

    8.0

    Snake Bight & the backcountry; campground on site. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH

    • — mangrove edge on a incoming tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Redfish, Snook, Tarpon.
    skiffkayakwadeflyspin

  • Snake Bight

    grass flat · field manual · skinny

    7.3

    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, Snook.
    skiffflyspin

  • First National Bank

    hard flat · public structure · skinny

    6.7

    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

    9.9

    Wed 9:00 AM → Wed 3:00 PM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    9.6

    Wed 3:00 PM → Wed 10:00 PM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    8.6

    Wed 9:00 PM → Thu 4:00 AM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Outgoing water

    9.9

    Thu 3:00 AM → Thu 10:00 AM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    9.9

    Thu 9:00 AM → Thu 4:00 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.
  • — Waxing gibbous moon — mid tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

8.4

Thermal window

—

48°92°

In peak season for this water. 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.

Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

8.4

Thermal window

—

56°92°

In peak season for this water. 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.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

6.6

Thermal window

—

68°94°

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.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

5.8

Thermal window

—

64°94°

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

5.8

Thermal window

—

66°92°

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.