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Florida · Key Largo / Pennekamp

Permit should be the day — the falling ocean bank and Tavernier Creek; Pennekamp SPAs stay no-take.

The first Key. Card Sound and Jewfish Creek to the north, Tavernier Creek to the south. Oceanside banks for bones and permit; Blackwater and Buttonwood for baby tarpon and snook. NOAA 8723689 is Point Charles (predictions). Water temp is Virginia Key 8723214 — there is no live well at Point Charles. Pennekamp is the launch. Adjacent FKNMS SPAs are no-take.

  • ⚠ This brief is for 2026-08-15, 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.
  • ⚠ FKNMS no-take water in this box: French Reef, Molasses Reef, Grecian Rocks + 3 more on the map. The red polygons are the legal source — do not fish them.
8.1OF 10

Forecast

low confidence

Forecast brief for Saturday, August 15. Back to this morning

Morning line

Key Largo 8.1 on Saturday, August 15. 8 mph ESE. Clear. YOLO day is Monday, August 31. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
-1.4-0.70.00.71.5HLHLHLHLSat 8 AMSun 8 AMMon 8 AMTue 8 AM
outgoing · 0.57 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge

Wind

OPEN-METEO

NESW8MPH

From ESE · gust 11

Sky

OPEN-METEO

Clear

Clear

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

Moon

5% lit

Waxing crescent

mid range · 5%

Water

No gauge

Water

—

48°92°

Today’s range 1.4 ft

outgoing

0.57 ft modeled

Clock

NOAA 8723689

  • HighSat 7:00 AM · 0.65
  • LowSat 1:00 PM · -0.68
  • HighSat 7:00 PM · 0.70
  • LowSun 2:00 AM · -0.74
  • HighSun 8:00 AM · 0.79

Bahamas tides are modeled from lunar M2. Use them for windows, not a bar crossing.

Monthly YOLO day

Monday, August 31 · 9.1

Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. waning gibbous · mid · tide range ~1.7 ft · wind to 10 mph · Thunderstorms · 60%

Stay or drive · Key Largo vs IslamoradaOpen the calendarMorning dispatch

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • Tavernier Creek

    channel gut · public structure · deep

    8.4

    The south cut toward Plantation Key. Current is the fishery. Channel 5 is the next desk south — do not steal it.

    • — channel gut on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
    • — In-play: Permit, Tarpon.
    skiffspinfly

  • Card Sound / Jewfish Creek

    channel gut · public structure · deep

    7.7

    The north throat. Public bridge and cut current. Not a Biscayne bank and not Islamorada. Baby tarpon and snook on the moving water.

    • — channel gut on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
    • — In-play: Tarpon.
    skiffspinfly

  • Blackwater Sound

    mangrove edge · public structure · mid

    7.7

    Bayside. Baby tarpon and snook along the roots. Not the oceanside slam. Outgoing along the mangrove.

    • — mangrove edge on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
    • — In-play: Tarpon.
    skiffkayakspinfly

  • Garden Cove / Pennekamp oceanside

    hard flat · public structure · skinny

    7.0

    The park is the launch, not a honey hole. Clean incoming on the named banks. Adjacent FKNMS SPAs are no-take — the red polygons are the legal source.

    • — hard flat on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Permit.
    skiffflyspin

  • Rodriguez Key / Mosquito Bank

    hard flat · public structure · skinny

    7.0

    Named oceanside key and bank. Incoming is the shot. Educated fish, short window, boat traffic from the park.

    • — hard flat on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Permit.
    skifffly

When

  • Outgoing water

    9.1

    Sat 8:00 AM → Sat 3:00 PM

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

  • Incoming water

    10.0

    Sat 2:00 PM → Sat 9:00 PM

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

  • Outgoing water

    10.0

    Sat 9:00 PM → Sun 4:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Incoming water

    10.0

    Sun 3:00 AM → Sun 10:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    9.1

    Sun 9:00 AM → Sun 4:00 PM

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

Launch and beach access

County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.

  • John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

    Florida State Parks

    Key Largo launch. Adjacent SPAs are no-take — check the red polygons.

    Official source

  • Harry Harris Park / Tavernier

    Monroe County Parks

    County park on the oceanside at the south end of Key Largo. Tavernier Creek is the cut.

    Official source

Legal water

NOAA FKNMS management zones — Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves, Research-Only.

  • French Reef

    Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)

    FKNMS GIS

  • Molasses Reef

    Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)

    FKNMS GIS

  • Grecian Rocks

    Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)

    FKNMS GIS

  • Key Largo Dry Rocks

    Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)

    FKNMS GIS

  • Conch Reef

    Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)

    FKNMS GIS

  • Conch Reef (Research Only)

    Research Only — closed except permitted science

    FKNMS GIS

+ 3 more zones on the map.

Why — and who

  • — Tide is outgoing (modeled — the NOAA gauge did not answer).
  • — Clear. Sky is workable.
  • — Wind 8 mph ESE. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
  • — Waxing crescent moon — mid tide range. Sight water often prefers a moderate range and clean water over a huge spring.

Hogfish

Lachnolaimus maximus

8.4

Thermal window

—

66°90°

In peak season for this water. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Florida: Atlantic and Gulf bags differ. Monroe County is tighter. Fork-length minimum. Verify FWC.

Yellowtail snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

8.4

Thermal window

—

66°90°

In peak season for this water. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Florida: typically 12 in total length, inside the snapper aggregate. Verify FWC.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

6.6

Thermal window

—

68°94°

Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) 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.

Permit

Trachinotus falcatus

6.6

Thermal window

—

66°92°

Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Florida: hook-and-line. Special Permit Zone (Keys) is tighter than the rest of the state — typically C&R. Verify FWC.

Bonefish

Albula vulpes

4.8

Thermal window

—

64°92°

Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Florida: catch-and-release only, hook-and-line only.

Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

2.3

Thermal window

—

56°92°

Closed to harvest — still swims, do not keep. Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) 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

5.8

Thermal window

—

64°94°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. This tide stage (outgoing) 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 (outgoing) 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.