Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus
Thermal window
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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.
Florida · Key Largo / Pennekamp
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.
Forecast
low confidence
Morning line
Key Largo 4.4 on Friday, August 28. 15 mph E. Thunderstorms · 39%. YOLO day is Monday, August 31. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
Wind
NWS
From E
Sky
39% rain
Storms
Thunderstorms · 39%
Lightning is a stay-tied call.
Moon
100% lit
Full
spring range · 100%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 1.1 ft
outgoing
-0.03 ft modeled
Clock
NOAA 8723689
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%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Tavernier Creek
channel gut · public structure · deep
The south cut toward Plantation Key. Current is the fishery. Channel 5 is the next desk south — do not steal it.
Card Sound / Jewfish Creek
channel gut · public structure · deep
The north throat. Public bridge and cut current. Not a Biscayne bank and not Islamorada. Baby tarpon and snook on the moving water.
Blackwater Sound
mangrove edge · public structure · mid
Bayside. Baby tarpon and snook along the roots. Not the oceanside slam. Outgoing along the mangrove.
Garden Cove / Pennekamp oceanside
hard flat · public structure · skinny
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.
Rodriguez Key / Mosquito Bank
hard flat · public structure · skinny
Named oceanside key and bank. Incoming is the shot. Educated fish, short window, boat traffic from the park.
Outgoing water
7.7Fri 8:00 AM → Fri 1:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
8.6Fri 12:00 PM → Fri 7:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
8.6Fri 7:00 PM → Sat 2:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
8.6Sat 1:00 AM → Sat 8:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
8.6Sat 7:00 AM → Sat 2:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
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 sourceHarry Harris Park / Tavernier
Monroe County Parks
County park on the oceanside at the south end of Key Largo. Tavernier Creek is the cut.
Official sourceNOAA FKNMS management zones — Sanctuary Preservation Areas, Ecological Reserves, Research-Only.
French Reef
Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)
FKNMS GISMolasses Reef
Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)
FKNMS GISGrecian Rocks
Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)
FKNMS GISKey Largo Dry Rocks
Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)
FKNMS GISConch Reef
Sanctuary Preservation Area — no fishing / no take (typical SPA)
FKNMS GISConch Reef (Research Only)
Research Only — closed except permitted science
FKNMS GIS+ 3 more zones on the map.
Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Florida: catch-and-release only, hook-and-line only.
Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
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
Thermal window
—
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.