Tarpon
Megalops atlanticus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water.
Florida: catch-and-release. Fish over 40 in must stay in the water. One harvest tag/year only for a potential IGFA record.
Florida · Middle Keys / Marathon
Vaca Key gauge. Oceanside wrecks and patch reefs, bayside basins, Seven Mile Bridge current. Permit and tarpon more than bones.
Forecast
medium confidence
Morning line
Marathon 7.8 on Wednesday, May 20. 5 mph SE. Overcast. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From SE · gust 13
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clouds
Overcast
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
15% lit
Waxing crescent
mid range · 15%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 1.5 ft
low slack
0.46 ft MLLW
Clock
NOAA 8723970
Monthly YOLO day
Friday, August 28 · 8.0
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. full · spring · tide range ~0.7 ft · wind to 10 mph · Thunderstorms · 43%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
This pip is that mark on this tide — not the day on the ring.
FL - Long Key State Park (Keys)
sand dropoff · saved map · mid
Oceanfront camping with bonefish flats at the tent. Reserve far ahead. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
Seven Mile Bridge current
channel gut · public structure · deep
Current seams. Permit and tarpon. Not a bonefish walk.
Vaca oceanside wrecks / patches
wreck edge · field manual · deep
Crab on the wreck is a different permit game than the tailer on the flat.
Marathon bayside basins
grass flat · public structure · mid
Vaca Key gauge. Backcountry light. Summer showers, then wait for the color to come back.
When is moving water in a good hour — not the day. Today’s ring mixes the best mark, the lead fish, and the best window, then taxes the sky. A strong incoming can sit under a weak day if the wind or the fish is off. Calendar cells are a third recipe: range, moon, and the day’s forecast.
Incoming water
9.9Wed 10:00 AM → Wed 6:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
9.6Wed 5:00 PM → Thu 12:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
9.9Thu 12:00 AM → Thu 7:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.6Thu 6:00 PM → Fri 1:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
9.9Fri 1:00 AM → Fri 8:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.
Bahia Honda State Park
Florida State Parks
Middle Keys bridge and oceanside. Adjacent FKNMS polygons are no-take — check the red rings.
Official sourceTarpon
Megalops atlanticus
Thermal window
—
In peak season for this water.
Florida: catch-and-release. Fish over 40 in must stay in the water. One harvest tag/year only for a potential IGFA record.
Bonefish
Albula vulpes
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water.
Florida: catch-and-release only, hook-and-line only.
Permit
Trachinotus falcatus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water.
Florida: hook-and-line. Special Permit Zone (Keys) is tighter than the rest of the state — typically C&R. Verify FWC.
Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water.
Florida: Atlantic and Gulf bags differ. Monroe County is tighter. Fork-length minimum. Verify FWC.
Yellowtail snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water.
Florida: typically 12 in total length, inside the snapper aggregate. Verify FWC.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
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Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water.
Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.
Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Thermal window
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Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water.
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 7 days. Snook closures are regional. Boca Grande is not Jupiter. Verify FWC before you keep one.
Next two weeks
Δ0.8ft
t-storm