Bonefish
Albula vulpes
Thermal window
—
In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Florida: catch-and-release only, hook-and-line only.
Florida · Middle Keys / Marathon
Bonefish should be the day — Seven Mile current and the oceanside patches — permit and tarpon, not a bonefish morning.
Vaca Key gauge. Oceanside wrecks and patch reefs, bayside basins, Seven Mile Bridge current. Permit and tarpon more than bones.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-12-03. No wind forecast that far out — score is tide, moon, and season. Not a copper day.
- ⚠ FKNMS no-take water in this box: Sombrero Key, Coffins Patch. The red polygons are the legal source — do not fish them.
Tide + moon
low confidence
Forecast brief for Thursday, December 3. Back to this morning
Morning line
Marathon 8.1 on Thursday, December 3 — tide, moon, and season only. No wind forecast that far out. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
incoming · 0.74 ft · drag or hover for the clockNOAA tide gauge 8723970 · Vaca Key, Florida Bay · ft MLLW · not a weather buoy
Wind
NWS
No wind reading
Sky
NWS
Sky not in
Sky not in
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
35% lit
Waning crescent
neap range · 35%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 0.7 ft
incoming
0.74 ft MLLW
Clock
NOAA 8723970
- HighThu 10:26 AM · 0.81
- LowThu 1:22 PM · 0.64
- HighThu 8:18 PM · 1.03
- LowFri 3:21 AM · 0.34
- HighFri 11:46 AM · 0.82
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 · 40%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
This pip is that mark on this tide — not the day on the ring.
- 7.7
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
- — sand dropoff on a incoming tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Bonefish, Yellowtail snapper.
structurespinwade - 7.0
Marathon bayside basins
grass flat · public structure · mid
Vaca Key gauge. Backcountry light. Summer showers, then wait for the color to come back.
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
skiffkayakflyspin - 6.5
Vaca oceanside wrecks / patches
wreck edge · field manual · deep
Crab on the wreck is a different permit game than the tailer on the flat.
- — wreck edge on a incoming tide is a classic match.
skiffspinfly - 6.1
Seven Mile Bridge current
channel gut · public structure · deep
Current seams. Permit and tarpon. Not a bonefish walk.
- — channel gut on a incoming tide is a workable match.
skiffstructurespinfly
When
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
8.5Thu 8:00 AM → Thu 12:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.4Thu 12:00 PM → Thu 3:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
9.4Thu 3:00 PM → Thu 10:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
7.4Thu 11:00 PM → Fri 5:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
9.4Fri 6:00 AM → Fri 1:00 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.
Bahia Honda State Park
Florida State Parks
Middle Keys bridge and oceanside. Adjacent FKNMS polygons are no-take — check the red rings.
Official source
Why — and who
- — Tide is incoming from NOAA 8723970 Vaca Key, Florida Bay.
- — Waning crescent moon — neap tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
8.4
Yellowtail snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Florida: typically 12 in total length, inside the snapper aggregate. Verify FWC.
Tarpon
Megalops atlanticus
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. 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.
Permit
Trachinotus falcatus
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) 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.
Hogfish
Lachnolaimus maximus
Thermal window
—
Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Florida: Atlantic and Gulf bags differ. Monroe County is tighter. Fork-length minimum. Verify FWC.
Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Ciguatera risk rises with size. Do not keep a big one for the table.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.
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.