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 2026-12-20, 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: Sombrero Key, Coffins Patch. The red polygons are the legal source — do not fish them.
Forecast
medium confidence
Forecast brief for Sunday, December 20. Back to this morning
Morning line
Marathon 8.1 on Sunday, December 20. 6 mph SE. Overcast. YOLO day is Friday, August 28. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
incoming · 0.24 ft · drag or hover for the clockNOAA tide gauge 8723970 · Vaca Key, Florida Bay · ft MLLW · not a weather buoy
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From SE · gust 6
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clouds
Overcast
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
86% lit
Waxing gibbous
mid range · 86%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 1.0 ft
incoming
0.24 ft MLLW
Clock
NOAA 8723970
- HighSun 8:46 PM · 1.04
- LowMon 4:03 AM · -0.12
- HighMon 9:02 PM · 1.12
- LowTue 4:54 AM · -0.21
- HighTue 8:47 PM · 1.20
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…
Where
This pip is that mark on this tide — not the day on the ring.
- 7.4
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 - 6.3
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
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 - 5.9
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
9.9Sun 8:00 AM → Sun 9:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
8.0Sun 10:00 PM → Mon 6:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
9.9Mon 5:00 AM → Mon 9:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
8.0Mon 11:00 PM → Tue 7:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
9.9Tue 6:00 AM → Tue 10:00 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.
- — Overcast. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 6 mph SE. 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.
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.