June 18, 2026
Early Summer Bite: Dawn and Dusk Dominate in Islamorada
This is Artificial Lure with your Islamorada fishing report.
We’re sitting on a classic early-summer pattern in the Upper Keys: light southeast breeze, warm and sticky mornings, and scattered clouds building to a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Winds are generally 5–10 knots southeast, seas inside the reef are a light chop, and offshore conditions are very manageable for center consoles and charters. Air temps are pushing into the upper 80s by afternoon, with the heat index into the 90s, so the best bite is early and late.
Tides around Islamorada today bring a pre-dawn incoming on the ocean side with good moving water around the bridges, then a mid-morning slack before it starts easing out. Inside Florida Bay, the push lags a bit, so that late-morning to early-afternoon window can still fish well on the banks and channels. Sunrise is right around a quarter after six, with sunset close to eight-thirty, giving you a long light period but the prime activity is still those first couple of hours of daylight and the last couple before dark.
Offshore, the mahi bite has been solid in 400–700 feet. Schoolies with a few gaffers are hanging on weedlines and bird plays. Trollers are doing well with small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, and bright dolphin-colored chuggers. For artificials, think chartreuse-and-white or pink-and-white trolling lures, plus small pilchard-profile swim baits pitched to fish that show behind the boat. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a fluorocarbon leader and a 3/0–4/0 circle hook for pitching live pilchards or chunks when a better fish slides in.
On the humps, blackfin tuna are still chewing, especially early. Vertical jigs in the 80–120 gram range, silver or blue, dropped deep and ripped back fast are getting hammered. Live pilchards slow-trolled or drifted are still the top bait. A few bigger sharks are around, so put the heat on those tunas.
On the reef edge in 60–120 feet, yellowtail snapper fishing has been very good when the current is right. Anchor up, get a steady chum slick going, and fish 12–20 lb fluoro with small j-hooks and tiny pieces of cut ballyhoo or shrimp. Add a split shot only if you have to. You’ll also pick at mangrove snapper and the occasional mutton on the bottom with knocker rigs and live pinfish or ballyhoo chunks. A few keeper grouper are still being picked off the deeper ledges and patches.
Inshore, the backcountry has been producing steady seatrout, mangrove snapper, and a mix of sharks and jacks on the banks and channels. Soft plastic paddletails in new penny or white on a 1/8–1/4 oz jighead are the go-to artificials. Live shrimp under a popping cork will bend rods all day for less experienced anglers. Early-morning slicked-out conditions are giving a few shots at laid-up tarpon and rolling fish in the channels; live mullet or crabs are hard to beat, but big swimbaits and black-and-purple plugs will get eaten in low light.
On the flats, expect snook and redfish tucked along the mangrove edges on the higher part of the tide, then sliding off into potholes as the water drops. Topwaters like a bone-colored Spook Jr. at first light, then switch to soft plastics on weedless hooks once the sun gets up. Fly anglers are seeing some tarpon and a few permit when the wind stays down; small black or tan crab patterns are the ticket for permit, with classic tarpon toads for the poons.
A couple of hot spots to consider:
– The Islamorada Hump for early-morning blackfin and the chance at bigger pelagics.
– The reef line off Alligator Reef and north toward Crocker for yellowtail, mangroves, and mixed bag bottom fishing.
– In the backcountry, the banks and channels northwest of town toward Sandy Key for trout, snapper, and sharks.
Overall, focus your effort at dawn and dusk, fish moving water, and keep your tackle light and leaders long for the spooky stuff. Live pilchards, live shrimp, and fresh ballyhoo remain the best natural baits, while small paddletails, bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp, and bright trolling skirts are the top artificials right now.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
