Miami Fishing Report & Forecast

When to fish Miami

Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.

Dorado: January none, February poor, March good, April peak, May peak, June peak, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November poor, December none. Tarpon: January poor, February poor, March good, April peak, May peak, June good, July fair, August fair, September good, October excellent, November poor, December poor. Common Snook: January poor, February poor, March fair, April good, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August fair, September good, October good, November fair, December poor. Wahoo: January good, February good, March good, April fair, May poor, June none, July poor, August poor, September good, October peak, November peak, December excellent. King Mackerel: January peak, February peak, March excellent, April good, May poor, June none, July none, August none, September poor, October good, November peak, December peak. Yellowtail Snapper: January poor, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June peak, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December poor. Mutton Snapper: January fair, February fair, March good, April excellent, May peak, June excellent, July good, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Bonefish: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June good, July fair, August fair, September good, October excellent, November fair, December poor. Gray Snapper: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June peak, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Permit: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April peak, May excellent, June good, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor.

• Dorado. Dorado are present off Miami year-round in the Gulf Stream, but numbers build through March with the spring northward migration and peak from mid-April through May, when big schools and large bulls run weedlines and frigate-bird flocks. Abundance stays strong into early summer with schoolies under sargassum, then tapers through late summer. A small fall bump in late September and October reflects the southbound push before winter lows, when fish are scattered and mostly found after cold fronts.
• Tarpon. Resident tarpon hold in Miami's bridges, canals, and Government Cut year-round, but cold fronts in January–February push many fish south toward the Keys or into warm-water refuges. Abundance builds through March as the migratory run arrives and peaks in mid-April to May along Biscayne Bay and the beaches. A summer plateau gives way to a secondary fall bump in September–October tied to the mullet run before winter fronts thin numbers again.
• Common Snook. Snook are year-round residents in Miami, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance peaks from May through July, when fish stack at inlets (Government Cut, Haulover), bridges and beaches for the spawn. A secondary bump comes in October–November as the fall mullet run draws fish to inlets and the beach. The winter lull reflects cold fronts pushing fish deep into canals, rivers and backcountry warm-water refuges, with some cold-stress mortality.
• Wahoo. Wahoo are present off Miami year-round along the Gulf Stream edge. Abundance peaks from late September through November as fall fish push south on the first cold fronts, with good numbers holding through winter and a minor bump in March. Numbers thin during the hot summer months, when many fish shift north or offshore, but wahoo never fully disappear.
• King Mackerel. Atlantic migratory kingfish push south with cooling water in October–November and winter off Southeast Florida, so abundance peaks from December through March along the reef edge and in the 80–150 ft zone. Fish thin out as they move north in April and May. A smaller resident component stays through the hot summer months, which is why the curve dips but never reaches zero.
• Yellowtail Snapper. Yellowtail snapper are resident year-round on Miami's reefs, so the curve never drops near zero. Abundance peaks from late spring through midsummer (May–July), when fish aggregate on the reef edge to spawn, particularly around full moons, and warm water concentrates them shallower. Numbers stay somewhat lower but steady through fall and winter, when cold fronts disperse fish and push some to deeper ledges.
• Mutton Snapper. Mutton snapper are year-round residents on Miami reefs and wrecks, so the curve stays broad near baseline. It peaks from late April through June, when fish aggregate around the full moons for spawning (the Riley's Hump/Keys-linked aggregations draw fish along the Miami reef line). Abundance tapers gently through summer and into a slightly lower but steady winter presence.
• Bonefish. Bonefish are year-round residents on Biscayne Bay and Key Biscayne flats, so the curve stays broad. Presence on the flats rises in spring (April–May) and again in fall (October–early November), when water temperatures are ideal and larger schools and big singles move up onto the shallows. Numbers dip modestly during midsummer heat and cold winter fronts, when fish retreat to deeper channels and edges rather than leaving the area.
• Gray Snapper. Gray snapper are year-round residents in Miami's bays, canals, and reefs, so the curve never drops near zero. Abundance peaks from late May through mid-July, when adults move offshore to aggregate and spawn on the reefs around the full moons and inshore fish are most active in warm water. Numbers ease through fall and are lowest in winter, when cold fronts push some fish deeper or into sheltered canals.
• Permit. Permit are resident year-round on Biscayne Bay flats, Miami-area reefs and wrecks, but abundance rises sharply from March through June. That is when fish aggregate on offshore wrecks and reef structure to spawn, peaking in April–May, and warming flats draw them shallow. Numbers stay moderate through summer and fall. They dip somewhat in mid-winter, when cold fronts chill the flats and some fish move to deeper water or drift south toward the Keys.

Before you go

Fishing Miami

Common questions about Miami

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