Welcome to our Key West, FL Fishing Home Page
Located at the very bottom of the Florida Keys, Key West is the southern most city in the continental United States. Key West has some fantastic restaurants, accommodations, crystal clear water and plenty of outdoor activities. Snorkeling, diving, boating and fishing are very popular on Key West. The fishing opportunities are endless with inshore, offshore and flats fishing for a variety of species.
The Fish of Key West
Learn more about the different fish and how to catch them on our Fish of Key West page.
Key West Inshore Fishing
The Key West area offers some excellent fishing in the bay, on the flats and in the backcountry if that’s the type of fishing that you’re looking for. There are many fishing charters that know this water very well and they can help put you on the fish. Some of the popular fish that are targeted are tarpon, bonefish, permit, sharks and barracuda.
Learn more on our Key West Inshore Fishing page.
Key West Backcountry Fishing
Fishing the backcountry waters around the mangrove trees is popular for a variety of fish species. Anglers catch tarpon, barracuda, snook, snapper and many other species of fish in the backcountry waters in the Key West area.
Key West Bay Fishing
The bay is a great place to go exploring for a variety of fish species. The backcountry areas hold lots of fish with all the mangroves. There are plenty of fish just swimming around through the open waters of the bay as well. In the bay, anglers will be targeting the grass flats, potholes nearby the grass flats, deeper water near the flats and anywhere anglers can find schooling birds feeding on schools of bait fish. Having good electronics will also help anglers find good spots to fish. Some of the popular fish to target in the bay are sea trout, barracuda, snook, tarpon, snapper, grouper and other species too.
Key West Bridge Fishing
There is some outstanding fishing to be had around the bridges in the Key West area. Fish the incoming or outgoing tides to experience some of the amazing fishing around the bridges. Moving water is key for better fishing conditions.
Key West Flats Fishing
Key West is known for offering some of the finest flats fishing in the world. Some of the popular flats species are bonefish, permit, tarpon, mangrove snapper and others.
Key West Deep Sea / Offshore Fishing
Key West is home to some of the best deep sea fishing in the country. You can fish for so many species of fish here. Anglers target sailfish, marlin, a variety of tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, kingfish, tarpon, grouper, snapper and many other species of fish. Whether you are trolling the open water in the Gulf stream or fishing over the many reefs and wrecks, you should be able to catch plenty of fish on a deep sea fishing trip around Key West.
Learn more on our Key West Deep Sea Fishing page.
Marquesas Keys
For those people that haven’t heard of the Marquesas Keys, this place is a special place located about 25 to 30 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida. The fishing can be absolutely incredible here. From fishing the flats to the patch reefs and ship wrecks, there are numerous opportunities to fish here. The flats have plenty of baby tarpon, bonefish, permit, jacks and sharks. Try the reefs and wrecks for permit, snapper, cobia, grouper, snook, jacks, barracudas, sharks and more.
You will most likely need a fishing charter that operates out of Key West to take you to this destination. It’s a special place to fish.
Key West Shore Fishing
Shore fishing is very limited in Key West. The best case scenario is to get out in a boat, whether it be your own, a rental boat or even renting a kayak for some fishing near the shore. If you can’t get into a boat, shore anglers can fish off the bridges or from the White Street Pier. Anglers can catch a variety of fish from the pier and from the bridges. Some of the common fish that are caught are snapper, sharks, snook and many others.
Some other options are to fish some of the bridges that are located throughout the lower keys. Check out the bridges for signs that show you where you can park or if you can fish from the bridge.
Learn about the best spots to fish in Key West from shore.
Key West Fishing Calendar
Take a look at our Key West Fishing Calendar to see the average temperatures by month and what species are throughout the different fishing seasons.
Key West Boat Launches
Take a look at our Key West Boat Launches page to find a place to get your boat on the water.
