Key West and the Lower Keys Fishing Guide

Key West and the Lower Keys are best known for permit, tarpon and bonefish on the flats, plus sailfish, mahi-mahi and tuna offshore. The uninhabited Marquesas Keys and the far-off Dry Tortugas add wilder fishing, but both come with special rules. Long runs and open water mean you need a good boat and a good weather window.

📍 Monroe County, Florida: Big Pine Key, Sugarloaf Key, Stock Island and Key West, plus the Marquesas Keys (about 20 miles west) and Dry Tortugas National Park (almost 70 miles west).

📅 Florida Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full South Florida & the Keys map →

Quick facts

Dry Tortugas National Park is about 100 square miles, more than 99% water, and can only be reached by boat or seaplane (NPS).
Fishing is not allowed in the Dry Tortugas Research Natural Area; elsewhere in the park only circle hooks are allowed, and spearfishing and lobster harvest are banned.
Looe Key, Sand Key, Eastern Dry Rocks, Rock Key and Newfound Harbor Key are Sanctuary Preservation Areas (no-take) in the Lower Keys.
The backcountry is part of the Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuges, with marked no-entry, no-motor and idle-speed zones.
Permit move onto Gulf-side wrecks in late spring and stay until the first fall northeaster (Salt Water Sportsman).

What you can catch

Permit
Flats, reef and wrecks; best spring through fall; Special Permit Zone rules apply.
Tarpon
Harbor, channels and the Marquesas, best April to July; catch-and-release only.
Bonefish
Lower Keys flats; catch-and-release only.
Sailfish
Best December to April.
Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Best April to June offshore.
Blackfin tuna
Best spring and again in October and November.
Wahoo
Offshore, often best in summer and winter.
Snapper and grouper
Reef and Marquesas bottom fishing; follow grouper closures.

Month by month

January	Sailfish peak; permit on warm flats; shallow-water grouper closed.
February	Sailfish and wahoo; flats permit when weather allows; grouper closed.
March	Sailfish and blackfin tuna; tarpon arriving; snook opens Mar 1.
April	Tarpon and reef permit; mahi start; permit harvest closed (catch-and-release) Apr 1 to Jul 31.
May	Tarpon, permit, mahi and blackfin; grouper opens May 1; snook closes May 1.
June	Tarpon and mahi; permit on Gulf wrecks; wahoo good.
July	Wahoo and mahi; permit on wrecks; lobster sport season late July.
August	Lobster season opens Aug 6; permit harvest reopens Aug 1; wrecks and reef.
September	Permit on wrecks; quieter offshore; snook closed through Sep 30.
October	Blackfin tuna; fall permit with less pressure; snook opens Oct 1.
November	Blackfin tuna and early sailfish; snook open until Nov 30.
December	Sailfish season starts in earnest; snook closed from Dec 1.

Tips

Before fishing in Dry Tortugas National Park, private boaters must get a boat permit at Garden Key; use circle hooks only.
In the national wildlife refuges, watch for no-entry, no-motor and idle-speed buoys; jet skis and airboats are banned there, and those buoys are not for mooring.
Never anchor on coral; use mooring buoys at Looe Key and other reefs.
There are no tackle or supply shops at the Dry Tortugas, so bring everything with you.
Watch the wind: the run to the Marquesas and Tortugas crosses open water.

Rules and license

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) / NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary / Dry Tortugas National Park · Official rules page ↗

A Florida recreational saltwater fishing license is needed (age 16 and up unless exempt), including in Dry Tortugas National Park.
Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release only; tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water.
Snook: Monroe County follows FWC Southwest region rules: closed Dec 1 to end of February and May 1 to Sep 30; slot 28 to 33 inches; 1 per person; snook permit required.
Shallow-water grouper closed Jan 1 to Apr 30 in all Monroe County state waters; Nassau and goliath grouper cannot be kept; State Reef Fish Survey required.
Permit in the Special Permit Zone: 22-inch fork length minimum, 1 per person, 2 per vessel, closed to harvest Apr 1 to Jul 31.
Dry Tortugas National Park: no fishing in the Research Natural Area; circle hooks only; no spearfishing; no lobster harvest or possession unless taken legally outside the park.
Sanctuary Preservation Areas are no-take; anchoring on living coral and prop scarring are prohibited sanctuary-wide.
Lobster harvest is closed at all times in Dry Tortugas National Park and in sanctuary no-take areas.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 26 boat ramps and 7 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boat Dock
Conch Harbor Marina
Geiger Key Small Boat Ramp
Hurricane Hole Marina
Key West Bight Marina
Key West City Marina at Garrison Bight
Oasis Marina
Oceanside Marina of Stock Island
Public boat ramp
Sammy Creek Landing Ramp
Shark Key Wayside Park Public Boat Ramp (Mile Marker 11)
Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina
Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina - Key West Harbour
Sugarloaf Marina
Sunset Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.