How to fish it
Fish early or at night; it gets busy. Live shrimp on a light rig along the shadow line for snapper, a chum bag for yellowtail by day, and crabs or mullet on heavy tackle for tarpon on the night outgoing tide.
Best tide: A moving tide; the night outgoing for tarpon.
Tide station: Channel Two, west side, Hawk Channel. See today's tides and currents on the conditions page, or open this spot on the map.
What you can catch here
Mangrove (gray) snapper
10" total length minimum and 5 per person within the 10-snapper aggregate in state waters (12" and 10 per person in federal waters); open year-round. Reef fish gear rules apply.- Bait
- Live shrimp, pilchards or small pinfish; cut ballyhoo or squid, with chum to bring them up
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium-light spinning rod, 3000–4000 reel, 15–20 lb braid
- Rig
- 3–4 ft of 20–30 lb fluorocarbon (they are leader-shy); 1/0–2/0 non-stainless circle hook on a knocker or split-shot rig
Yellowtail snapper
12" total length minimum; up to 10 per person within the 10-snapper aggregate; open year-round. Reef fish gear rules apply.- Bait
- Silversides, cut ballyhoo or live pilchards drifted back in a steady chum slick
- Tackle
- 7 ft light spinning rod, 2500–3000 reel, 10–15 lb line
- Rig
- 8–15 ft of 12–20 lb fluorocarbon; #1–1/0 non-stainless circle hook; little or no weight so the bait sinks with the chum
Mutton snapper
18" total length minimum; 5 per person within the 10-snapper aggregate; open year-round. Reef fish gear rules apply.- Bait
- Live pilchards, ballyhoo or pinfish; a ballyhoo plug (head and tail cut off) or a squid strip on the bottom
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium spinning rod, 4000–5000 reel, 20–30 lb braid
- Rig
- 6–15 ft of 30–40 lb fluorocarbon; 4/0–6/0 non-stainless circle hook; 1–4 oz sliding sinker
Grouper (black & red)
Black and gag 24", red 20" total length minimum; 3 grouper per person per day with only 1 gag or black among them; black and red closed Jan 1 – Apr 30. Gag is closed from Aug 2, 2026 by FWC executive order (normally open May 1 – Aug 1). Reef fish gear rules and the State Reef Fish Angler designation apply.- Bait
- Live pinfish, grunts, blue runners or pilchards; whole or cut ballyhoo, mackerel or bonito
- Tackle
- Short, stout 50–80 lb conventional outfit with 65–80 lb braid and the drag locked down
- Rig
- 4–6 ft of 80–100 lb fluorocarbon; 7/0–9/0 non-stainless circle hook; 4–16 oz sliding sinker
Barracuda
15–36" fork length slot, with 1 fish over 36" per person or boat per day (whichever is less); 2 per person, 6 per boat; open year-round; applies in state and adjacent federal waters off Monroe County.- Bait
- Live pilchards, pinfish or ballyhoo, or a whole needlefish
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium spinning rod, 4000–5000 reel, 20–30 lb braid
- Rig
- 12–18 in of #4–#6 single-strand wire (their teeth cut mono); 2/0–4/0 hook
Snook
28–33" total length slot; 1 per person per day; hook and line only; snook permit required. Closed Dec 1 – end of February and May 1 – Sept 30 (Monroe County follows FWC's Southwest snook region). Charter captain and crew may not keep snook.- Bait
- Live pilchards, pinfish, mullet or shrimp drifted with the current along the shadow line
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium-heavy spinning rod, 4000–5000 reel, 30–40 lb braid
- Rig
- 2–3 ft of 40–60 lb fluorocarbon (bridges are rough on line); 2/0–5/0 circle hook
Tarpon
Catch & release- Bait
- Live blue crabs (silver-dollar size), mullet or pinfish drifted along the shadow line; a dead mullet on the bottom
- Tackle
- 7 ft heavy spinning rod with an 8000–10000 reel and 50–65 lb braid, or a 30–50 lb conventional
- Rig
- 4–6 ft of 60–80 lb fluorocarbon; 6/0–8/0 in-line circle hook; a small float keeps a crab near the surface
Permit
22" fork length minimum; 1 per person per day and no more than 2 per boat; closed Apr 1 – Jul 31; hook and line only in state waters (spearing allowed in federal waters). No multiple hooks with natural bait; no snatching. Islamorada is inside the Special Permit Zone.- Bait
- Live crabs drifted with the current or under a float
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium-heavy spinning rod, 5000–6000 reel, 30 lb braid
- Rig
- 4–6 ft of 30–40 lb fluorocarbon; 2/0–4/0 circle hook
Access
- Fished by
- Shore, bridge, kayak & wade
- Skill
- Beginner
- Parking
- Lots at both ends of the old span
- Position
- About 24.8450, -80.7483 (NOAA tide station 8723868 (Channel Two, east); the historic span runs beside the US-1 bridge).
- Walk-on only; no motor vehicles on the fishing bridge.
- Follow the shared-use rules posted at the bridge ends and use the line-recycling bins.
- Florida saltwater licence, or the free resident shoreline licence.
FWC fishing pier no. 20 and a Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail bridge. A kayak can be launched from Anne's Beach nearby.
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
Not for navigation. Positions are approximate. Use official charts, watch your depth and respect private property and posted signs.