Season calendar

Fishing in Islamorada in December

Peak month for sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, grouper, amberjack, barracuda, redfish, seatrout. Harvest is closed for hogfish, snook: catch and release them. Today's conditions and bite scores are on the conditions page.

Regulations change.Always verify at MyFWC.com / NOAA Fisheries before you fish.

Peak this month

Sailfish
Offshore
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: slow
6. June: slow
7. July: slow
8. August: slow
9. September: slow
10. October: good
11. November: peak
12. December: peak
Cold fronts push the fish down the reef edge: the best days follow a north wind.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Wahoo
Offshore
1. January: peak
2. February: good
3. March: slow
4. April: slow
5. May: slow
6. June: slow
7. July: slow
8. August: slow
9. September: good
10. October: peak
11. November: peak
12. December: peak
High-speed trolling along the drop-off and humps, best around the full moon on cooler days.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Kingfish (king mackerel)
Offshore
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: good
4. April: slow
5. May: slow
6. June: slow
7. July: slow
8. August: slow
9. September: slow
10. October: slow
11. November: good
12. December: peak
The run arrives with the cold fronts.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Grouper (black & red)
Reef & wrecks
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: good
5. May: good
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: peak
11. November: peak
12. December: peak
Last month before the winter closure.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Greater amberjack
Reef & wrecks
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: peak
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: peak
Deep wrecks and humps. Live bait or vertical jigs.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Barracuda
Reef & wrecks
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: good
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: peak
Winter flats and wrecks; tube lures and fast-moving plugs.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade
Redfish
Flats & backcountry
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: good
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: peak
11. November: peak
12. December: peak
Florida Bay and the backcountry: tailing on shallow mud and grass flats and along mangrove shorelines.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade
Spotted seatrout
Flats & backcountry
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: good
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: peak
12. December: peak
Peak: potholes and grass flats in Florida Bay.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade

Good this month

Blackfin tuna
Offshore
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: peak
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: good
7. July: slow
8. August: slow
9. September: slow
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
The Islamorada Hump and other offshore humps. Live-chum and drift live baits or jigs at first and last light.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Cobia
Offshore
1. January: peak
2. February: peak
3. March: peak
4. April: good
5. May: slow
6. June: slow
7. July: slow
8. August: slow
9. September: slow
10. October: slow
11. November: good
12. December: good
Sight-cast to fish riding rays and sharks on the patch reefs and in Hawk Channel, or chum them up on the reef.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Swordfish
Offshore
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: good
5. May: good
6. June: good
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
Daytime deep-dropping in 1,200–1,800 ft on calm days.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Yellowtail snapper
Reef & wrecks
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: peak
8. August: peak
9. September: peak
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
Reef edge in 40–100 ft. Anchor up-current, chum and float a lightly weighted bait back in the slick.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Mangrove (gray) snapper
Reef & wrecks
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: good
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: peak
8. August: peak
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
Patch reefs, wrecks and bridges; the summer spawn around the full moon is the best night bite.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade
Mutton snapper
Reef & wrecks
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: peak
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
Reef edge, wrecks and sand patches. Live pilchards or ballyhoo plugs fished on the bottom.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Hogfish
Reef & wrecks
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: good
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: peak
8. August: peak
9. September: peak
10. October: peak
11. November: good
12. December: good
Patch reefs and hard bottom. Fish live shrimp or small crabs right on the bottom; spearfishing is only legal in federal waters off Islamorada.
Harvest closedCharter a boatBring your own boat
Permit
Flats & backcountry
1. January: good
2. February: good
3. March: peak
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: good
Ocean-side flats on the incoming tide, and schooled on wrecks in spring. Live crabs or crab flies.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade

Slow this month

Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Offshore
1. January: slow
2. February: slow
3. March: good
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: slow
10. October: slow
11. November: slow
12. December: slow
Weed lines, birds and floating debris 6–25 miles out. Troll rigged ballyhoo, then pitch baits to the school.
OpenCharter a boatBring your own boat
Tarpon
Flats & backcountry
1. January: slow
2. February: slow
3. March: good
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: good
8. August: good
9. September: good
10. October: good
11. November: slow
12. December: slow
Bridges and channels (Channel Two, Channel Five, Long Key) on the outgoing tide at night; backcountry basins and ocean flats by day during the spring run.
Catch & releaseCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade
Bonefish
Flats & backcountry
1. January: slow
2. February: good
3. March: peak
4. April: peak
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: peak
8. August: peak
9. September: peak
10. October: peak
11. November: good
12. December: slow
Ocean- and bay-side flats on a rising tide. Shrimp or small crab flies; they like water in the 70s and 80s.
Catch & releaseCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade
Snook
Flats & backcountry
1. January: slow
2. February: good
3. March: good
4. April: good
5. May: peak
6. June: peak
7. July: peak
8. August: peak
9. September: peak
10. October: good
11. November: good
12. December: slow
Winter closure begins; fish the warm creeks and release them.
Harvest closedCharter a boatBring your own boatShore, bridge, kayak & wade

Closed to harvest in December

Hogfish — closed through April 30; the rule card has the exact dates and source.
Snook — closed through February 29; the rule card has the exact dates and source.

Fish Islamorada in December

A local captain knows which of these fish are on this week. Tell us your dates and how you like to fish.

Book a December trip Call 305-916-9130