How to fish it
Walk out to find your own stretch of rail. Yellow jacks and snapper on the incoming tide along the flat edges; tarpon and snook on the night outgoing. Bring a cart: it is a long walk.
Best tide: Incoming for jacks along the flats; night outgoing for tarpon.
Tide station: Channel Two, west side, Hawk Channel. Current station: Long Key Bridge. 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
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
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
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
Access
- Fished by
- Shore, bridge, kayak & wade
- Skill
- Beginner
- Parking
- Lots at both ends of the old viaduct
- Position
- About 24.7970, -80.8680 (Wikipedia "Long Key Bridge" (bridge midpoint)).
- Walk-on and bicycles only.
- Rules posted at the bridge ends.
- Florida saltwater licence, or the free resident shoreline licence.
FWC fishing pier no. 18. South of Islamorada; the south end lands on Conch Key.
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail
Not for navigation. Positions are approximate. Use official charts, watch your depth and respect private property and posted signs.