Islamorada’s fishing is like being in two different cities. You can catch a tuna offshore at 10 a.m. and be back inshore fighting a tarpon that afternoon. If you want to catch it, Islamorada offers over hundreds of different species to target.
The thin stretch of land which makes Islamorada unique is an awesome geological formation for anglers. Only three miles to Islamorada’s south stands the reef, home of snapper and grouper. From the reefs edge, the bottom quickly drops off to the continental shelf, where you can find marlin and some maybe the world’s best sword fishing. Warm tropical, blue Gulf Stream waters often flow near the reef, and bring species like dolphin and Wahoo that much closer to the island. There is also the famous Islamorada Hump, which is a seamount that rises up about 200ft from the oceans bottom in 500ft of water. When the Gulf Stream current is flowing over the hump this is area teems with life, from tunas, dolphin and marlin chasing bait on the surface to sharks, amberjacks and groupers feeding down deep.
On the northwest side of the islands kingfish and cobia cruise Gulf waters. To the northeast, Florida Bay’s network of keys, bridges and channels that hold tarpon, permit and snook.