Tarpon Fishing Florida Keys:
Charters & Season

Visitors to the Florida Keys have plenty of options for fishing our beautiful and abundant waters, but one preferred by many anglers is tarpon fishing. Once you experience the thrill of catching the ‘silver king’ of gamefish, you just might become addicted. The metallic giant is known for its spectacular jumping ability, and is sure to put on a show like no other. We like to fish for them at the Long Key Bridge or nearby flats early in the morning or at sunset. While tarpon fishing Florida Keys channels and flats you are bound to experience the fishing trip of a lifetime.

Tarpon Fishing Florida Keys Style

experience the thrill of catching the ‘silver king’ of gamefish

Tarpon fishing is popular along Florida coasts as well as in many Southern islands. Boca Grande tarpon fishing was famed in the earlier days of tarpon fishing as it was one of their main known feeding grounds. The Florida Keys, however, remain a prime location for the adrenaline-pumping sport. For starters, the spaciousness of the water and numerous fishing spots mean you don’t get overly crowded or cut off by other tarpon fishing charters like in Boca Grande. Also, the Keys are uniquely located in the middle of the annual tarpon fishing migration, so you can catch tarpon almost year-round. As a bonus, it’s not unusual while Tarpon fishing Florida Keys flats and bridges to catch tarpon weighing in over 100 pounds!

Tarpon Fishing Charters

be prepared for explosive strikes with ensuing aerial acrobatics

Our tarpon fishing charters include day or evening trips to Long Key Bridge, Tom’s Harbor and various flats. Be prepared for explosive strikes with ensuing aerial acrobatics! We usually fish with live bait like crabs and mullet, which typically keep the jacks, snappers, and other uninvited feeders away. The larger crabs also generally attract the larger tarpon. Sometimes though, dead mullet, or artificial baits are just the trick.

Often the night tarpon fishing charters are when we land the most of our biggest fish. Because of their large eyes and wide, upward-angled jaws, tarpon are especially good at night feeding. That being said, the smaller tarpon are much more acrobatic, if not with quite as much strength and fury. You will likely get the best of both worlds tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys. The beauty, power, and agility of these monster fish make tarpon fishing charters the high-speed fishing adventure you have been waiting for!

Tarpon Fishing Florida Keys: Tarpon Season

Tarpon Season in the Florida Keys can extend nearly year-round, depending of course on the temperature of the water. However the prime time to catch tarpon is during the months of April, May, June, and July. The migratory pattern of tarpon brings hundreds of thousands of them every spring into the clear, shallow water of the Florida Keys. Though there are many local tarpon who stay year-round, the visiting tarpon will often stay as long as it is warm enough. It usually requires water temperatures above 70 degrees to continue tarpon fishing Florida Keys waters into the autumn.

When tarpon decide to leave they travel great distances. They are prolific swimmers, and have been tagged and tracked as far as South Carolina. Our years of practice learning the habits of the migrating tarpon allow us to predict the best locations, times, and baits for catching them, whatever the tarpon season may be. Florida Keys tarpon fishing is both an art and a science. Let our local knowledge be your guide to an unforgettable trip.

Tarpon Fishing Facts

• Appearance: silver sides and belly, muted green or blue back, wide body, large silvery scales.
• Size: generally 12in to 75 lbs; however, 100-150 lbs not uncommon in the Florida Keys
• Giant Tarpon All-Tackle World Record: 286 lbs, 9 oz. caught by Max Domecq, Guinea-Bissau, Africa 2003.

Tarpon Fishing Florida Keys Record

Florida State Conventional Tackle Record: 243 lbs, Gus Bell, Key West 1975.