Here’s what’s going on in the waters of South Florida in the middle of June 2018. In these reports our guides address the most current state of their specific fisheries and make short-term predictions based on their own historical experiences. Remember that there are many variables that can affect the fishing from day to day, so use these reports as a general outline to help you prepare for your next trip.
Biscayne Bay
There are still lots of tarpon in the deeper water around the northern end of Key Biscayne. These fish can be difficult to feed, dredging big dark flies is the way to go. Further south, the tarpon are still migrating, though the herds are thinning out. Your best bet is creeping up on them first thing in the morning on the inside flats of the cuts. Hoping to see them laying up and resting before continuing their journey.
End of June into July brings better tides, this should help the bonefish and permit fishing. We should start seeing more and more permit as we get deeper into summer. There are also a ton of sargassum weeds in the bay right now. With a strong nighttime outgoing tide, permit will pick off crabs and shrimp from the weeds around bridges.
Everglades
Tarpon continue to be the most consistent, as they should be this time of year. Plenty of 30-60 pounders along the gulf and in Whitewater Bay. Sustained by glass minnows and mullet. There is also a good chance of running into a much bigger fish in the rivers. The baby poons in Coot Bay are rampant. Brushy baitfish and little popper flies don’t stand a chance with these little guys.
East winds have cleaned up the onshore water on the gulf, we’ve finally been able to sight fish the snook along the beaches which has been awesome.
Offshore Palm Beach
Although albie numbers haven’t been what we expect for this time of year, we’ve been finding some big ones on the inshore rock piles in Palm Beach. As well as small kingfish and hordes of blue runners mixed in.
Before the weed patches were pushed inshore they were holding tons of small dolphin and some tripletail. But this time of year, when there’s weed patches outside of the reefs, they should hold more of the same.
There are also scattered kings and albies along the reef edge in Palm Beach, fishing here is nearly impossible however as the sharks will take every fish.
Lake Ida & Inshore Palm Beach
Lake Ida is picking up. Peacocks are done spawning for the most part and they’re back to feeding well. Although the peacocks are back in action, the largemouth bass fishing has slowed down as it tends to do in Ida during the summer. It should pick back up in the fall. There are also tons of clown knifefish around. Try to crack their code with a large shad pattern and a sinking line casted immediately in the direction of their roll.
Inshore, the inlets are full of small pilchards, there is also a good amount of bait scattered along the beaches. Where there’s bait you’ll find snook. They are thick in the inlets, and are starting to show up stronger on the beaches. Look for schools of tarpon along the beaches as well. An Eat Me or EP style pilchard pattern is what you want to get down to the inlet fish with a full sinking line.
