September Fishing Report 2024
September Fishing Report 2024
For today’s live action call 305-747-4650
Our KEY WEST Fishing is moving into season!
September is a slower month for fishing in Key West. The waters are quite warm, and the weather is unpredictable. One of the nice things are the many different fish you can catch with so many less people on the water.
As fall arrives, we enter a period of great action. Over the next few months some of the best fishing of the entire year comes to us. Each cool front that crosses the U.S. helps cool down the waters to the north, sending more and more fish our direction, the Gulf Stream. We should hope to start seeing these fronts get closer to us in October, this is what starts our awesome fishery.
Backcountry:
Always a fun and productive trip, the backcountry this time of year remains an excellent trip for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species.
When you add the amazing ambiance of fishing within the boundaries of a marine sanctuary home to an abundance of marine life, sea birds and blooming flora and fauna, this trip checks off every box on the list for a memorable experience. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters for sight casting to fish. With the shallows we do continue to battle higher water temperatures so look to the morning half of the day to be far more productive. Tarpon are off our radar as the spawning migration that brought thousands of adult Tarpon to our waters has taken them away now. We do have a small year-round resident population of Tarpon, however their level of activity is slower in the higher water temperatures found in our backcountry. A Tarpon taken in September is a “bonus fish” for sure. Permit and especially larger Cobia take the lead for the most desirable sport fish to pursue. September remains a decent time to target these nomadic fish as they freely roam the back country. Several additional sport fish species, edible fish, and predators are in the near shore shallows now to target. Snook most days take up their positions on the mangrove shorelines and channel eddies with early morning, low light conditions being the most productive to pursue them. The Snook bite slows from the August levels but typically remains good. Key West is not a huge Snook fishery, nothing in comparison to the Everglades just 130 miles away but we do enjoy them here. September water temperatures remain too high for any real Redfish action. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide the best action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever-present brutish Jacks, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in September that keeps the younger anglers happy with the super-fast bite of schooling fish. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.
The ½-day to ¾-day trips with early departure times continue to produce well but the afternoon water temperatures are still high. Therefore, in September, the later part of the day, our action in the shallows slows. Mangrove Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country for those who intend to save a few “keepers” for an evening meal. For a serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now. The back country is not a “meat fish” trip should anglers be looking to harvest a larger quantity of fish.
The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the ½-day trips. September remains predator time, so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head-to-head”. We “highly recommend” a backcountry charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters but be prepared to get off the docks early.
September Back Country …..Target Species:
Barracuda…”Excellent”
Cobia…”Good”
Jacks “Excellent”
Permit…”Excellent” (slowing slightly as the month moves forward)
Shark…”Good”
Snapper…”Excellent”
Snook…”Good” (early and late)
Tarpon…”Hit or Miss” (typically juvenile fish ranging from 10 to 30 pounds on average
Near Shore:
“A new charter fishing option” which essentially combines “some” backcountry, and “some” reef & wreck type action yet remains in calmer waters. We target “Patch Reefs”, natural formations away from the land mass about halfway to the coral reef offshore. These patch reefs remain in more protected waters keeping everyone comfortable, and within sight of land (very important to many people). You are fishing in deeper waters than in the backcountry pursuing a different variety of fish species than you would typically find in the bays and mangrove areas. The techniques remain very non-technical for the novice angler however we can easily take things up a notch to challenge more experienced anglers.
September Near Shore ……Target Species:
Barracuda…”Excellent”
Cobia…”Good”
Grouper…”Excellent” (season open to harvest)
Permit…”Very Good to Good”
Snapper…”Excellent”
Shark…”Good”
Snook…”Excellent” (early in the morning)
Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing continues with decent but ever slowing action for Mahi Mahi. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that still can provide explosive action at a blistering pace most days. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that also are a favorite for many on the dinner plate. Later in the season this year smaller fish have been plentiful, but the larger Bull’s (males) have been fewer. Wahoo are prized and very sought after, elusive sport fish that peaked during July & August in our waters. Wahoo will be migrating away from Key West during September so as we get deeper into the month the Wahoo will noticeably lessen. September brings improvements to our already quite good Spanish and Cero Mackerel action as they now enter into the “excellent” range which lasts for several months. Typically, by later September the Kingfish migration will have brought decent numbers of good-sized fish to our offshore waters. Big Kings are always good for exciting action!
The predators remain aggressive with September also being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, we always believe a ½-day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the ¾-day (six-hour trip) especially if you are a party of three or four or more and get on the water early. We recommend four as the maximum passenger count on any light tackle boat for the ultimate fishing experience.
September Deep Sea/Light Tackle Offshore ………….Target Species:
Barracuda…”Excellent”
Dolphin (Mahi-Dorado)…”Good”
Kingfish…Improving (late September)
Marlin…”Excellent” (However the Marlin population is small in our waters therefore very hit or miss for the angler’s success)
Shark…”Good”
Mackerel…”Excellent”
Wahoo…”Fair” (slowing gone by months end)
Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
September can be a calmer time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions found well offshore to head out to the offshore reef and wreck sites. In fact, August and September are often times referred to as “the calms” offshore. The Grouper and Snapper family continue to produce. Yellow Tail Snapper will try to eat your arms off most days in September while their cousin the Mangrove Snapper remain plentiful and tasty. Mutton Snapper are not particularly aggressive however. Snapper and Grouper remain the stars on the reef for table fare species to target! Our elusive Permit is always challenging but September remains a good time for these prized sportfish, and they are moving towards better action yet in late September into October. Cobia remain in decent numbers and provide quality action but are now out of the “excellent” range, let’s say more the “good range”. Spanish and Cero Mackerel action improves and becomes quite good for September and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. Amberjack on the deeper wrecks can still provide brutal battles for the light tackle angler for early September but will be slowing later into September. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be good.
September Light Tackle Reef & Wreck …..Target Species:
Barracuda…”Excellent”
Cobia…”Good”
Grouper…”Excellent” (season open to harvest)
Mangrove Snapper…”Good” (slows some later in the month)
Mackerel…”Good”
Yellow Tail Snapper…”Excellent”
Permit…”Good” (improving for October)
Shark…”Good”
Notable:
This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general are more settled in. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a few fun hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon, fishing in slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!
Let’s go Fishing!
Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter
305-747-4650 daily 8 AM to 9 PM.
Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. April, May and June are the busiest months of our entire fishing calendar! Our legendary guide team is always in high demand. We look forward to your call!