Fall Fishing in the Florida Keys: What's Biting in October and Where to Go

What's biting in the Florida Keys in October? The short answer: the fall mullet run brings tarpon, snook, jacks, and mackerel to the beaches, passes, and inlets; the flats hold bonefish and permit at their late-season peak; blackfin tuna are strong over the humps offshore; and snook season reopens in the Keys on October 1. October is a transition month in the Keys, when summer species are still around and the first fall arrivals start showing, and that mix makes it one of the most productive fishing months of the year.

I have fished these waters for decades and helped anglers find waterfront homes across the island chain. When clients ask what October looks like here, the answer is always the same: the bait shows up, and everything with fins follows it. This guide covers what is biting, where to find it from Key Largo to Marathon, and how to plan a fall trip around the seasons that matter.

The Fall Mullet Run Is the Story of October

The fall mullet run is the biggest bait migration of the year, and October is its peak. Schools of mullet push south along Florida's east coast and reach the Keys, in Monroe County, through October and November. Behind them come the predators that feed on the migration: tarpon, snook, jacks, mackerel, and sharks, all keyed into the same moving bait.

The action concentrates where the bait has to funnel past structure. Ocean-side beaches, passes, and inlets hold the most visible activity, and the bridges and cuts along the Overseas Highway near Long Key stack the current and the fish with it. Live mullet is the top bait of the run, and anglers who can net a few fresh baits out of the passing schools are usually the ones who connect.

You do not need a boat to get in on it. The bridges, the old road fills, and the shoreline spots along the Upper Keys give shore anglers a front-row seat to the same migration. Our guide to the best shore fishing spots in the Florida Keys names the bridges and beaches where the fall run shows up first.

Flats Fishing: Bonefish, Permit, and Tarpon

October is a flats angler's month. Permit are at their seasonal peak from August through October, and bonefish remain excellent as the water slowly cools. Redfish and snook move into the shallows and the backcountry channels, and tarpon are actively feeding on the mullet run along the beaches and passes.

Islamorada sits at the center of it all, with the shallow grass flats of Florida Bay on the bay side and the oceanside flats within a short run of the village. This is why the area earned its title as the sport-fishing capital of the world: three distinct fisheries, the backcountry flats, the reef line, and the Gulf Stream, all within reach of one dock. Our Islamorada community guide walks through the neighborhoods, marinas, and waterfront streets that put anglers closest to the water, and the complete guide to fishing in the Florida Keys covers the flats, reefs, and offshore grounds in depth.

A calm morning with light wind is the classic October flats window. Sightcasting to tailing permit and bonefish on the grass flats is the purest form of Keys fishing, and the fall months deliver some of the clearest water and most cooperative fish of the year.

Snook Season Reopens October 1 in the Keys

One of the best pieces of October news for Keys anglers: recreational snook harvest reopens on October 1 in the Southwest management region, which includes Monroe County, and stays open through November 30. Snook are one of the hardest-fighting inshore fish in Florida, and during the mullet run they are stacked along the beaches and passes, feeding aggressively.

The reopened season lands exactly when the fishing is at its best. Check the current size and bag limits with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before you go, since snook regulations change by region and season. The FWC announcement on the October 1 snook season opening is the authoritative source for dates and rules.

Offshore: Blackfin Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo, and Sailfish

Offshore, October is a two-season month. Early in the month, mahi-mahi from the summer run are still around, and blackfin tuna are excellent over the humps, including the famous Islamorada Hump where the bottom rises sharply into the Gulf Stream current. As the water cools through the month, wahoo and sailfish start showing, with sailfish season building toward its November-through-March peak.

Trolling, live-baiting, and deep-dropping all produce in October. The captains running out of Islamorada, Marathon, and Key Largo know where the current edges and temperature breaks are holding on any given day. If you are visiting without a boat, our guide to the best fishing charters in the Florida Keys lists the top offshore and backcountry captains from Key Largo to Marathon.

Reefs and Wrecks: Snapper, Grouper, and Mackerel

The reef line is a steady producer all month. Yellowtail and mutton snapper, king and cero mackerel, grouper, and amberjack hold on the reefs and wrecks, and the fall weather brings more fishable days than the stormy summer months. The protected reef tract off Key Largo around John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Alligator Reef off Islamorada, Sombrero Reef off Marathon, and Looe Key in the Lower Keys are the anchor points of the reef fishery.

Reef fishing is also the most forgiving for newer anglers: shorter runs, lighter tackle, and steady action on the snapper and mackerel that school over the structure. Many of the same reefs double as top snorkeling and diving sites, so a morning of fishing can turn into an afternoon in the water. Our guide to diving and snorkeling in the Florida Keys covers the reef sites by region.

Lobster and Stone Crab: October on the Table

October is a great month to fish, and an even better month to eat. Spiny lobster season is open, running from August 6 through March 31, so divers and trappers are pulling bugs through the whole month. Stone crab season opens October 15 and runs through May 1, with a minimum claw size of 2 7/8 inches, and fresh claws start showing up on Keys menus in mid-October.

For the full rundown on the lobster season, read our guide to lobster season in the Florida Keys, and for the opening date, the size rules, and the best places to eat fresh claws, our stone crab season guide has you covered from Key Largo to Key West. The FWC stone crab season announcement is the authoritative source for the regulations.

Where to Go: Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon

Key Largo is the reef-fishing gateway, with the protected reef tract and the bay-side flats of Blackwater Sound and Florida Bay close at hand. Islamorada is the all-around center, with backcountry flats, the reef line, and the Gulf Stream humps all in reach. Marathon anchors the Middle Keys, with the famous bridges, including the Old Seven Mile Bridge, the Sombrero Reef grounds, and easy access to offshore water.

Each community has its own character on the water and on land. Our Key Largo community guide and Marathon community guide cover the marinas, canals, and waterfront neighborhoods in each area, so you can match where you stay, or where you buy, to how you want to fish.

What to Pack and How to Book a Charter

October weather in the Keys is warm, with highs in the mid-80s and water still in the 80s, but mornings can start cooler on the water. Pack polarized sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, light long-sleeve layers, and plenty of water. A dry bag for your phone and a light rain jacket cover the afternoon shower that can still pop up this time of year.

If you are booking a charter, talk to the captain about the target species before you go. October trips split between the mullet-run inshore bite, the flats, and the offshore grounds, and the best captains will match the plan to the weather and the bait. Book early for weekends, since the fall run draws anglers from all over the country.

Why Fall Fishing Matters to Keys Buyers

For a large share of Keys buyers, the fishing is the reason to buy. The question is rarely whether to have a boat, it is where the dock is and how deep the water is at the seawall. Canal depth, bridge clearance, and direct ocean access decide whether your boat lives at your house or at a marina across town, and those are exactly the details that separate one waterfront listing from another.

Between 30 years in the Keys, a Florida contractor's license, and a home inspector license, I read waterfront property on the water and on the paperwork. If October fishing sounds like your idea of a good month, and you want to live where the mullet run passes your dock, the complete guide to waterfront living in the Florida Keys is a good place to start, and I would love to help you find the right dock.