Snook Feed Up As Fall Transition Reaches the Florida Keys
NOAA CO-OPS stations 8724580 and 8723970 read 87.4°F and 87.6°F this week, confirming the Florida Keys are still running full summer-warm water even as the calendar turns toward fall. That warmth lines up with what Sport Fishing Mag is describing for the wider Gulf snook fishery right now: as days shorten, snook begin feeding up ahead of their move toward winter holding areas, and the outlet calls the fall transition one of the year's best fishing opportunities for that species, with swimbaits like the Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ drawing strikes on aggressive fish. Bud n' Mary's Islamorada Fishing Marina's seasonal report keeps tarpon in the mix too, pointing to bridge structure as the go-to target for that fishery. ALL IN Key West's most recent posted report called the fishing as good as they've seen in 16 years running trips out of Key West, a reminder the Keys' broader complex stays productive well outside any single target species. The moon is in a Waxing Gibbous phase, which typically sharpens current around bridges and channels.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
What's next
If the warm-water pattern holds, expect snook activity to keep building rather than fade over the next several days, since Sport Fishing Mag's fall-transition read suggests the bite intensifies as water temperatures ease down from summer highs, and at 87 to 88°F the Keys have plenty of room to cool before that shift meaningfully slows feeding. Bridge and channel tarpon should remain catchable in the near term, though as fall progresses that fishery typically tapers from its early-summer peak.
The waxing gibbous moon builds toward full over the coming days, which tends to strengthen tidal current through the bridges and passes; anglers timing trips around the stronger moving-water windows this weekend should find more consistent structure bites than on smaller tides earlier in the month. Tide predictions were not returned by either CO-OPS station this cycle, so cross-check a local tide chart before planning specific stops.
With water still holding in the high 80s, the current mix of snook and bridge tarpon should carry into early October barring a real weather shift.
Context
Late September in the Florida Keys sits at the hinge between summer and fall patterns. Bud n' Mary's own seasonal reporting frames June through early July as the region's prime stretch, with tarpon and reef species all peaking together; by this point in the calendar, that broad abundance typically starts narrowing as some of those fisheries shift or wind down. Snook, by contrast, are just entering their favored window: cooling, if still gradual, water temperatures in fall are what trigger the feed-up Sport Fishing Mag describes, generally carrying into the cooler months before fish settle into winter holding areas. At 87 to 88°F, water temperature in the Keys is running on the warm side for this point in the transition, consistent with a typical late-summer holdover rather than an early or unusually fast cooldown this year.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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