The Key West, FL marine forecast covers live wind speed and gusts, tide predictions, wave conditions, and major and minor solunar feeding times, updated continuously from NOAA and Open-Meteo. The strongest fishing windows usually line up with the moving tide and the solunar periods shown below — check current conditions before you head out.
By Steve Wilson, lifelong angler & founder of My Marine Forecast
Last updated: Aug 1, 2026, 8:01 AM
On Saturday, August 1, Key West, FL sees high tide at 12:36 AM (1.4 ft) and 12:21 PM (1.9 ft), low tide at 5:37 AM (0.5 ft) and 6:28 PM (0.2 ft). Winds 2–6 mph from the SE gusting to 7 mph. Air temperatures 81–91°F. Current water temperature is about 90°F. The strongest fishing windows line up with the moving water around each tide change, roughly an hour on either side.
Today's Tides · Station 8724580
| High tide | 12:36 AM | 1.4 ft |
| Low tide | 5:37 AM | 0.5 ft |
| High tide | 12:21 PM | 1.9 ft |
| Low tide | 6:28 PM | 0.2 ft |
Wind
2–6 mph SE
Gusts
7 mph
Air Temp
81–91°F
Water Temp
90°F
Tides from NOAA Station 8724580 · wind & temperature from Open-Meteo. Open the live forecast for hourly charts and the 7-day outlook.
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Tide data sourced from NOAA Station 8724580
Key West is the fishing capital of the Florida Keys and one of the most iconic sportfishing destinations in the world. The surrounding waters offer an extraordinary diversity of fishing: flats fishing for bonefish, permit, and tarpon; nearshore action for snapper, grouper, and cobia; and world-class offshore fishing for blue marlin, sailfish, mahi-mahi, tuna, and wahoo.
The shallow flats west of Key West — stretching toward the Marquesas Keys and Dry Tortugas — are where the elite "Grand Slam" (bonefish, permit, and tarpon in a single day) is pursued. Permit fishing in particular is exceptional here, with large schools visible on the flats year-round. Tarpon season peaks from March through June when massive schools migrate through the Keys.
Offshore fishing from Key West benefits from the proximity of deep water — the Gulf Stream passes close to the island, bringing warm blue water and the pelagic species that follow it. Spring and summer bring explosive mahi-mahi action. The live weather and current forecast above helps you plan the best days for offshore runs versus flats fishing.
Spring: Tarpon season peaks from March through May, with strings of fish in Key West Harbor, the channels and the basins west toward the Marquesas. Permit gather on wrecks ahead of their spawn while others still tail on the flats. Yellowtail snapper fishing on the reef gets steadier as seas lay down.
Summer: Dolphin fishing offshore is the headline, with mahi on weedlines and current edges from June onward. Bonefish and permit feed on the flats early before heat pushes them deep, and mangrove snapper spawn on the reef around the July and August full moons. Resident tarpon linger in the harbor and channels.
Fall: Fall is quiet and underrated. Bait flows across the flats and keeps bonefish, permit and resident tarpon feeding, wahoo bite improves around the full moons, and blackfin tuna show on the wrecks and the bar. Crowds thin out, and the flats fish well on light winds between early fronts.
Winter: Sailfish ride the color changes along the reef edge from December through March, sharing the water with kingfish, blackfin and cero mackerel over the bar and patch reefs. On the flats, big barracuda and sharks take over cool days, with bonefish active during warm spells. Yellowtail and mutton snapper fill reef trips.
White Street Pier on the Atlantic side gives shore anglers a real shot at tarpon, jacks and snapper without a boat. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park sits on the deep western corner of the island, where the shipping channel swings close to shore. Key West Harbor and the Northwest Channel are the classic tarpon grounds each spring, and the flats and basins running west to the Marquesas Keys hold bonefish, permit and tarpon for anglers with a skiff or a guide.