Islamorada Deep Sea Fishing Charters & Guides & Trips

155 captains within 25 miles of Islamorada, 85 of them in Islamorada itself, 82 running offshore. A full day is typically $1,400 for the whole boat. Call the captain directly — we take no bookings and charge no fee.

  • 155Captains within 25 miles
  • 82Deep sea boats
  • $700–$2,000Full day, typically
  • Bud N' Mary's MarinaLeaving from

Contact details checked on each captain's own website

Charters & Guides in Islamorada

Call or visit a captain's website to ask about trips, dates and prices. If they're out on the water, leave a message.

155 charters and guides in Islamorada

Deep sea fishing in Islamorada

82 of the 155 charters in Islamorada list offshore trips on their own websites.

State or federal water

The Keys sit between both: state waters run 9 miles out on the Gulf side and 3 miles out on the Atlantic side; beyond that is federal water. Which side of that line you fish on can change the season and the limits.

Federally permitted boats

Aboard a charter with a federal Gulf reef fish permit, the federal season applies to red snapper, gag grouper and amberjack, even inside state waters. Ask whether the boat is federally permitted.

Where to find current Islamorada fishing reports

We don’t publish a daily report and we won’t reprint one. What’s biting this week comes from the boats — here is where the Islamorada fleet posts it.

On Instagram 47 Islamorada boats

Most captains put the day’s catch here, not on their website.

43 more Islamorada captains post there.

Written, on their own site 2 active

Dated reports the boat publishes itself.

Handles and report pages come from each charter’s own website; every link goes to the captain and nothing of theirs is reproduced here. Boats are ordered by how established they are locally.

Fish you can catch out of Islamorada

Counted from what each captain lists on their own website — the number is how many Islamorada captains name that fish.

Tarpon88Sailfish75Mahi-Mahi70Snook68Shark63Redfish62Wahoo61Barracuda59Grouper58King Mackerel55Bonefish53Speckled Trout49Permit49Cobia39Snapper38Yellowtail Snapper36Tuna36Mutton Snapper35Mangrove Snapper34Amberjack34Swordfish33Blackfin Tuna29Marlin23Jack Crevalle20Spanish Mackerel19Hogfish19Tripletail18Blacktip Shark18Goliath Grouper18Pompano18Ladyfish16Black Drum16Bull Shark14Skipjack Tuna14Blue Marlin13Lemon Shark12Porgy12Black Grouper11Sheepshead11Nurse Shark9Red Grouper9Red Snapper7White Marlin7Cero Mackerel7Gag Grouper7Hammerhead Shark7Catfish6Bonito6Lane Snapper5Snowy Grouper5Tilefish5Yellowfin Tuna4Reef Shark4Bluefish4Yellow Jack4Crappie3Bonnethead Shark3Peacock Bass3Spinner Shark3Gray Triggerfish3Tiger Shark3Largemouth Bass3Bluegill2Carp2Bluefin Tuna2Rainbow Runner2Vermilion Snapper2Yellowtail2Schoolmaster Snapper2Lionfish2Blue Runner2Cubera Snapper2Great Barracuda1Flier1Warsaw Grouper1Speckled Hind1Striped Bass1Snakehead1Wenchman Snapper1Grunt1Scamp1Nassau Grouper1

Records caught at Islamorada

6 of Florida's saltwater all-tackle records list Islamorada as the catch location.

Heaviest on the list

Greater amberjack

142.13 lb

W. A. Colbert, Jr. · February 3, 1979

34 Islamorada captains name greater amberjack

Why this one is here

The record names Islamorada as the catch location, which is why it sits on this page rather than the state's. A record is what came over the rail once — it is not what to expect on a trip.

See the record
  • 67.00 lb Great barracuda · January 29, 1949 · Harold K. Goodstone source
  • 61.50 lb Longbill spearfish · April 29, 1981 · Ted Damiano source
  • 33.50 lb Skipjack tuna · July 21, 1998 · Frank Digiovanni source
  • 17.13 lb Cero · May 5, 1986 · G. Michael Mills source
  • 16.19 lb Bonefish · March 19, 2007 · Robert Schroeder source

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. Weights are printed as FWC prints them, in decimal pounds. The place is the catch location FWC recorded.

What a deep sea trip costs in Islamorada

The rates Islamorada charters and guides publish on their own websites, by trip length. These are the price of the whole boat, and a range across many boats rather than any one boat's rate. Read on 2026-10-01. Confirm with the captain when you call.

  • Half day (3-5 hours)$500 – $1,100 29 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $700
  • Three-quarter day (6-7 hours)$650 – $1,600 17 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $1,000
  • Full day (8+ hours)$700 – $2,000 21 charters and guides publish a rate · middle of the range $1,400

What a trip costs moves with fuel prices, the size of the boat and how far out it runs, and a quiet Tuesday is not a holiday weekend. Nothing here is a booking; we take no fee and hold no rates.

When are you going?

Typical conditions for the month, from NOAA records.

Planning a trip to Islamorada

Check tides for your dates, see what each month is usually like and see the closest airports.

Tides on your fishing day

Choose a date to see high and low tide

NOAA tide predictions for Little Basin, Upper Matecumbe Key, Florida Bay.

Typical conditions by month

  • Warmest water: May to October
  • Fewest rainy days: February and January
  • Coolest water: January, around 72°F
  • Warmest air: July, highs near 89°F

Closest airports

With airline service

  • MIAMiami International 58 miles away
  • FLLFort Lauderdale/Hollywood International 79 miles away

Local public airports

  • X51Miami Homestead General Aviation 36 miles away
  • MTHThe Florida Keys Marathon International 37 miles away

Straight-line miles from the centre of Islamorada.

See the month-by-month averages
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sunset5:55 PM6:17 PM7:31 PM7:45 PM8:00 PM8:13 PM8:15 PM7:57 PM7:27 PM6:56 PM5:35 PM5:36 PM
Water72°75°78°80°85°87°89°89°88°83°77°74°
Air (high)75°77°78°81°84°87°89°89°88°85°80°78°
Rainy days222347779634

Water temperature: NOAA Vaca Key, Florida Bay station (33 miles away), 2021-2025 averages. Air temperature and rainy days: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, ISLAMORADA. A rainy day has 0.1 inch of rain or more. Tides: NOAA predictions for Little Basin, Upper Matecumbe Key, Florida Bay. Sunrise and sunset: Calculated for Islamorada, 15th of each month. Airports: FAA airport registry for public-use airports and their locations, FAA CY2024 passenger boardings for which have airline service, town centre from the Census 2024 gazetteer, Islamorada, Village of Islands village.

What anglers ask · 171 fishing threads mentioning Islamorada

Questions before you book in Islamorada

How much does it cost to go deep sea fishing in Islamorada?Google's top question

21 Islamorada charters publish a full day rate on their own site, and they run $700 to $2,000 for the whole boat, with the middle of the range at $1,400. That is the boat for the day, not a price per person — split between six anglers a $1,400 trip is about $235 each. Shorter trips cost less; ask the captain, because fewer of them publish those rates.

Back-country or offshore — which trip should I book in Islamorada?15 threads

They are different days on different water. 47 charters here list offshore only, 30 list inshore only, and 35 list both. Offshore means a longer run and bigger fish; inshore means calmer water, shorter runs and sight-fishing. The month-by-month table above shows which fish the fleet says are around when you are coming.

Are there family-friendly fishing charters in Islamorada?11 threads

46 charters in Islamorada mention kids or families on their websites. Ask the captain about children's life jackets, trip length and whether there's a restroom on board.

What happens if it is too windy to go offshore?

Often the trip just moves inshore rather than being called off — 35 of the 155 boats here run both, so a blown-out morning can become a back-country or bay trip. 32 of them publish a weather or cancellation policy on their own site — read the one belonging to the boat you book.

How long is a trip out of Islamorada?

Four and six hours are the lengths Islamorada captains list most often, with longer days at eight. The clock starts at the dock rather than at the fishing grounds, so the run out and back comes out of your time on the fish.

Do I need to bring rods and tackle to Islamorada?

No. Rods, reels, bait and tackle come with the boat on every Islamorada charter that says so on its own site — fly anglers are the exception, and usually bring their own. As Buzz On Fishing Charters puts it: “All rods, reels, and tackle are included in the price so you can focus on what really matters, reeling in the fish.”

Do Islamorada charters clean your catch?

Most do, at the dock when you come in, and a good few say so plainly on their own sites. As Bout Time Sportfishing puts it: “We will clean and bag your fish free of charge.” Whether it costs anything is up to the boat, so ask when you book.

What should I bring on an Islamorada charter?

Sun protection and your own food and drink. Sunscreen, drinks, snacks and hat come up most often on Islamorada charter sites.

How do I book a charter or guide in Islamorada?

Call the captain or use their website. CharterFishingBoat doesn't take bookings or payments, and there's no fee to use the directory.

What should I ask the captain?

Ask what the trip includes, how long it lasts, how many people can come, what you're likely to catch that time of year, and the cancellation policy if the weather turns.

Where do state waters end off Islamorada?

The Keys sit between both: state waters run 9 miles out on the Gulf side and 3 miles out on the Atlantic side; beyond that is federal water. Federal seasons and limits apply beyond it, and for some fish they also apply to federally permitted charter boats inside state waters.

When is the water warmest near Islamorada?

May through October, when the nearest NOAA station averages 83–89°F. It's coolest in January, around 72°F.

What airports are closest to Islamorada?

The closest airports with airline service are Miami International (MIA), 58 miles away and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL), 79 miles away. Local public airports nearby: Miami Homestead General Aviation (X51), 36 miles away and The Florida Keys Marathon International (MTH), 37 miles away. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of town.

How many fishing charters and guides are in Islamorada?

This page lists 155 fishing charters and guides in Islamorada, Florida, each with a phone number and website checked on the captain's own site.

Where these questions come from
  • 171Threads read
  • 43Weighing a paid trip
  • 13Had ruled one out

The corpus. 171 Reddit threads about fishing that mention Islamorada, across 8 angling forums. The collector requires the town to be named somewhere in the thread and the title to be about fishing, so some of these discuss Islamorada in passing rather than fishing out of it.

How a question was chosen. Each thread was assigned to the decision the person was stuck on, and ranked by the 43 where a paid trip was actually on the table — not by how often a topic came up. Shore access is the most discussed topic here, 13 threads, and it is left out: 7 of them had already decided against hiring a boat.

What this cannot show you. The collector keeps counts and subreddits, not permalinks or post dates, so there is no representative thread to link. A thread count is not a survey.

Charters & Guides near Islamorada

Tavernier146Islamorada, Village of Islands147Layton177Conch Key160Key Largo143Duck Key155

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