Florida Keys • Western Atlantic
When do blackfin tuna bite in the Florida Keys?
Blackfin peak in winter and spring off Islamorada, in 70-87 F water with the best bite between 73 and 82 F. The bands come from 100 days of observed Keys sea surface temperature, and the daily FishIntel report says where that water sits this morning.
70–87°F
Best between 73–82°F.
Peaks winter and spring.
These bands are calibrated for the Florida Keys from 100 days of observed sea surface temperature in this fishery, recorded between 4 April and 27 July 2026, plus local seasonality, and not copied from a generic table. The record starts in April, so the cold ends rest on seasonality rather than measurement.
A band and a season tell you whether blackfin tuna is on the cards this month. They do not tell you where the water is doing something today. A FishIntel report reads the actual sea surface temperature, chlorophyll fronts and current convergence over your own pinned coordinates every morning, and says which of those edges is worth running to.
FishIntel is built by Captain Kit Carson, a licensed charter captain running offshore out of Islamorada.