Florida Keys • Upper and Middle Florida Keys
When do yellowfin tuna bite in the Florida Keys?
Yellowfin show up in the Keys mostly from spring into early summer, as an offshore fish out in the Straits rather than on the reef line. No temperature range is published for this species in this water yet, so the rating leans on season, depth and structure instead.
How does FishIntel forecast the best days to catch yellowfin tuna?
FishIntel reads NOAA and satellite ocean data, including sea surface temperature breaks and chlorophyll edges, and turns changes near your zone into a plain-English yellowfin tuna forecast. See a sample report at fishintel.ai/sample-report.
Available in the Straits mostly spring into early summer, and an offshore fish here rather than a reef-line one. Federal rules apply in state and federal waters: a federal HMS Angling permit is required, the minimum is 27 in curved fork length and the bag is 3 per person per day (FWC billfish and tuna page; NOAA HMS Recreational Compliance Guide 2026; both read 2026-09-30). Regulations change, so check the current rules for the species you are targeting before treating a rating as a plan.
Confirm current rules before you keep a fish. Official rules: FWC, NOAA Fisheries.
No temperature range is published for this species in this water yet, so the rating leans on season, depth and structure instead.
A season and a depth tell you whether yellowfin 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 zone every morning, and says which of those edges is worth running to.
FishIntel was co-founded by Captain Kit Carson and Alan Lanham.