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About South Florida Flats & Inshore Tarpon Fishing

About Tarpon Fishing

Tarpon, known as the “Silver King,” are the most spectacular and physically challenging fish to catch. Their size, speed and agility make them unmatched to any other species. In South, Florida tarpon up to 200 pounds are caught during the prime season. Once hooked, tarpon speed off and without warning jump completely out of the water, shaking and flipping out of control in and attempt to throw the hook.

Although tarpon can be caught year-round in South Florida, larger migrating tarpon are on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, December through June, due to large amounts of food available and moderate water temperatures. They are found from Palm Beach County South through Miami and throughout the Florida Keys in the protected waters of northern Biscayne Bay in Miami as well as the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River in Fort Lauderdale. During the warmer days of February, tarpon begin to migrate into the backcountry bays.   

As the northernmost key of the Florida Keys, Key Biscayne, just southeast of downtown Miami, is a great location to leave from for catching big tarpon from December through July due to its proximity to prime tarpon fisheries in Biscayne Bay. They will remain in Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay and Whitewater Bay in Everglades National Park until late April, when they begin their annual migration. April, May and June are when the highest concentration of tarpon can be found. This time of the season is best for fly fishing for tarpon in South Florida.     

By the beginning of June, most tarpon are leaving the bays and heading north along the Oceanside flats and beaches.  By the end of July, the last of the migrating tarpon have passed by Biscayne Bay. At the same time, the smaller, resident tarpon are in much of the same areas from Miami to Key West, and in the backcountry of Flamingo in Everglades National Park.  In mid September, Fort Lauderdale sees the first schools of mullet on the beaches, inlets, intracoastal and New River, signifying the fall mullet run.  Smaller and medium-sized tarpon are much obliged to see them. You can find large schools of mullet with tarpon crashing through them.   This also signifies the southern migration of the larger 80lb+ tarpon from as far away as North Carolina. They arrive on the beaches of South Florida in the beginning of December, thus repeating the cycle.

Given the fact that tarpon are primarily night feeders, nighttime fishing can also be good for catching tarpon in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. As the mullet run winds down through November, the tarpon start to feed primarily on shrimp and crabs but will also eat flies and artificial lures.

Tarpon can be caught using three different methods - live bait, artificial lures, or by flies, depending on the angler’s skill level or preference of challenge.  Typically, sight fishing encompasses the use of artificial lures or by fly fishing. There are times, however, when a properly presented live bait can draw a strike from one that is in your sights. Bait fishing is generally preferred by anglers who want to increase their chances of getting a bite. Those who seek a greater challenge prefer to entice large tarpon using artificial lures and flies.  This type of fly fishing is not for your average fly fisherman, as tarpon are known to be one of the most difficult species to catch on fly.  Fly fishing for tarpon in Miami/ Key Biscayne is best starting in Feb and running through June.

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