How to fish it
Wade quietly at first light on an incoming tide and look for tails and muds on the grass; a live shrimp or a small jig cast well ahead of the fish. The beach is badly eroded and the road is busy: park fully off the pavement.
Best tide: Incoming tide at first light.
Tide station: Islamorada, Upper Matecumbe Key, Florida Bay. See today's tides and currents on the conditions page, or open this spot on the map.
What you can catch here
Bonefish
Catch & release- Bait
- Live or fresh peeled shrimp, or small crabs, cast well ahead of tailing or mudding fish
- Tackle
- 7–7.5 ft light spinning rod, 2500 reel, 8–10 lb braid; or an 8 wt fly rod with a floating line
- Rig
- Spin: 3–4 ft of 12–15 lb fluorocarbon, 1/0 hook, a split shot only if needed. Fly: 9–10 ft leader to a 10–12 lb tippet
Tarpon
Catch & release- Bait
- Live blue crabs (silver-dollar size), mullet or pinfish drifted along the shadow line; a dead mullet on the bottom
- Tackle
- 7 ft heavy spinning rod with an 8000–10000 reel and 50–65 lb braid, or a 30–50 lb conventional
- Rig
- 4–6 ft of 60–80 lb fluorocarbon; 6/0–8/0 in-line circle hook; a small float keeps a crab near the surface
Barracuda
15–36" fork length slot, with 1 fish over 36" per person or boat per day (whichever is less); 2 per person, 6 per boat; open year-round; applies in state and adjacent federal waters off Monroe County.- Bait
- Live pilchards, pinfish or ballyhoo, or a whole needlefish
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium spinning rod, 4000–5000 reel, 20–30 lb braid
- Rig
- 12–18 in of #4–#6 single-strand wire (their teeth cut mono); 2/0–4/0 hook
Access
- Fished by
- Shore, bridge, kayak & wade
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Parking
- Highway shoulder only; no dedicated lot
- Position
- A general area about 1.8 km across, drawn as a circle on the map rather than a pin.
- Stay off the dunes and the sea-oat plantings.
- Florida saltwater licence, or the free resident shoreline licence.
A shoreline stabilisation project was being designed in 2025–26 and may close sections of the beach.
Not for navigation. Positions are approximate. Use official charts, watch your depth and respect private property and posted signs.