Reef fishing in Islamorada is a great way to spend a day on the water. We fish the reef year round in the Florida Keys, but the offshore charter boats primarily focus on it from October – April. The reef line runs parallel with the Keys and is an average distance of 4 miles off shore. The reef drops from an average depth of 60’ on top to 90’ on the bottom. We use all sorts of fishing techniques while on the reef, so don’t think it’s strictly bottom fishing! Charter boats use all sorts of fishing methods including bottom fishing, trolling, kite fishing, drift fishing, and sight fishing. Common reef fish are sailfish, snapper, grouper, barracuda, cobia, mackerel, shark, African pompano, wahoo, etc. We also catch the occasional mahi and tuna while fishing with live baits, so you have to be ready for everything! Usually they are further offshore but they can be a nice surprise. Many of the fish we catch while reef fishing make good table fare too! So whether you bring some home or just take a bag of fresh fish to a local restaurant, you’ll enjoy your catch! There’s also quite a few “wrecks” just out side the reef which we fish around too. They’re anywhere from 100′ – 200′ of water and our captains know some well known ones as well as some secret ones! Wreck fishing is grouped under our “reef fishing” category and many days fishing the wrecks are the way to go!
Most days we start out by catching live bait and then go from there. A full day is always recommended for the best fishing experience, but if a ½ day charter is all you think you can handle or have time for, give the reef a shot! The average travel time in and out is only 20 minutes each way, so you’ll have plenty of fishing time! Florida Keys Reef Fishing is a great option for the whole family! If a private charter is not in the budget our Miss Islamorada Party boat (head boat) fishes the reef too and is an affordable way to get out and catch a few fish for dinner.
January 24, 2026
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Best fishing trip you'll go on for the price!! The captain put us on fish all day and boy did we catch them. We went from 9:30-4:30 and between my grandpa, my girlfriend, and I, we caught 2 five gallon buckets full of all kinds of fish. We caught yellow tail, grunts, porgie, and a bunch of other random fish. I saw a couple guys pull in king mackerel. The crew was very knowledgeable and extremely kind and I couldn't thank them enough. At the end of the day it costed $70 per person and they ask for a %20 percent tip to the mate(Which after they helped out all day I was more than happy to give more than %20) and I gave them another $15 for cleaning my fish which isn't required but after they clean that many fish it's worth every penny. I learned a lot and laughed a lot and caught a lot of fish and the day couldn't have been better
Great Party Fishing Boat Great trip with great crew. Everyone caught fish to bring home. You bottom fish and get to fish for yellowtail at the back of the boat. They will fillet your fish and bag them up for you.
Great stop for food, bait, fishing gear and charters My husband and I visited Bud and Mary's to grab some bait for our 5th anniversary fishing day trip the beginning of the month. Super friendly and happy people, we're very helpful to point out a nice spot to go fishing, and supplied us with great shrimp bait. Food smelled great but it was early so we plan to come back and try it. The property was super clean, including the dock. There were a lot of charters out that morning and a few visitors milling around. They have a small school of tarpon and nurse sharks and some pelicans hanging around wait for scraps, and you can purchase food to feed them. Really want to jump on a charter next time we come down! They also have a dive shop that had a huge selection of gear, but was closed for lunch while we were there. Great place, we will be back.
