Kayak Fishing the Lower Florida Keys [Video]

kayak fishing lower florida keys

The JK Media House team (ProStaffers Brooks Beatty and Jameson Redding) and a few angling friends headed to the Lower Florida Keys for a week of some awesome fishing with guide, Lower Keys Kayak Fishing.

Check out their adventure in this video:

What to Expect when Fishing the Lower Florida Keys

Randy Marrow of Lower Keys Kayak Fishing says:

“Kayak fishing the Keys allows you to immerse yourself in nature, target fish that will test your skill and tackle, and do it all in a sublime tropical setting. Crystal clear water, warm tropical air, and an abundance of wildlife, both in and above the water provide an awe-inspiring background as you quietly paddle along, seeking some of the most challenging fish in the ocean.”

The Lower Keys run from the west end of 7-Mile Bridge down to Key West. It includes patch reefs, oceanside flats and hundreds of square miles of backcountry shallows and channels:

map of lower floriday keys

The Florida Keys sit on a shallow shelf. So kayak fishing there is in less than 20 feet of water…sometimes much less. Barracuda, sharks, redfish, snapper, mackerel, permit and tarpon are of some of the species that love this habitat. In all, more than 250 different fish species can be found there.

kayak angling shark

What to Know about Fishing the Lower Keys

While this is a shallow and fairly protected area, this is the ocean after all, so tides are a major factor. Seasons affect the types of fish you might catch, but one big advantage of this area is there’s great fishing pretty much year-round.

Weather conditions that might hamper your fishing could be occasional strong winds and summer thunderstorms with lightning. Keep an eye on the weather reports and you’ll be fine.

As with anywhere, hiring a local guide will help you enjoy the fishing without having to worry so much about tides, launch spots, what to catch where, and other logistics.

There are few places in the U.S. with better fishing and more beauty than the Lower Florida Keys. Whether it’s a bucket list destination for you or becomes one of your regular angling spots, it will not fail to deliver.

starfish lower florida keys

(Thanks to Randy Marrow and the Lower Keys Kayak Fishing website for much of the information for this post!)

Contact our Wisconsin-based Customer Service team with your paddle questions today: 715-755-3405 • [email protected]

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