Miami sits on one of the best year-round tarpon fisheries in the country, and the bite often turns on after dark. Tarpon hold around the beaches, bridges, and passes and feed most aggressively in the late evening and through the night. Snook also come alive at night along the rocks and in the passes during the warmer months. Our night trips can accommodate up to 4 anglers, and leave the dock before sundown. You get to enjoy a Miami sunset on the water and watch as the city lights take over in the background. On a good night the first bite comes before the sun even sets.
The Boat
We run our night trips aboard a 22-foot bay boat that is set up for exactly this kind of fishing. The hull runs shallow and quiet enough to work the channels, passes, and rocks where tarpon and snook feed after dark. The boat carries side-scan sonar, which can be a difference-maker on these trips. It can be used to survey an area without waiting for fish to roll near the surface. The boat is equipped with a large livewell that keeps a full spread of bait alive all night. We can accommodate up to 4 people on night trips but find that 3 is a bit more comfortable.
How We Fish for Tarpon and Snook
Night fishing for tarpon off Miami is a live-bait driven fishery. We pre-buy shrimp and crabs by season, and our captains often net live mullet before the trip or on the way out since they tend to hold near the boat ramp. From there the method is similar on most nights. Tarpon and snook usually stack up near the inlets and beaches along Key Biscayne and South Beach where the current flushes bait in and out of the bay. We know where these fish hang out, mark them with side-scan, and try to drift live baits through the schools. For bait we do our best to match the hatch to whatever the fish are eating depending on the time of year.
The bait we use changes with the calendar. Through the winter, roughly from December through March, we use a lot of live shrimp, since that is what the fish are keyed in on, and we mix in tailed baits like mullet, goggle eye, and pilchards to put something different in the spread. Later in the spring we often shift to using more crabs, which can be very effective for tarpon and permit as well. Through the summer snook spawn, from July into September, we fish live bait on the rocks, especially in Government Cut, where the snook stack up every year. Where we fish on a given night comes down to the wind, tide, and season, as we aim to find a healthy medium between good fishing and calm, protected water.
We rig our terminal gear depending on the size of the fish around and what they are eating. We use heavy spinning gear with 30 lb braid and fluorocarbon leader ranging 40 to 60 pounds depending on the size of the fish and the bait that is around that month. We prefer circle hooks in the 5/0 to 8/0 range depending on the bait, with larger circle hooks for mullet and smaller hooks for shrimp.
Trips and Pricing
Our online booking system is optimized around sunset to ensure the best start time every month of the year. Our trips are 4 hours long, which is enough time to see the sunset and enjoy the early night bite without coming home too late. We target tarpon year-round and often catch snook as well during late summer.
Nighttime Tarpon & Snook Fishing in Miami
4 Hours- Tarpon and snook after dark, set by the season
- Calm, protected water close to the city, easy on anyone prone to seasickness
- Beginner friendly; our captains handle the technical side
- Up to 4 anglers
These 4-hour trips target tarpon around the bridges, passes, and inlets during most of the year. We also catch good snook in the inlets during the warm months, with jacks, snapper, and other night feeders rounding out the action. All rods, reels, tackle, bait, and licenses are included, and you bring food, drinks, and anything else you want for the night.
Looking for something specific, or have a group too big for one boat? Contact us and we’ll put a custom night trip together.
Fishing near Key Biscayne and South Beach
We fish three or four areas depending on the conditions. Biscayne Channel is a spring standout for tarpon and permit, protected from the wind and known for big fish, and we will sometimes drift near the Rickenbacker or the Seaquarium. The rest of the year we are usually fishing near Government Cut, or the beach off South Beach. The run from the boat ramp to the fishing area is typically short and the water is protected, which keeps these trips comfortable and makes them a good option for anyone who gets seasick offshore.
Nighttime Tarpon Fishing in Miami
Tarpon are available year-round, with larger fish present during winter and spring and slightly smaller residents during summer and fall. Miami is one of the best places in the country to catch your first tarpon, but these are still bucket-list fish. Tarpon are big, powerful, and can grow to 200 pounds. They are also picky eaters, fight incredibly hard, and have tough, bony mouths, so the hookup ratio can be humbling. On an average night we might get around three bites and land one fish. Our best nights may produce closer to ten bites. Every once in a while, tarpon get lockjaw, which usually tracks to the weather, the tide, or their mood. Tarpon are brutally strong and can easily take 30 minutes to land on spinning tackle. A 5 fish night might mean 3 hours with the rods bent.
Nighttime Snook Fishing in Miami
Snook can be caught year-round, with the largest fish found during summer when they move into the inlets to spawn. For snook we often pitch live baits on the rocks, especially in Government Cut during the spawn. A good night of snook fishing in August on an outgoing tide might see double-digit bites. The rest of the year, snook are more bycatch than a primary target. These are great fish that fight exceptionally hard, jump, and love breaking you off on structure. Our biggest to date measured 47 inches.
What You Might Catch
The draw at night is quality inshore fish that we catch in protected water. Tarpon and snook are the headliners, and a typical night mixes in jacks, snapper, and other predators working the same areas.
Browse the full species hub for everything that swims through Miami’s inshore and offshore waters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s included?
Everything but food and drinks. Rods, reels, tackle, bait, and licenses are provided by us.
Where do we leave from?
Our trips leave from Coconut Grove. We will send the exact meeting spot and parking details when you book.
How many people can come?
Up to 4 anglers on the boat, but we find that 3 or fewer is more comfortable.
Do I need experience?
No experience is required. Night trips are beginner friendly, with our captains handling the technical side.
What if the weather’s bad?
The captain makes the safety call. If conditions aren’t fishable, we’ll work with you to reschedule or cancel if needed.
Can we keep what we catch?
Tarpon are a catch-and-release fishery, so we try to photograph them at the boat and let them swim. Snook are seasonal with a slot limit, so most are released. If we catch a slot snook during the season, it is yours to keep. We may catch an occasional snapper or grouper during these trips, which we will keep and clean if they are in season.