UTERTrolling the Florida Keys is a depth game: sailfish and kingfish on the reef edge in about 80 to 150 ft, wahoo down the 200 to 300 ft drop, blackfin and amberjack on the deep humps at first light, and dolphin along the Gulf Stream edge in the blue water beyond. Pick the fish first, then run to its water. That matters more than which town you leave from.
Islamorada, Marathon and Key West all sit close to deep water, so a short run puts you on every one of these zones. Below is the species-by-species plan we use, with depths, speeds and baits, plus the named spots most boats from the Upper and Middle Keys run to.
The species-by-species troll plan
| Fish | Where | Method | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailfish | Reef edge, roughly 100–150 ft | Kite or slow-troll live ballyhoo and pilchards | Winter, the day or two after a cold front on a north or northwest wind |
| Kingfish | Reef edge, about 80–150 ft | Slow-troll live baits or ribbonfish on wire; mark bait on the sounder and work it | Winter and spring |
| Wahoo | The 200–300 ft drop, finishing over a hump | High-speed troll (around 14–18 kt) with weighted lures | Fall and early winter; dawn and the full moon |
| Blackfin tuna | Deep humps | Be on top at first light; chum live pilchards up-current or troll small feathers across | Much of the year; spring is strong |
| Amberjack | Humps and deep wrecks | Drop live baits or jigs on the up-current face; they sit tight to structure | Year-round; check seasons |
| Dolphin (mahi) | Gulf Stream edge, weed lines, floating debris | Troll skirted ballyhoo and small lures at about 6–9 kt; pitch baits to schools | Spring and summer |
| Swordfish (daytime) | Along the drop in about 1,200–1,800 ft | Deep-drop a bait to the bottom and drift with the current; heavy tackle and a lot of weight | Year-round, calm days |
Speeds and depths here are general rules of thumb used across the Keys fleet, not exact settings. Current, sea state and your spread change them.
Islamorada: the reef edge and the Hump
Islamorada's offshore fishing is short and steep. Past the reef, the bottom falls off fast toward the Straits, and boats can be on the sailfish edge within minutes of the inlet channels.
Sailfish and kingfish on the edge
In winter, the classic Islamorada day is kite fishing live baits along the reef edge after a front. Sailfish move down the edge with the cooler water, and the north wind gives you the right drift. Mark bait on the sounder: if there are ballyhoo or pilchards on the edge, the predators are close.
The Islamorada Hump
The Islamorada Hump is a deep rise offshore of the Upper Keys famous for blackfin tuna. George Poveromo describes chumming live pilchards and fishing light fluorocarbon in the very clear water. Saltwater Sportsman notes that blackfin there are often trolled with small lures and skirted ballyhoo well back from the boat, and that the big blackfin are best from about February through June. Published depths for the top vary between sources; our read of NOAA's depth grid puts the shallowest point near 340 ft. Use your sounder to find the top and the up-current face.
Marathon: the Middle Keys humps
Marathon boats have their own set of humps offshore of the Middle Keys. The best known is the Marathon Hump, also called the West Hump, roughly 25 to 30 miles out according to published reports, with the 409 Hump nearby. Saltwater Sportsman and Coastal Angler both describe these humps as blackfin, amberjack, wahoo and dolphin water, with the bite best when the current is running hard across them.
The run is longer than in Islamorada, so the weather window matters more. Check the seven-day outlook for wind against the current before you commit.
Trolling the drop off Marathon
Between the reef and the humps, the 200 to 300 ft drop is classic wahoo water. Pull a high-speed spread down the contour, then finish the troll on a hump. If the wahoo don't show, slow down and switch to a dolphin spread as you move toward the blue water.
Key West and the Lower Keys
Key West boats fish the same pattern in a different setting: the reef edge for sailfish and kingfish, the deep water beyond for dolphin and swordfish, and humps offshore to the west. The farther west you go, the more the sanctuary and the Tortugas zones matter. Some of the deep humps out that way sit inside closed or transit-only areas. Check the rules before you go.
Reading the day before you run
- Where is the Gulf Stream edge? On a dolphin day, the edge decides how far you run. See Florida Keys offshore fishing and the Gulf Stream edge.
- Is there weed? Weed lines along the edge hold dolphin. A satellite weed map saves hours.
- Where is the blue water? In summer, color shows the edge when temperature doesn't. See how to read water color offshore.
- What is the current doing? Humps fish best on a strong current. Fish their up-current face.
- Wind against current? Steep, short seas build fast in the Stream. Pick the day, not just the spot.
The troll plan in Fish Scouter
We built a troll plan into Fish Scouter for the Keys and Southeast Florida. It's part of Plan a run on the Guide plan. Here's how it works:
- Pick the fish: sailfish, kingfish, wahoo, blackfin, amberjack, dolphin or daytime swordfish.
- Get the route. From where you are (or your home water), it plots the run out and a troll line on that fish's water: the 120 ft edge for sailfish and kingfish, the 250 ft drop ending on a hump for wahoo, the nearest humps for blackfin and amberjack, today's Gulf Stream edge for dolphin, and the 1,500 ft line for daytime swordfish.
- Show it on the map, or start the run. Take me there steers you to each waypoint with a live arrow and a "you're close" prompt, and you can record the trip.
The marks come from NOAA's bathymetry: the humps and depth edges we read from the depth grid, plus mapped reefs and NOAA-charted named reefs and shoals. For dolphin, the route follows the Gulf Stream edge from today's satellite temperature map, and if the edge isn't showing (it often hides in summer), the app says so and tells you to run to the 600 ft line and look for color, weed and birds.
It's honest about its limits: the plan draws straight lines between waypoints, as the crow flies. It does not route around reef, shoals or closed zones, and Fish Scouter is not for navigation. Check your chart before you run it.
Not a Guide member? Every plan gets the forecast, the map with reefs, wrecks and humps, and the offshore layers. The Keys sailfish, Keys wahoo, Keys blackfin, Keys dolphin and Keys kingfish guides give the month-by-month seasons.
Rules to check
Sailfish, swordfish, tunas and other highly migratory species fall under NOAA's federal rules, and some need a federal permit for the boat. Reef fish like amberjack have state and federal seasons and limits. Rules change: check FWC, NOAA's highly migratory species pages and the sanctuary's zones before you go. Fish Scouter's rules card on each fish names the agency and the day the rule was checked.
Plan your next troll
Pick the fish, get the route, and run it with the Gulf Stream edge and the humps on one map. Try Fish Scouter free and plan your next Keys trolling day.