April 2026 Recap

    KEY WEST FISHING REPORTApril 2026

    Cero mackerel blitzing the reef edge and muttons feeding hard on the morning tide.

    Conditions: ENE wind 8–14 kts early, settling by mid-morning. Water temp 74–78°F, 2–3 ft seas average, visibility 30–40 ft.

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    What Was Biting in April 2026

    🔥 Hot

    • Cero Mackerel
    • Mutton Snapper
    • Yellowtail Snapper
    • Lane Snapper

    📈 Building

    • Yellowtail (numbers building daily)
    • Lane Snapper
    • Porgy

    💤 Slow

    • Grouper (closed until May 1)
    • Cobia

    The Month in Review

    Angler holding a thick mutton snapper caught on the Gulfstream party boat off Key West, April 10, 2026.
    April 10, 2026 — Solid mutton snapper boated on the morning anchor stop. These fish came up out of 35 ft of water on the patch reefs at slack tide, biting cut squid on a long fluoro leader. Mate Ethan on the gaff, all smiles.

    April fishes like the gateway to summer. The cero mackerel bite has been the headline this month — fast, flashy fish smashing chunks of squid in the chum slick as soon as it gets going. Most trips have put a handful of ceros in the cooler with the better fish in the 2–3 lb range.

    Mutton snapper have been the prize bottom fish, with a few keepers in the 3–5 lb range hitting the deck. Yellowtail counts are building every week as water warms, and the lane snapper bite has been steady on the patches. Grouper remains closed through April 30 — release everything healthy.

    Captain's Tip

    When the cero mackerel show up, switch from long-shank snapper hooks to a wire-leader stinger rig. You'll quadruple your hookup rate without losing the snapper bite below.

    ← Older
    March 2026 Report
    Lane snapper feeding hard, king mackerel still running, and ceros showing up daily.
    Newer →
    May 2026 Report
    Yellowtail snapper stacking behind the boat — muttons, lanes, and red grouper opening day.

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