Islamorada fishing report, November 9, 2026, light winds, light chop in the bay, short seas outside

Conditions data: FishIntel, the daily Islamorada fishing intelligence report.

Prepared at 6:00 AM EST on November 9, 2026. This is the scheduled morning conditions report.

A high pressure system sits over the southeastern United States and will spread east. That keeps northeasterly breezes light to gentle today. The bulletin says the light to gentle northeasterly breezes will shift to northeast to east and modestly freshen early this week. NOAA has a slight chance of showers today and tonight. No verified catches or on-the-water observations were available for this report.

Wind and seas today

NOAA’s Key West coastal waters forecast was issued at 4:14 AM EST on Monday, November 9, 2026.

Hawk Channel winds are northeast to east near 10 knots, becoming east to southeast. Seas are 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters are a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Florida Bay winds are east to southeast near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10 knots briefly in the afternoon. Bay waters are a light chop, becoming smooth to a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Straits of Florida winds are east near 10 knots. Seas are around 2 feet. Wave detail: East 2 feet at 4 seconds and northwest 1 foot at 5 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers.

NOAA’s sea heights are significant wave heights. This is the average height of the highest third of the waves. Individual waves may be more than twice the significant wave height.

From Molasses to Tennessee

No verified reef-specific visibility or current readings were available for these six areas.

Reef area	Morning planning note
Molasses	The NDBC station MLRF1 has no recent reports. Gulf Stream edge was 8 NM southeast of Molasses Reef Light as of November 8, 2026.
Conch	No reef readings available today.
Davis	No reef readings available today.
Crocker	No reef readings available today.
Alligator	Gulf Stream edge was 10 NM south of Alligator Reef Light as of November 8, 2026.
Tennessee	No reef readings available today.

Today’s tides

The reference is NOAA station 8723808, Upper Matecumbe Key, Florida Bay. Times are local (EDT/EST) on November 9, 2026. Heights are feet relative to mean lower low water, or MLLW. These are predictions, not observed water levels.

Event	Time, local (EDT/EST)	Height, feet MLLW
Low	05:31	0.044
High	10:53	0.584
Low	16:58	0.308
High	22:00	0.845

This is a bayside reference. Check the actual flow where you intend to fish.

Water temperature

NOAA station 8723970, Vaca Key, Florida Bay, reported 82.9 F at 5:54 AM local on November 9. It is a regional bay reading, not a measured temperature at any of the six reef areas in this report.

Species outlook

There is no basis for a species call today. No verified catch or bite data was available.

Tonight and tomorrow

Tonight, Hawk Channel east winds are near 10 knots. Seas are 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters are a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers. Straits east winds are 10 to 15 knots. Seas are 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail: East 3 feet at 4 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers.

Florida Bay sees northeast to east winds near 10 knots tonight. Bay waters are a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Tuesday, Hawk Channel east winds are 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas are around 2 feet. Nearshore waters are a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers. Straits east winds are 10 to 15 knots. Seas are 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail: East 3 feet at 5 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers.

Florida Bay sees east winds 10 to 15 knots early, becoming east to southeast near 10 knots on Tuesday. Bay waters are a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Sources

Conditions data for this log is sourced from FishIntel, the daily Islamorada fishing intelligence report for the Florida Keys. The NOAA and NDBC products it builds on are linked below.

Conditions in this report come from the NOAA and NDBC products linked below.

• NOAA Key West coastal waters forecast, issued November 9, 2026, at 4:14 AM EST.
• NOAA Upper Matecumbe Key tide predictions, November 9, 2026, local time (EDT/EST), feet MLLW.
• NOAA Vaca Key water temperature, November 9 at 5:54 AM local.
• NDBC Molasses Reef station, no recent reports when checked.

Midday update, 11:30 AM EST

This update was prepared at 11:30 AM EST using the NOAA Key West coastal waters bulletin issued at 10:05 AM EST on November 9, 2026. The main change versus the morning forecast is in the Hawk Channel this afternoon. The morning report predicted seas of 1 to 2 feet, but the new bulletin lists them as around 1 foot. The Straits afternoon is unchanged. Florida Bay winds went from east to southeast near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10 knots briefly in the afternoon, to east to southeast 5 to 10 knots, and bay waters went from a light chop, becoming smooth to a light chop, to smooth to a light chop. Hawk Channel winds also eased from near 10 knots to 5 to 10 knots, and nearshore waters went from a light chop to smooth to a light chop.

For the rest of today, the Straits of Florida show east winds near 10 knots and seas around 2 feet. The wave detail remains East 2 feet at 4 seconds and northwest 1 foot at 5 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers. Florida Bay has east to southeast winds of 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters are smooth to a light chop with a slight chance of showers. The Hawk Channel sees northeast to east winds of 5 to 10 knots, becoming east to southeast. Seas are around 1 foot, with nearshore waters smooth to a light chop and a slight chance of showers.

For the reef areas from Molasses to Tennessee, NOAA’s Hawk Channel forecast is lower this afternoon, but no reef-specific readings are available. This is a regional planning note only.

Tonight brings no changes. Hawk Channel east winds are near 10 knots with seas of 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters are a light chop with a slight chance of showers. The Straits see east winds of 10 to 15 knots and seas of 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail is East 3 feet at 4 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers. Florida Bay has northeast to east winds near 10 knots and a light chop with a slight chance of showers.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the Straits hold steady with east winds of 10 to 15 knots and seas of 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail is East 3 feet at 5 seconds. Hawk Channel east winds are 10 to 15 knots, decreasing to near 10 knots. Seas are around 2 feet with a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. Florida Bay east winds are 10 to 15 knots, becoming east to southeast near 10 knots. Bay waters are a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. All zones have a slight chance of showers.

There are no new verified catches or on-the-water readings to report. The tide table and water temperature sections above keep their original labels and data from this morning.

Source: NOAA Key West coastal waters forecast, issued 1005 AM EST Mon Nov 9 2026, checked at 11:30 AM EST.

Conditions data for this update comes from FishIntel, the daily Islamorada fishing intelligence report, using the NOAA bulletin named above.

Evening update, November 9, 2026

This update was prepared at 5:00 PM EST on November 9, 2026. It uses the NOAA Key West coastal waters bulletin issued at 4:33 PM EST on November 9, 2026. The morning report above is preserved as written.

Afternoon recap

We have no verified afternoon catches or on-the-water observations to add to the log. The forecast shifted in several places between the 4:14 AM EST bulletin and the new 4:33 PM EST bulletin. The morning report’s “Today” numbers are now in the past and are not compared here.

In the Hawk Channel, the morning bulletin had east winds near 10 knots for tonight. The new bulletin lists east to southeast winds of 5 to 10 knots, increasing to near 10 knots. Nearshore waters are now described as smooth to a light chop, becoming a light chop. The morning bulletin just said a light chop. For Wednesday, the morning bulletin had east to southeast winds near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10 knots. The new bulletin says they decrease to near 5 knots. Seas are now 1 to 2 feet, subsiding to around 1 foot, where the morning bulletin just listed 1 to 2 feet. The rain chance also changed. The morning bulletin had a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms for Wednesday. The new bulletin lists only a slight chance of showers. Wednesday night winds in the morning bulletin were east to southeast near 5 knots, becoming south to southwest 5 to 10 knots. The new bulletin says southeast winds near 5 knots, becoming south to southwest. Nearshore waters are now just smooth, where the morning bulletin said smooth, becoming smooth to a light chop.

In the Straits of Florida, tonight’s winds are now east near 10 knots, increasing to 10 to 15 knots. The morning bulletin had east winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas are now around 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. The morning bulletin listed 2 to 3 feet. For Tuesday, winds are east to southeast 10 to 15 knots, whereas the morning bulletin said east 10 to 15 knots. Tuesday night winds are now east winds to southeast near 10 knots, down from east 10 to 15 knots in the morning bulletin. The wave detail for Tuesday night is now listed as East 3 feet at 5 seconds, which was not in the morning bulletin.

In Florida Bay, tonight’s winds are now east 5 to 10 knots, increasing to near 10 knots. The morning bulletin had northeast to east winds near 10 knots. Bay waters are smooth to a light chop, becoming a light chop, where the morning bulletin just said a light chop. Tuesday winds are now east to southeast near 10 knots. The morning bulletin had east winds 10 to 15 knots early, becoming east to southeast near 10 knots. Bay waters are a light chop, where the morning bulletin said a light to moderate chop, becoming a light chop. Tuesday night winds are east to southeast near 10 knots, decreasing to 5 to 10 knots. The morning bulletin had them near 10 knots. Bay waters are a light chop, becoming smooth to a light chop, where the morning bulletin just said a light chop.

Tonight’s ride

The Hawk Channel shows east to southeast winds of 5 to 10 knots, increasing to near 10 knots. Seas are 1 to 2 feet. Nearshore waters are smooth to a light chop, becoming a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

The Straits of Florida have east winds near 10 knots, increasing to 10 to 15 knots. Seas are around 2 feet, building to 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail is East 3 feet at 4 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers.

Florida Bay has east winds of 5 to 10 knots, increasing to near 10 knots. Bay waters are smooth to a light chop, becoming a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Tuesday, November 10

Hawk Channel winds are east to southeast near 10 knots. Seas are around 2 feet. Nearshore waters are a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

Straits of Florida winds are east to southeast 10 to 15 knots. Seas are 2 to 3 feet. Wave detail is East 3 feet at 5 seconds. There is a slight chance of showers.

Florida Bay winds are east to southeast near 10 knots. Bay waters are a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.

For the reef areas from Molasses to Tennessee, NOAA’s Hawk Channel forecast for Tuesday is east to southeast winds near 10 knots with seas around 2 feet. No reef-specific visibility or current readings are available. This is a regional planning note only. The Gulf Stream edge was 8 NM southeast of Molasses Reef Light and 10 NM south of Alligator Reef Light as of November 8, 2026.

There is no basis for a species call tomorrow. No verified catch or bite data is available.

Evening forecast source

NOAA Key West coastal waters forecast, issued 433 PM EST Mon Nov 9 2026.

Conditions data for this update comes from FishIntel, the daily Islamorada fishing intelligence report, using the NOAA bulletin named above.