Species guide · Florida

Mahi-mahi fishing in Florida

Coryphaena hippurus, a pelagic species also called dolphin, dolphinfish and dorado. Listed for the Eastern Gulf, South Florida and the Keys and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.

Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM at 50, one of 17 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season

Where it's scoring now All Florida waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Eastern Gulf

Shoulder season, about 1 more week

Jan: Not present
Feb: Not present
Mar: Off season
Apr: Shoulder season
May: Peak season
Jun: Peak season
Jul: Peak season
Aug: Shoulder season
Sep: Shoulder season
Oct: Off season
Nov: Off season
Dec: Not present

Peak: May to Jul. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Sep.

Research notes, Eastern Gulf region

Late spring and summer along weedlines, rips and deepwater platforms off Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle and west Florida. Season timing is from angler reports and charter data, not a Gulf agency survey.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

South Florida and the Keys

Off season, about 23 more weeks

Jan: Off season
Feb: Off season
Mar: Shoulder season
Apr: Peak season
May: Peak season
Jun: Peak season
Jul: Peak season
Aug: Shoulder season
Sep: Off season
Oct: Off season
Nov: Off season
Dec: Off season

Peak: Apr to Jul. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Aug.

Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region

Schools show in the Straits of Florida off the Keys in late March and April and peak late spring into early summer. Present in lower numbers most of the year. FWC: 20-inch minimum in Atlantic waters, no minimum in the Gulf.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

South Atlantic

Shoulder season, about 1 more week

Jan: Off season
Feb: Off season
Mar: Off season
Apr: Shoulder season
May: Peak season
Jun: Peak season
Jul: Shoulder season
Aug: Shoulder season
Sep: Shoulder season
Oct: Off season
Nov: Off season
Dec: Off season

Peak: May to Jun. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Sep.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Off the Carolinas the biggest numbers come in May and June along Gulf Stream weedlines, with larger bull fish possible into late summer and early fall. East-central Florida north of Jupiter sees scattered winter fish. Managed under the SAFMC Dolphin Wahoo plan.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 17

Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's mahi-mahi score this hour.

50Good

Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 5-10 PM (59) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (60) · 4 named spots

48Good

Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

Best window today 5-9 PM (55) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (57) · 22 named spots

48Good

Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm

Best window today 5-9 PM (59) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (60) · 21 named spots

48Good

Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 5-9 PM (55) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (55) · 92 named spots

47Good

Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM

Best window today 6-10 PM (52) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (55) · 131 named spots

46Good

Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 5-10 PM (53) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (56) · 88 named spots

45Good

Coastal waters from Suwannee River to Keaton Beach out 20 NM

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (55) · 20 named spots

41Fair

Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM

Best window today 5-10 PM (47) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (49) · 24 named spots

40Fair

Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm

Best window today 4-10 PM (46) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (50) · 49 named spots

40Fair

Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm

Best window today 5-10 PM (47) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (50) · 39 named spots

38Fair

Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 4-9 PM (47) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 AM (48) · 81 named spots

31Fair

Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM

Best window today 1-10 PM (35) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (35)

30Fair

Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM

Best window today 1-8 PM (35) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (35)

29Fair

Coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet to Deerfield Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 4-10 PM (35) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (35) · 6 named spots

24Poor

Caribbean Waters of Puerto Rico from 10 NM to 17N, including the Coastal Waters of Saint Croix

Best window today 4-9 PM (34) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 6 AM (35)

22Poor

Coastal Waters east of Puerto Rico, around Vieques, and around and just north of Culebra and Saint John

Best window today 4-8 PM (34) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 6 PM (35)

21Poor

Coastal Waters from Cabo San Juan to the waters between Anegada Island and Virgin Gorda and North 10 NM

Best window today 4-7 PM (35) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 5 PM (35)

Not scored in this forecast: Anegada Passage east of Virgin Gorda and Saint Croix south to 17N, Atlantic Waters of Puerto Rico AND USVI from 10 NM to 19.5N, Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge, Biscayne Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound, Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound, Gulf of America including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel, Lake Okeechobee, Mona Passage Southward to 17N, Pensacola Bay Area including Santa Rosa Sound, St. Andrews Bay Waterways, Tampa Bay waters and Western Choctawhatchee Bay.

How and where it feeds

Water temperature: Feeds from 68°F to 86°F, best between 74°F and 82°F.
Water depth: 100 to 10000 ft of water.
Structure: Bluewater, open water, ledge, canyon and bank, in that order of preference.
Tide and current: Prefers moving water, with light current.Tide stage is not a factor offshore. Mahi gather on floating sargassum weedlines, debris, buoys, FADs and current edges, so floating structure and warm clean water matter far more than tide.
Light: Some lift around dawn and dusk.
Pressure: Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits: 20 kt of wind and 6 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.

Methods: trolling, sight casting, pitching bait to schools, chumming
Lures: skirted ballyhoo rigs, small feathers, plastic squid, bucktail jigs, spoons
Bait: ballyhoo, cut squid, sardine or pilchard chunks, cut bonito

Regulations

FWC saltwater regulations Buy a Florida fishing license License types

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 17, 2026.

Check regulations No reviewed mahi-mahi rule on file in Monroe County (Gulf side). Check with FWC.

Season by month

Eastern Gulf

South Florida and the Keys

South Atlantic

Where it's scoring now · 17

How and where it feeds

Tackle and technique

Regulations

Other Florida species