Tarpon, painting
Painting: AI-generated illustration for Where to Fly Fish
The species collection · Field guide

Tarpon

Baby tarpon in the mangroves and migrating giants on the Keys' flats.

Find on map ↓

On our maps

Florida saltwater map 13 waters list tarpon

  • Florida Bay · Everglades · Miami-Dade, Monroe countiesLate spring and summer; juveniles all year in the backcountry
  • Lower Keys & Key West · Florida Keys · Monroe CountyMigration April–June; resident fish all year
  • Upper Keys (Key Largo to Islamorada) · Florida Keys · Miami-Dade, Monroe countiesMigration April–June; resident fish all year
  • Tampa Bay · Tampa Bay area · Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas countiesLate spring and summer; juveniles all year in the backcountry
  • Homosassa & Chassahowitzka flats · Nature Coast · Citrus, Hernando, Levy countiesMay and June
  • Biscayne Bay & Card Sound · Miami · Miami-Dade, Monroe countiesLate spring and summer; juveniles all year in the backcountry

All 13 on the Florida saltwater map →

Seasons are the usual pattern, not a forecast. Check current regulations before you fish.

Destinations for tarpon

4 destinations list tarpon, in the Southeast and the Caribbean & Mexico. A guided day for two anglers runs $480 to $1,000; the middle price is $850. The months named most often are March, April and May. None is set up for fishing without a guide: plan on a guided day or a lodge.

Showing 4 of 4 destinations

Find your kind of water

Original watercolor painting of Ambergris Caye, Belize
Flats

Ambergris Caye

San Pedro · Belize

Fly into BZE, 15-min flight

Guide, per angler
$240
Public access
Moderate
Crowding
Medium
Original watercolor painting of Andros Island, Bahamas
Flats

Andros Island

North, Central and South Andros · Bahamas

Fly into NAS, 20-min flight

Guide, per angler
$400
Public access
Moderate
Crowding
Low
Original watercolor painting of Ascension Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Flats

Ascension Bay

Punta Allen, Quintana Roo · Mexico

Fly into CUN, 2.5 hr

Guide, per angler
$425
Public access
Limited
Crowding
Low
Painting of a guide poling a fly angler across shallow flats among mangrove islands
Flats

Florida Keys

Islamorada to Key West · USA

Fly into MIA, 1.5–2 hr

Guide, per angler
$500
Public access
Moderate
Crowding
High
About these species records

Local-water cards link to the evidence supporting the species record and the river on its state map. Records do not establish current abundance or catch rates. Historic records are labeled separately. Check the fishing rules before targeting a species.

Other species

Browse by species

Pick a fish to explore its waters, seasons and public access.

View the full species directory →