Biscayne Bay Fly Fishing Charter Report — Bonefish Back on the Flats

Here in Biscayne Bay, South Florida, we recently endured one of the most significant cold spells we've seen in years — prolonged stretches of air temperatures deep into the 40s paired with water temperatures dropping well into the 50s and 60s. For those of us who call these legendary South Florida flats home, that's a rare and humbling reminder that even paradise has its limits.

As any seasoned flats angler knows, Biscayne Bay bonefish are cold-blooded creatures of comfort. Sustained cold like this pushes them off the skinny water and into the deeper, more thermally stable canals and channels, where they hunker down and become notoriously lethargic and difficult to target on the fly. Patience becomes the name of the game — even on one of the world's premier sight fishing destinations.
But here's the good news — and there's plenty of it.

About a week after the front began to lift, the fish started doing what Biscayne Bay bonefish do best: they came back. We've been locating large, healthy schools pushing up out of the deeper canals and flooding back onto the legendary Biscayne Bay flats, and the last several days of fly fishing have been genuinely exciting. Multiple fish per outing, willing takers, and that unmistakable silver flash that makes every cast on the flats feel electric.

Perhaps most encouraging of all, it appears the vast majority of Biscayne Bay's bonefish stock came through the cold unscathed — a real testament to the resilience of this world-class South Florida fishery.

From here, we're only looking at warming days and improving conditions across the bay. If the last week is any indication, the Biscayne Bay fly fishing is going to keep getting better. Whether you're a seasoned flats angler or picking up a fly rod for the first time, now is a great time to book a Biscayne Bay fly fishing charter and take advantage of fish that are hungry, active, and eager to make up for lost time on the flats.