Key West, Florida
★★★★★4.6 average across 922 verified reviews · tours from $54
Twelve charters make up this list, all of them bookable out of Key West and split into four kinds of trip: backcountry and flats charters hunting tarpon and permit on light tackle, offshore and deep sea runs for mahi-mahi and snapper, shared party boat fishing, and private charters that take the whole boat. Each one is compared by rating, duration and cancellation terms, with prices left on the live booking page where they belong.
Featured tour
Key West Half-Day Fishing Charter
from $95 per person
Check Price & Availability →Opens the operator's official listing with live dates and times. Book there; nothing is charged on this site. Free cancellation on this listing.
Short answer
The most-reviewed charter here is a shared half-day trip off a 64-foot catamaran, currently rated 4.5 across 505 reviews. Anglers chasing a specific species on light tackle book a backcountry or flats charter; anyone after mahi-mahi, tuna or a bigger fight books offshore. A party boat is the lowest-cost way to get a line in the water; a private charter books the whole boat for your own group. Current prices and cancellation terms sit on each tour page.
Private Inshore, Channel Trolling
Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair
Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included
Private Charter, Up To 6 People
6-Hour Party Boat, Day Or Night
Tarpon Flats Charter, Ramrod Key
6-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6
4-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6
Most anglers booking here choose one of four shapes of trip: staying inshore on the backcountry flats, running offshore into deeper water, joining a shared party boat, or taking a private charter with just their own group aboard.
Backcountry and Flats Fishing
Best for anglers who want a boat to themselves and a shot at tarpon, permit or bonefish on light tackle.
Deep Sea Fishing Charters
Best for anglers chasing pelagic fish offshore rather than bottom fishing on the reef.
Key West Party Boat Fishing
An easy first fishing trip in Key West: you buy a rod space, not the whole boat.
Private Charters
Built for parties who'd rather fish a private boat than share rail space with strangers.
Private charters working the mangrove channels and shallow flats a short run from Key West, targeting tarpon, permit, bonefish and snapper on light tackle. Four of the twelve trips here fish this water.
Best-rated Key West trips
Private half-day inshore charter in Key West, fishing the backcountry flats and channels for tarpon, snapper, sharks and more. Tackle provided; check FWC rules on whether you need a personal saltwater license.
4 hours
Private four-hour charter out of Ramrod Key, in the heart of the Keys' tarpon country. Fish the flats and backcountry shallows for migratory tarpon, plus bonefish, permit and snapper. Rated 5 stars across 45 reviews, with free cancellation.
Check availability →
4 hours
Four-hour private backcountry charter out of Key West, working the shallow flats and channels for tarpon, permit, snapper and sharks. Tackle, bait and local know-how come with the boat, and free cancellation applies.
Check availability →
4 hours
A private four-hour inshore charter out of Key West, holding a 5-star rating across 14 reviews. It is just your group aboard, fishing the flats and backcountry waters with rods, tackle and bait provided; check FWC rules for the personal Florida saltwater fishing license you may need. Free cancellation applies.
Check availability →Shared and private runs out past the reef into deeper water, fishing for mahi-mahi, tuna, kingfish and other offshore species.
Best-rated Key West trips
Four-hour offshore charter out of Key West built around one goal: hooking into the big fish that patrol the deeper water beyond the reef. Rated 4.8 from 114 reviews, with free cancellation on the live booking page.
6 hours
Six hours offshore gives the boat time to reach deeper water where mahi, tuna and kingfish run, with shared-group fishing and gear included.
Check availability →4 hours
Shared offshore charter out of Key West, four hours on the water fishing reefs and wrecks for mahi, tuna and kingfish, with gear and guidance from the crew.
Check availability →
4 hours
Four-hour deep-sea run aboard the 45-foot Cowgirl, a Key West charter operation with roots going back to 1965. Rated 4.8 across 16 reviews, and free cancellation applies.
Check availability →All 4 offshore and deep sea charters on one page →
| Category | Best for | Typical length | From | Lead tour | Pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backcountry and flats | Best for anglers who want a boat to themselves and a shot at tarpon, permit or bonefish on light tackle. | 4 hours | $750 | Private Inshore, Channel Trolling | Meet at the start point |
| Offshore / deep sea | Best for anglers chasing pelagic fish offshore rather than bottom fishing on the reef. | 4 to 6 hours | $1,000 | Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair | Meet at the start point |
| Party boat | An easy first fishing trip in Key West: you buy a rod space, not the whole boat. | 5 to 6 hours | $95 | Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included | Meet at the start point |
| Private charter | Built for parties who'd rather fish a private boat than share rail space with strangers. | 4 hours | $1,000 | Private Charter, Up To 6 People | Meet at the start point |
| Tour | Format | Meals | Free cancellation | Pickup | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included | Shared party-boat trips | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $95 |
| 6-Hour Party Boat, Day Or Night | Shared party-boat trips | no meal included | check the listing | meeting point | $69.95 |
| Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair | Offshore deep-sea charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $1,000 |
| Private Inshore, Channel Trolling | Backcountry and flats charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $750 |
| Private Charter, Up To 6 People | Private charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $1,000 |
| Tarpon Flats Charter, Ramrod Key | Backcountry and flats charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $1,595 |
| 6-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6 | Offshore deep-sea charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $250 |
| 4-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6 | Offshore deep-sea charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $200 |
| Private Backcountry, Coolers Included | Backcountry and flats charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $800 |
| Afternoon Private Deep-Sea Charter | Private charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $54 |
| 45ft Cowgirl, AC Cabin | Offshore deep-sea charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $1,050 |
| Private Bay Boat, Live Bait Included | Backcountry and flats charters | no meal included | on the listing | meeting point | $800 |
Shared trips on a bigger boat with rod, bait and crew provided, the cheapest way onto the water here.
5 hours
A five-hour party-boat trip rated 4.5 across 505 reviews, with rod, bait and crew instruction included, making it an easy first saltwater outing for families and novices. Check Florida saltwater license requirements before you go.
Check availability →6 hours
Shared party-boat fishing trip out of Key West, six hours on the water, gear and bait provided; check FWC rules for your own fishing license.
Check availability →The whole boat booked for your own group, captain included, with four hours on the water as the standard trip.
4 hours
Private four-hour charter rated 4.6 across 53 reviews, with gear provided, license requirements to check, and free cancellation on the live booking page.
Check availability →
4 hours
Private four-hour charter with an experienced captain at the helm. Rated 5 stars across 18 reviews, with free cancellation and your own boat for the day.
Check availability →Shared party boat trips are the gentlest entry point, priced per person with other anglers aboard. Private flats and offshore charters cost more per group and buy you the whole boat. Most listings here carry free cancellation, and live prices sit on each booking page. The quick comparison above links straight to them.
Four categories organize the twelve charters compared here: inshore flats and backcountry, offshore deep sea, party boat, and private trips with your own captain. Almost every option can be cancelled free.
This is a starting shortlist of the best-reviewed trips, not the full list. Answer a question below to rebuild it.
5 hours Free cancellation
from $95 ★ 4.5 505 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $1,000 ★ 4.8 114 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $750 ★ 5.0 72 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $1,000 ★ 4.6 53 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $1,595 ★ 5.0 45 reviews
Check availability →6 hours Free cancellation
from $250 ★ 4.5 34 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $200 ★ 4.0 32 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $800 ★ 5.0 19 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $54 ★ 5.0 18 reviews
Check availability →4 hours Free cancellation
from $800 ★ 5.0 14 reviews
Check availability →One point trips up more visiting anglers than any other: a licensed captain's for-hire vessel permit covers the operation of the trip, but it does not exempt the individual anglers aboard. Florida requires each angler to hold a recreational saltwater license, and non-residents can buy a 3-day license for $17, a 7-day for $30, or an annual for $47, with handling fees extra. Captains still handle the rest, from current FWC bag and size limits for whatever the day's trip targets to which waters are open. Check the listing before you book to see what the operator says about licenses.
Mutton snapper show how the calendar works here: they stay available year-round on the reefs and wrecks, with prime action spread across many months, including January and again from April through October. Other species follow their own clocks, so the month you visit shapes what bites. Hurricane season runs June through November, which means a summer or fall booking carries a real chance of a weather reschedule. Each tour page shows its current availability.
A handful of target species drive most bookings here. Backcountry and flats trips chase tarpon, permit, bonefish and snapper on light tackle, including a dedicated tarpon charter out of Ramrod Key. Offshore and deep sea runs go after mahi-mahi, tuna, kingfish and sailfish past the reef. Party boat trips fish the reef itself for a mixed bag. Each category page links straight to the charters that target it.
All 12 tours, most reviewed first. Tap a sort chip twice to flip the order.
| Tour | Kind | Meal | Length | Meets | From | Rating | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included | Party boat | No meal in the fare | 5 hours | A & B Marina | $95 | ★ 4.5505 reviews | Check availability |
| 6-Hour Party Boat, Day Or Night | Party boat | No meal in the fare | 6 hours | Gulfstream Fishing, Inc. / Historic Charter Boat Row | $69.95 | 335 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair | Offshore / deep sea | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Oceanside Marina of Stock Island | $1,000 | ★ 4.8114 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Inshore, Channel Trolling | Backcountry and flats | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Stock Island Charter Dock | $750 | ★ 5.072 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Charter, Up To 6 People | Private charter | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | City Marina / Historic Charter Boat Row | $1,000 | ★ 4.653 reviews | Check availability |
| Tarpon Flats Charter, Ramrod Key | Backcountry and flats | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Ramrod Key (Looe Key Tiki Bar and Dive Shop area) | $1,595 | ★ 5.045 reviews | Check availability |
| 6-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6 | Offshore / deep sea | No meal in the fare | 6 hours | City Marina / Historic Charter Boat Row | $250 | ★ 4.534 reviews | Check availability |
| 4-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6 | Offshore / deep sea | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | City Marina / Historic Charter Boat Row | $200 | ★ 4.032 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Backcountry, Coolers Included | Backcountry and flats | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Oceanside Marina of Stock Island | $800 | ★ 5.019 reviews | Check availability |
| Afternoon Private Deep-Sea Charter | Private charter | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | The Perry Hotel & Marina, Stock Island | $54 | ★ 5.018 reviews | Check availability |
| 45ft Cowgirl, AC Cabin | Offshore / deep sea | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Key West marina (exact dock not stated on listing) | $1,050 | ★ 4.816 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Bay Boat, Live Bait Included | Backcountry and flats | No meal in the fare | 4 hours | Stock Island Charter Dock | $800 | ★ 5.014 reviews | Check availability |
| No charters match those filters together. Try clearing the duration filter or widening the category and more trips will appear. | |||||||
Open a trip card above, follow it to the live booking page, and check the current date, price and cancellation terms there before paying. Nothing is booked on this site. Every button forwards to the operator's real listing, and most of the charters compared here cancel free up to a set cutoff.
Rods, tackle and bait for booked anglers normally come with the charter, though your own personal fishing license is a separate requirement, while sunscreen, a hat, deck shoes and cash for a crew tip stay your responsibility. Motion sickness matters more on the longer offshore runs than on a sheltered backcountry flat. Full packing and expectation notes sit on the dedicated guide.
Boats leave from working marina docks across Key West, Stock Island and Ramrod Key for the tarpon charter. Each listing names its dock and meeting time.
Key West, Florida
Filter trips by departure dock
12 tours, 8 real marina meeting points. Charters here depart from 8 different Key West and Stock Island docks; the rest of the details for each dock sit on its own listing. Tap a point to filter the list below.
Showing all five mapped points around City Marina / Historic Charter Boat Row, grouped into three sets. Pick a set to narrow the list and dim the other pins.
Old Town Key West marina at the foot of Front Street, departure point for the half-day party-boat fishing charter
Straight-line distance computed at build time from the two mapped OpenStreetMap coordinates. It is not a road distance and not a walking time.
Stock Island charter dock on US-1, departure point for private inshore and backcountry flats charters
Straight-line distance computed at build time from the two mapped OpenStreetMap coordinates. It is not a road distance and not a walking time.
Working marina on Stock Island's Peninsular Avenue, departure point for offshore big-fish charters and backcountry charters
Straight-line distance computed at build time from the two mapped OpenStreetMap coordinates. It is not a road distance and not a walking time.
Marina at The Perry Hotel on Stock Island, departure point for the private afternoon deep-sea charter
Straight-line distance computed at build time from the two mapped OpenStreetMap coordinates. It is not a road distance and not a walking time.
Lower Keys pickup point on Ramrod Key for the tarpon flats and backcountry charter, ~40 km (about 25 miles) east of the Key West/Stock Island marina cluster the site's other 5 tours depart from; too far from that cluster to share one true-scale map frame without stretching it across open water, so it is plotted on the pin map as an off-frame edge marker with its real distance rather than a to-scale pin
Straight-line distance computed at build time from the two mapped OpenStreetMap coordinates. It is not a road distance and not a walking time.
Ratings and review counts here mirror the live tour listings.
“The staff was excellent. Very helpful and friendly. The boat was nice and clean. The half day is the perfect amount of time for kids. The water is beautiful. We all caught some fish.”
Jacob_M, operator-listing review of Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included
“AMAZING! We did the 8am FishMonster fishing charter with Captain Marlon, Twigg, and Chase. Highly recommend while you're in Key West! The crew were so amazing to make sure we had the best time and caught lots of fish.”
Candice_C, operator-listing review of Shared Catamaran, Filleting Included
“This was a great experience with Captain Jeff and Christian. They were both very personable and genuinely nice people.”
Trisha_S, operator-listing review of Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair
“This was my first-time deep-sea fishing with my son, and it was fantastic! Captain Jeff was pretty responsive and helpful throughout the excursion and communication was excellent.”
Peter_B, operator-listing review of Private Sportfisher, Fighting Chair
“Justin was awesome! We told him we wanted to catch some snapper for dinner and he delivered! Then he took us to catch some sharks!”
Liz_B, operator-listing review of Private Inshore, Channel Trolling
“Captain Justin was amazing! This is a can't miss experience. We caught four tarpon and they were monsters!”
Meighan_L, operator-listing review of Private Inshore, Channel Trolling
“Captain Hand and first mate Caleb were awesome! Caleb answered any questions we had and helped to set the lures and coach us through reeling in our catches!”
Michelle_W, operator-listing review of 4-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6
“Excellent time on the water. Caleb and Sam were quick when the Mahi were biting. AC on board was nice.”
Adam_V, operator-listing review of 4-Hour Shared Offshore, Max 6
“Justin is a very good guy. We caught snappers and sharks, amazing.”
Marie (France), operator-listing review of Private Bay Boat, Live Bait Included
“Captain Ryan got us mangrove snappers and that's exactly what we wanted. Afterwards he advised us to have the marina cook it up and that was great advice. The fish was cooked better than anything I could have cooked up!”
brittany (United States), operator-listing review of Private Bay Boat, Live Bait Included
Real reviews left by paying guests on the operators' own the operators' own booking listings/booking listings, not reviews of this website. The wording is exactly as the reviewer wrote it.
The reviews and star averages come straight from each tour's booking page. This site does not collect, edit or rewrite them.
A room near the Stock Island marinas or downtown Key West keeps a morning boat call a short drive away. No rental car is needed once you reach the dock.
200 William St, Key West, FL 33040 (Key West Bight / Historic Seaport)
On the harbor at Key West Bight, a short walk from the downtown marina docks and fish houses where several charters in this roster leave from, so anglers can stroll to their morning boat.
seasonal Key West rates; check live dates on the booking page
Check rates3841 N Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL 33040 (near Garrison Bight / Charter Boat Row, 1801 N Roosevelt Blvd)
Set on North Roosevelt Boulevard with the Atlantic across the street, a short drive from the mid-island marinas where this roster's party-boat and deep-sea departures board.
seasonal Key West rates; check live dates on the booking page
Check rates5950 Peninsular Ave, Key West, FL 33040 (Stock Island, at Oceanside Marina)
Built around its own marina on Stock Island, near the working docks that several Stock Island charters use, so early boarding is a short walk rather than a drive across the island.
seasonal Key West rates; check live dates on the booking page
Check ratesWinter and spring fill Key West hotels and lift rates. Late summer and fall run quieter and cheaper. The live booking page prices your exact nights.
A charter's for-hire vessel license covers the boat's operation, not each guest. Florida requires every angler to hold a personal recreational saltwater license unless they qualify for an exemption. Check the listing to see whether the operator includes it in the price.
Prices are quoted on the live listings rather than here, and they move with season, boat and trip style. A shared party boat seat runs lowest, while private backcountry or offshore charters price per group. Open a tour card to see the figure for your date.
Most charters here carry free cancellation, with each operator setting its cutoff window shown before payment. Check the terms on your tour before booking.