About Coupon Bight, FL

Coupon Bight is an aquatic preserve that covers around 6000 acres situated on the southernmost part of Big Pine Key within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in the state’s Monroe County and lower part of the Florida Keys. It is home to reef communities, rare birds, mangroves, and more, in addition to being a popular place for snorkeling, boating, commercial fishing, marine life collecting, charter sport fishing, and recreational fishing. The aquatic preserve sits south of the Newfound Harbor Keys in its ocean side while its lagoon lined with mangroves and edged with seagrass can be found in the north. The semi-circle lagoon is 2.2 miles long and 1.6 miles wide with an average depth of 6 feet.

Under the Conservation and Recreational Lands program, the Coupon Bight Buffer Project has added over 100 acres of hammocks, pinelands, saltmarsh, and beach or berm colonies to resources of the preserve. The marine part of the preserve is ridden with expansive hard bottom communities which include varying combinations of sponges, soft corals, hard coral, and algae. The preserve’s marine grass beds are a key feeding area for many birds and a significant nursery for young fish and invertebrates. The preserve receives freshwater resources from the urban and residential development on Big Pine Key.

All About Fishing in Coupon Bight, FL

The Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve is popular for offering many marine activities such as recreational fishing for finfish and lobster. The preserve is abundant in different fish species including various sharks, herring, killifish, silversides, snappers, grunts, porgies, pipefish, as well as redfish, smalltooth sawfish, southern stingray, ladyfish, tarpon, bonefish, sea catfish, needlefish, snook, cobia, inshore lizardfish, sailfin molly, permit, gag, pinfish, leatherjacket, lookdown, silver perch, spotted sea trout,  spadefish, hogfish, Florida pompano and more. Fish are abundant in the preserve due to the commercial quantity of live bait like pink shrimp, mullets and spiny lobster.

The preserve offers different kinds of fishing experiences where an angler can opt for either inshore or offshore fishing. Anglers can go for either fly fishing, spinning, bait fishing, surf casting, or bottom fishing. One can also choose to fish by boat or just on the shore or available docks. Because of the preserve’s rich mangrove, coral reef and subtropical ecosystem, one can always find a place for good freshwater or saltwater fishing action. It’s recommended to check the weather and tidal forecast before endeavoring to fish at the preserve as well as local fishing regulations.

Fishing Seasonality

Fishing for sharks, except for white, is open all-year round while snappers can only be fished during June and July. Redfish and spotted sea trout are best caught during October, November and December when most of their bait leave due to the cold season. Anglers should check catch and release rules and periods for the trout species as they might differ in different areas of Florida. The recreational fishing season for snook is March and April and from September to November. The best time to fish for tarpon is during the months of May through June when it’s summertime. Peak bonefish season is from March to October in the state as anglers try to tie in their trips with snook season. Permit spawn all-year round but fishing for them during the spring and summer seasons is preferred. Most fish found in the preserve can be caught throughout the year but peak fishing is done in March in prime spring weather. It’s advised to check daily catch and bag limits for certain species.

Fishing Seasonality

Fishing for sharks, except for white, is open all-year round while snappers can only be fished during June and July. Redfish and spotted sea trout are best caught during October, November and December when most of their bait leave due to the cold season. Anglers should check catch and release rules and periods for the trout species as they might differ in different areas of Florida. The recreational fishing season for snook is March and April and from September to November. The best time to fish for tarpon is during the months of May through June when it’s summertime. Peak bonefish season is from March to October in the state as anglers try to tie in their trips with snook season. Permit spawn all-year round but fishing for them during the spring and summer seasons is preferred. Most fish found in the preserve can be caught throughout the year but peak fishing is done in March in prime spring weather. It’s advised to check daily catch and bag limits for certain species.

All About Fishing in Coupon Bight, FL

The Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve is popular for offering many marine activities such as recreational fishing for finfish and lobster. The preserve is abundant in different fish species including various sharks, herring, killifish, silversides, snappers, grunts, porgies, pipefish, as well as redfish, smalltooth sawfish, southern stingray, ladyfish, tarpon, bonefish, sea catfish, needlefish, snook, cobia, inshore lizardfish, sailfin molly, permit, gag, pinfish, leatherjacket, lookdown, silver perch, spotted sea trout,  spadefish, hogfish, Florida pompano and more. Fish are abundant in the preserve due to the commercial quantity of live bait like pink shrimp, mullets and spiny lobster.

The preserve offers different kinds of fishing experiences where an angler can opt for either inshore or offshore fishing. Anglers can go for either fly fishing, spinning, bait fishing, surf casting, or bottom fishing. One can also choose to fish by boat or just on the shore or available docks. Because of the preserve’s rich mangrove, coral reef and subtropical ecosystem, one can always find a place for good freshwater or saltwater fishing action. It’s recommended to check the weather and tidal forecast before endeavoring to fish at the preserve as well as local fishing regulations.