Miami · Biscayne Bay & Gulf Stream
Half-day fishing trips from $700 for up to 6 anglers, run by licensed partner captains who fish these waters daily. Gear, bait, and the fishing license are all covered by the boat.
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Straight answer
A fishing charter in Miami starts at $700 for a 4-hour trip, up to 6 anglers, with the captain, fuel, rods, tackle, bait, ice, and the fishing license all included. We arrange trips through partner captains running licensed charter fishing boats out of Miami Beach Marina, downtown, and the Haulover area — the same boats fishing these waters every day, matched to what you actually want to catch.
That $700 figure is the honest floor of the real market, not a teaser rate. Almost every fishing boat in Miami is a "six-pack" charter — a Coast Guard rule caps uninspected vessels at six paying passengers, so pricing is per boat, not per person. Split six ways, a half day works out to about $117 each. You can compare it against every other option on our Miami charter price list, or browse cruising boats on the Miami hub if the group would rather sightsee than fish.
Deposit is 30% to hold the date, and if the captain calls off the trip for weather, you reschedule free with 48+ hours' notice. No fuel surcharges, no "license fees" bolted on at the dock.
Pick your water
Three kinds of trip, three kinds of day. The right choice depends on your group, not the fish posters.
Tarpon, snook, jacks, and ladyfish inside Biscayne Bay and around Government Cut. Flat, calm water — the trip to book with kids, first-timers, or anyone worried about seasickness. Light tackle, constant action, and you're never more than 20 minutes from the dock. Pairs well with a swim stop; if the group wants a full lazy afternoon after the rods, look at our sandbar trips.
Mutton and yellowtail snapper, grouper, and kingfish over the reef line and wrecks a few miles off Miami Beach. This is the best eating-fish trip: anchor up, drop baits, fill the cooler. Short runs, steady bites, and a fish dinner you caught yourself. A 4-hour trip is genuinely enough time here.
Mahi-mahi, sailfish, tuna, and wahoo in blue water. Miami's edge over every other Florida port: the Gulf Stream runs about 20 minutes offshore, so deep sea fishing here doesn't start with a two-hour steam. Trolling, kites, live bait — this is the trip for the fight photo. Book 6–8 hours to do it properly.
Meet the captain, stow the cooler, quick safety brief. Lines are in the water fast — on a reef trip you're fishing within half an hour of stepping aboard.
Anchor over structure, chum going, baits down. Yellowtail first, then heavier rigs for mutton snapper and grouper as the bite builds.
Bite slows, you move — a wreck, a deeper ledge, or a shot at kingfish on the troll between spots. This is where local knowledge pays for itself.
Back at the marina, the crew cleans and bags your keepers while you settle the gratuity and argue about who caught the biggest.
Timing
Short version: something is always biting. Miami fishes twelve months a year; the species rotate.
| Species | Best months | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sailfish | November – March | Offshore, kite baits along the color change |
| Mahi-mahi | April – September | Gulf Stream, weed lines and floating debris |
| Tarpon | March – May | Biscayne Bay, Government Cut, night tides |
| Snapper (yellowtail, mutton) | Year-round | Reefs and wrecks off Miami Beach |
| Grouper | Seasonal — captain tracks open dates | Reef & wreck |
Winter sailfishing is the marquee event — cold fronts push bait south and the kite bite off Miami is as good as anywhere in the country. Summer means mahi and calm mornings. Spring tarpon in the bay pull like trucks and cost you nothing extra in run time. If your dates are fixed, tell us and we'll match the captain and trip type to what's actually feeding that week — the same way we match boats to groups over in Fort Lauderdale.
The deal
The boat brings the fishing. You bring the sandwiches.
USCG-licensed captain and fuel. Rods, reels, and tackle for the trip you booked. Live and cut bait. Ice and water, cooler, bluetooth sound. The fishing license — everyone aboard is covered by the vessel's charter license. On most 6–8 hour offshore trips, a mate who rigs baits, works the cockpit, and fillets your catch at the dock.
Food and drinks — BYOB is fine on private charters (drinking age 21). Sunscreen, a hat, polarized sunglasses, and soft-soled shoes. A dry bag for phones. Cash for gratuity: 15–20% is customary and the mate earns it. That's the whole list.
No license needed: on a licensed Miami charter boat, every angler fishes under the vessel's license — no personal Florida fishing license required for anyone in your group, resident or visitor, adult or child.
Why max 6
Most Miami fishing charters carry a maximum of 6 anglers because of a federal rule, not a marketing choice. The US Coast Guard limits uninspected passenger vessels to six paying passengers — the industry calls them "six-pack" boats, and they make up nearly the entire charter fishing fleet here. That's why fishing trips price per boat for up to 6, while big party boats and catamarans are a different, inspected category.
Got 7–10 people? Two boats fishing side by side turns it into a competition, and captains coordinate on the radio so both boats stay on fish. Or split the group: half fish, half cruise on a Miami boat rental and meet up at anchor afterward. For a celebration where fishing is the excuse rather than the point, a yacht party with a jet ski add-on usually fits the group better — we'll tell you straight which one your plan actually is.
Conditions
The captain makes the call, and a canceled trip costs you nothing — free reschedule with 48+ hours' notice.
Miami fishes year-round. Summer thunderstorms are brief and mostly an afternoon problem — morning trips routinely run clean through hurricane season. When the ocean is too rough for the reef, the bay usually still fishes; captains would rather move you inshore than cancel. If it's a true no-go, you pick a new date, not a refund fight.
FAQ
No. On a licensed charter boat, every angler fishes under the vessel's license, so nobody in your group needs a personal Florida fishing license. That covers residents, visitors, and kids alike. It's one of the simplest parts of booking a charter.
Book an inshore or bay trip — Biscayne Bay stays calm even when the ocean is choppy. If you're heading offshore, take a motion-sickness tablet the night before and again in the morning, eat a light breakfast, and stay on deck watching the horizon. Captains can also shorten the run or move to protected water if someone is struggling.
Yes. Kids of any age can fish, and no license is needed for anyone aboard. We recommend inshore bay trips for younger children: calm water, constant action on smaller fish, and a swim stop if they get restless. The boat carries child-size life jackets — tell us ages when you book.
Yes, within Florida rules. The crew will fillet and bag anything legal to keep — snapper, mahi, and grouper in season are all good eating. Some species, like sailfish and tarpon, are catch-and-release: you get the fight and the photo, then the fish goes back.
Food, drinks, sunscreen, a hat, polarized sunglasses, and soft-soled shoes. The boat provides rods, tackle, bait, ice, and the fishing license. A cooler with your drinks is welcome on private charters. Leave bananas at home — captains are superstitious, and half of them mean it.
A half-day trip (4 hours) starts at $700 for up to 6 anglers. A full day (8 hours) typically runs $1,300–$1,800 depending on the boat and how far offshore you fish. Half days suit inshore and reef fishing; book a full day if you want serious time in the Gulf Stream.
There isn't a bad one. Sailfish peak November through March, mahi run April through September, tarpon show up in spring, and snapper bite year-round on the reefs. Pick your trip by target species, not by month — something is always biting off Miami.
We'll match you with the right partner captain and boat — inshore, reef, or Gulf Stream — with an exact all-in quote. From $700 for a 4-hour trip, up to 6 anglers.
Keep exploring
Tell us about your day on the water — we reply with 2–3 matched boats and a firm all-in price. Within an hour, 9am–9pm ET.
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Meanwhile — the full price list or the sandbar guide.