Bonefish

Species Information

Scientific Name:	Albula vulpes
Common Names:	bonefish
Environment:	Inshore, Surf
Ideal Temp:	70-85ºF (21-29ºC)

About Bonefish

Bonefish is a popular gamefish and are known as "grey ghosts of the flats" because they are stealthy, fast swimming fish that are fun and challenging to catch. Bonefish mature at three to four years of age (17-18 inches total length), may live longer than 23 years, and grow to be three feet long and 15 pounds.

Description: 

Body elongated, silvery, with darkish areas at the tip of the snout and at the base of the pectoral fin. May display faint bars. Dorsal fin single, tail deeply forked. Mouth short, underslung, ending before the eye.

Size up to 1 m.

Habitat:
Inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries and bays, over sand and mud bottoms, down to 84 m. Often in schools, except for large individuals that are solitary. More or less pelagic, but feeds on benthic worms, crustaceans and mollusks. Tolerates oxygen poor water by inhaling air into a lung-like airbladder.

Distribution:
Abundant to occasional South Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean; rare North Florida.

Catching:

Live shrimp and crabs make good bonefish bait, but bonefish also respond to fies and artificiallures. They also can be enticed to bite by anglerschumming with chopped shrimp. Casting is another test of the angler’s skill; casting too close to a fish will send it scurrying, whereas a line dropped too far away will never get its attention.Once hooked, a bonefish makes a mad dash for deeper water, often breaking the line on rocks or corals as it streaks across the bottom. Most anglers use 10-pound test line on bonefish. Although bonefish can be caught any time of day, tailing fish are most likely to be spotted in the early morning or evening. In the winter, bonefish are not as numerous in the shallows, and deeper waters are a better choice for the angler

Bonefish Fishing

World Record:	8.61 kg (19 lb 0 oz) Zululand, South Africa
# Fish Caught:	64387 documented in database.
Earliest Record:	7/2/1758 12:00:00 PM and located at 11.00000, 72.50000.
Latest Record:	4/2/2025 9:37:00 AM and located at 25.78888, -80.25030.
Common Techniques:	Casting, Fly
Popular Lure Types:	Flies, Plugs, Spoons, Topwater
Fishing Spots:	10 Bonefish fishing spots.

Latest Bonefish Fishing Reports and Spots

The Fall Run Has Begun October 1-31 2025 - 11/2/2025 1:53:00 PM

The month of October has provided solid fishing and tons of mullet migrating south getting snook and tarpon very excited and willing to take to (View)

Super Poon Time - 3/7/2024 6:46:00 AM

The early season tarpon are rolling in and they are HUNGRY. come down and fish with me. I still have a few days open in March April and May. Ju (View)

June Poons - 6/12/2024 4:18:15 PM

June is my favorite time to fish for big tarpon with the fly rod. Big Tarpon boat side!! The post June Poons appeared first on Key West Tarpon (View)

Summertime Fun in the Lower Keys - 7/18/2024 3:42:01 PM

Come fish in the morning and lobster in the afternoon. Or we could night fish for Tapron!! The post Summertime Fun in the Lower Keys appeared f (View)

Fishing the Florida Keys for Bones and Tarpon In September. - 9/17/2024 3:12:29 PM

This is Peter with a lower keys bonefish. September is a productive and very uncrowded time to fish in the Keys. Flyfishing or spin fishing bri (View)

The water is cooling off and wintertime fishing is good. Bonefish and Cudas! - 11/26/2024 2:03:50 PM

The post The water is cooling off and wintertime fishing is good. Bonefish and Cudas! appeared first on Key West Tarpon fishing Key West FL Per (View)

June Tarpon fishing in the lower keys - 6/9/2025 2:53:43 PM

The fishing for big tarpon is good in June and not too crowded like May The post June Tarpon fishing in the lower keys appeared first on Key We (View)

May was good for Tarpon! - 8/21/2025 2:16:19 PM

We had lots of good fishing even though it was unusually windy for May. The post May was good for Tarpon! appeared first on Key West Tarpon fis (View)

The wind has finally died down to normal which means calm for the late summer. July fishing was really good for both big and small tarpon. Lots of bonefish around too. Seeing a few permit here and there. Cudas have been pretty cooperative as well on both fly and spinning gear. - 8/21/2025 2:25:36 PM

The post The wind has finally died down to normal which means calm for the late summer. July fishing was really good for both big and small tar (View)

Alan with a nice bonefish caught on fly. August through October are super times to slam – Tarpon Permit Bonefish. If it gets too hot later in the day we can dive for lobster. - 8/21/2025 2:32:35 PM

Gavin with a couple big bugs. The post Alan with a nice bonefish caught on fly. August through October are super times to slam – Tarpon Permit (View)