BibbKey Largo
closedexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Cutter on its side, deeper — Monroe Upper Keys spear ban, dive-only.
Google MapsKey Largo spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.3
wave 0.6 m head-on
visibility4m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 18:01
Sources & confidence
- Sources
- IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
- Method
- Model consensus, read per window
- Freshness
- Re-read every hour, per coast
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.
How we score the water
Our own model
Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.
- Swell & wave memory
- Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
- Wind & gusts
- Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
- Tide phase
- Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
- Water temperature
- Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
- Currents & outflow
- Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
- Rain runoff & air clarity
- Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
- Coast shape & exposure
- How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.
Safety gates
- Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
- An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
- Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
- Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
- Night hours — forced red; the window is closed after dark.
It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.
A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 18:01
Key Largo — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 15 km/h
wave 0.6 m head-onwind 15 km/hvisibility ~6 mwindow 18:00–21:00
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 6 m · Water 31.2°C
confidence high · verdict for the selected day
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day
Windows, hours
and the day's trends.
The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.
Wednesday · today2026-07-22
06:44–20:11 · first quarter
▼ 02:00▼ 07:00▲ 08:00▼ 15:00▲ 21:00 · 0.4 m
Hours (06→20)
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.18 m
Wave0.52 m
Wind17 km/h
Water31 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:00 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:50 · high · moonrise 14:45 · moderate · moon overhead 20:10 · high
Conditions window18:00–21:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.56 mperiod 3.6 s head-onwind 15→17surge 1viz 4 m
0.56 mup to ~1.12 · 131° head-on
3.6 sswell moderate
15→17gusts 17 km/h
1weak surge
0.11m/s
4 mrecent swell
31.2°C5 mm + hood
▲21:00tide turn near
Atmosphere25 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon overhead
- wind 15 km/h
- northerly wind picks up after midday
- flood toward high water
confidence hightwilight
The water column
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
What it is
A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.
spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.
Now live: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsThe seabed
Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
On the rock
The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.
The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.
Entry points
Where to get in
off the rocks.
Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.
Open the seafloor map
DuaneKey Largo
closedexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Upright USCG cutter — Monroe Upper Keys spear ban, dive-only.
Google MapsSpiegel GroveKey Largo
closedexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
510-ft warship — Monroe Upper Keys spear ban, dive-only.
Google MapsSOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live
Look at the water
right now.
Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
In season now
- sheepshead
- mangrove/mutton snapper
- gag/red grouperSeason is state-set — check before you go.
- hogfish
- cobia
- flounder
Law
- ✓Florida: saltwater licence $17 res / $47 non-res; reef fish need the free State Reef Fish Angler (SRFS) designation. NC: CRFL; SC/GA: saltwater licence.
- ✓Distances (FL): 100 yd from beaches/piers/bridges, 100 ft from the above-water part of a jetty. banned in FL and SC; rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing in FL.
- ✓SC: gamefish (red drum/seatrout/cobia/tarpon/striped bass) hook-and-line only (§50-5-1700). GA: speargun doubtful in state water — real hunting on federal reefs.
- ⛔ 🚫 Do not spear (FL FAC 68B-20.005): snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, goliath/Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays + ornamental reef families.
- ⛔ 🚫 Spiny lobster/stone crab — hand-take only (no puncturing). banned in FL and SC. Monroe County (Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line — incl. Key Largo): spearfishing banned; the lionfish licence exemption does NOT override it — hand-held nets only there.
US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.
Safety protocol
- Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
- Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
- Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
- Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
- Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
- Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
- UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
- Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Spearfishing in Key Largo: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Key Largo is the Monroe County paradox. The town has warm, clear reef water and famous wrecks, yet it sits inside the Upper Keys no-spearing zone. Monroe County bans spearfishing from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line, and that includes Key Largo. Spiegel Grove, Duane and Bibb are dive-only references here, not hunting marks. The lionfish licence exemption does not override the local ban; inside the zone, use hand-held nets only. For legal spearing, plan south of Long Key and then apply the Florida requirements: saltwater licence, free State Reef Fish Angler designation for reef fish, legal species, flag rules, no powerheads and no rebreathers.
TL;DR
- Key Largo is inside the Monroe County Upper Keys no-spearing zone, so the local answer is no: do not plan shore or wreck spearfishing here.
- The ban runs from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line and includes Key Largo. Lionfish wording does not override it; inside this zone, hand-held nets only.
- Spiegel Grove, Duane and Bibb are famous wreck dives, but they are hard no-take for spearing under the Monroe Upper Keys ban.
- Legal Florida spearing starts south of Long Key, with a saltwater licence, free State Reef Fish Angler designation for reef fish, no powerheads and no rebreathers.
Where can you legally spearfish near Key Largo?
The honest Key Largo spots table is a no-spearing table. These wrecks define Upper Keys diving, but each carries a hard no-take flag for spearing. No formal safety rating is published for the marks; the useful facts are wreck type, depth and the Monroe Upper Keys ban.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spiegel Grove | Wreck | 16 m | Hard no-take for spearing | Upper Keys wreck reference | A 510-ft warship and a major dive site. In this Monroe County zone it is dive-only, not a spearfishing mark. |
| Duane | Wreck | 21 m | Hard no-take for spearing | Upper Keys wreck reference | The upright USCG cutter is inside the same Upper Keys spear ban. Treat it as a look-only wreck. |
| Bibb | Wreck | 29 m | Hard no-take for spearing | Upper Keys wreck reference | A deeper cutter on its side. The local rule does not change with depth: no spearing here. |
Is spearfishing allowed in Key Largo?
No. Key Largo falls inside the Monroe County no-spearing corridor from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line. The rule is not just a park footnote or a John Pennekamp question. It covers the Upper Keys area named in the rule, and the local wrecks carry hard no-take flags for spearing. The lionfish carve-out is narrow: it does not override the ban, and inside the zone the method is hand-held nets.
Why is spearfishing banned in the Upper Keys / Monroe County?
Monroe County draws a line that turns Key Largo into a dive and observation base rather than a spearfishing base. The rule names Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line, including Key Largo. Legal Florida species such as sheepshead, snapper, hogfish, cobia or flounder do not help if the local place is closed to the gear.
Can you spearfish around John Pennekamp or the sanctuary?
Do not use Key Largo sanctuary water as a workaround. Federal sanctuaries, including the Keys, can ban spearfishing, and the Monroe County rule already shuts down Key Largo. If the mark is in the Key Largo / Upper Keys corridor, do not bring a speargun for hunting. Dive it, shoot photos, or use legal hand-held nets for lionfish where that method is allowed.
Do you need a Florida saltwater license in Key Largo?
For legal Florida spearfishing outside the Key Largo ban, yes: Florida requires a saltwater licence, and reef fish require the free State Reef Fish Angler designation. Florida also bars powerheads and rebreathers for spearfishing. Spiny lobster and stone crab are hand-take only. Off-limits species include snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, goliath and Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays and ornamental reef families.
How is Key Largo water visibility for spearfishing conditions today?
Key Largo often has warm, clear reef water, and a 2-3 mm suit is usually enough. But good visibility does not open a closed area. The underwater reef cam was offline or intermittent at the last check, so treat it as a source page rather than a guaranteed live feed. Use the water read for diving choices; use the Monroe County boundary for the spearfishing decision.
FAQ
Is spearfishing allowed in Key Largo?
No. Key Largo is inside Monroe County's Upper Keys no-spearing zone from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line.
Why is spearfishing banned in the Upper Keys / Monroe County?
The local rule closes the Long Key to Miami-Dade corridor, including Key Largo. These wrecks are dive-only for this purpose.
Where can you legally spearfish near Key Largo?
Legal spearing starts south of Long Key, subject to normal Florida licence, species and gear rules.
Can you spearfish around John Pennekamp / the sanctuary?
No workaround is given. Treat Key Largo and Keys sanctuary water as closed to spearfishing unless the current authority explicitly says otherwise.
How is the water visibility off Key Largo today?
Key Largo is known for warm, clear reef water, but the listed underwater cam was offline or intermittent at last check.
Do you need a fishing license to spearfish in Florida?
Yes. Legal Florida saltwater spearfishing requires a saltwater licence, and reef fish require the free State Reef Fish Angler designation.
Do you need a license for lionfish only?
The lionfish licence exemption does not override the Upper Keys ban. In Key Largo, the allowed method stated is hand-held nets only.
Are powerheads and rebreathers allowed in Florida?
No. Florida rules ban powerheads, and rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing in Florida.
Sources
Nearby towns
Coming soon
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