Vaca Cut Bridge, Key Colony Beach Fishing

Vaca Cut Bridge is the Overseas Highway span over the narrow channel between Marathon and Key Colony Beach, and its lights and fast current draw fish at night. It is a spot for experienced shore anglers who can handle current and road noise.

• A deep channel linking the Atlantic and Florida Bay
• Reported for baby tarpon at night, with snook and snapper named by guide sites
• Fished from the shore and under the bridge, not from the roadway
• Tight access and strong current need care

The bridge is on US-1 at about mile marker 53 in Marathon, where Vaca Cut separates Marathon from Key Colony Beach. The roadway is state highway land.

• Fish the shoreline and the water beneath the bridge; do not fish from the roadway
• A separate Overseas Heritage Trail span runs beside it, but we could not confirm fishing rules on it
• Legal parking and exact shore access were not confirmed; do not park on the highway shoulder or block a driveway
• Key Colony Beach is across the channel; check locally for public shore access

Current and light make this a tarpon and snook place after dark.

• Spring (Mar-May): tarpon, mostly small, may show after sunset, with snook and snapper
• Summer (Jun-Aug): tarpon and snook on the lit edge at night, mangrove snapper by day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): jacks, snook and snapper move with the tide, with bait running through the cut
• Winter (Dec-Feb): slower, with snapper and the odd snook on warm nights

Heavy enough tackle to turn a fish in current, but still a bait-fishing game.

• Tarpon: a live pilchard or crab on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook with a 30 to 40 lb leader; fish here are often small
• Snook: a live shrimp or a swimbait cast to the light line on the edge
• Snapper: cut bait or live shrimp on a knocker rig on the bottom
• Bring a long-handled net or a good release tool, and a headlamp
• Plan how you will land a large fish from the shoreline before you hook one

The Keys have two highs and two lows a day, and the cut funnels a strong flow.

• The current is strongest mid-tide; fish the slower edges and the turn of the tide
• Night is best, when the bridge lights draw bait
• A calm evening is far easier than a windy one
• The channel is deep, so bait sinks fast in the run

Access is not easy, and the highway is just overhead.

• Traffic and no sidewalk make the approach hazardous at night
• Strong current and a deep channel are dangerous for wading
• A hooked tarpon can pull you off balance on a slope; keep your footing
• Carry a headlamp and watch your footing on rocks and slopes
• Do not fish from the roadway; it is not allowed

There are no facilities at the bridge itself.

• No restroom, rail or fishing deck at the cut
• Captain Hook's Marina and Dive Center is mapped near the cut; its services are unconfirmed, so check before counting on bait

• Go after dark, when the lighted span holds the fish
• Bring a headlamp and a small net or tool, and tell someone where you are
• Buy live bait in Marathon before you come, as none is sold at the bridge
• Release tarpon quickly and keep them in the water
• Park well off the highway, and walk to the shore along a safe route
• Avoid the busiest tide in the middle of the flow if you are new to it

Vaca Cut Bridge is on US-1 and managed by the state transportation department and Monroe County's roadway; fishing is not confirmed by a managing body here.

• Fishing from atop the bridge is not allowed; fish from the shore or underneath only
• Read any posted signs and follow them
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Tarpon have release rules and snook have their own seasons; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything