Fishing in the Indian River Lagoon

Stretching for over 150 miles along the east coast of Florida, the Indian River Lagoon has great fishing opportunities year round. Although it is called a river, this is a saltwater lagoon. Natural openings to the ocean are at Sebastian Inlet, Ft. Pierce Inlet, and St. Lucie Inlet. The north Indian River Lagoon is commonly known by people in central Florida as the section from Cocoa northward near the town of Titusville. The lagoon comes to a dead end near Scottsmoor and is bordered on the east by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. These saltwater flats are about 45 minutes east of Orlando, Kissimmee and Walt Disney World, 30 minutes south of Daytona Beach and 20 minutes from New Smyrna Beach. From Cocoa Beach it is a 15-20 minutes drive.

All year long, you can catch redfish, seatrout, and black drum. The Indian River holds some of the largest redfish inshore that you will ever find. These giant bull reds tend to congregate in schools, sometimes holding several hundred fish. They can reach weights exceeding 40 pounds and provide a fantastic fight on light tackle spinning or fly fishing equipment. The Florida state record seatrout came from the Indian River and you can catch "gator trout" over 8 pounds on the shallow grass flats. Black drum can also be caught over 40 pounds as well. In the summer months, juvenile tarpon from 5-20 pounds will roam the shorelines and creek mouths while the full grown variety, up to 120 pounds, will tend to hang out in the deeper basins and channels. The middle and souther Indian River Lagoon is known for its world class snook fishing. In the upper reaches, they can be found in the summer months at culverts, docks, and creek mouths.

The fishing is great but so is the wildlife

West Indian Manatee can be found throughout the Indian River. During the winter months, hundreds of them congregate around the electric power plants in Titusville and Jensen Beach. Spring through fall, they can be seen daily on and around the grass flats. Dolphins are another common marine mammal we see every day. Alligators can be found near the shorelines as well. A variety of birds including roseate spoonbills, egrets, ibis, herons, and osprey live hear all year. Thousands more birds migrate to this area during the winter months. Every day offers both fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Indian River Fishing Guide Capt. Chris Myers offers light tackle and fly fishing charters near Titusville, and Orlando all year round for redfish, seatrout, black drum, and tarpon. Everything you need is included in your fishing trip except food and drink. Call 321-229-4848 today or email [email protected]