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North Indian River Lagoon

The closest inshore fishing to Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other attractions is the Indian River Lagoon. Just minutes from Orlando International Airport, this 150+ mile Lagoon begins in New Smyrna Beach and stretches all the way to Jupiter Inlet moving through areas like Cocoa Beach, Sebastian and Vero Beach. The North Indian River Lagoon is without a doubt the premier stop in Florida for GIANT trophy redfish and spotted sea trout, serving as home to the state record for both species.

Indian River Lagoon Redfish generally dominate the fishing scene. On the north end of the Lagoon, Titusville serves as a center point to some of the fishing for redfish anywhere in the Indian River. While fish seem to be longer in the Mosquito Lagoon, the North Indian River Lagoon is definitely the place for the heavyweights. Indian RIver redfish can extend nearly 4 feet in length; with some weighing over 50lbs. There are likely new state record redfish in the Indian River Lagoon, but the Florida slot limit practically rules out getting any to be certified legally. In addition to the bull redfish, wide shallow grass flats hold many 5-10lb redfish either in schools, small pods, or singles. Indian River Redfish are famous for their tailing behavior found on grass flats found throughout the Indian River Lagoon system.

Indian River Lagoon Tarpon are year round residents. During the summer months migrating adult tarpon over 60lbs move into Indian River through connecting inlets along the east coast of Florida. Unable to make the yearly migrating, their smaller siblings ranging from 5-40lb take up residentce in a variety of areas along the Indian Rive Lagoon. At it's peak, most residential canals, deep channels, and connecting rivers are full of juvenile tarpon. When the first cold fronts of the year beging to sweep into Florida, it signals the fall bait run throughout the Indian River Lagoon as well as the adult tarpon to head south for the winter. Tarpon can be caught in a variety of ways in the Indian River area, including fly, jigs, plugs, and live bait.

Spotted Sea Trout are another staple of Indian River Lagoon fishing. Trout, especially those of the "gator" variety, are an abundant fish in the Indian River and the fishing can be exceptional. Here along Florida's east coast, large sow females, known as “gator trout” can reach lengths over 30 inches and weigh as much as 17-18lbs. The Florida spotted sea trout record, as well as the world record spotted sea trout, was caught in the Indian River Lagoon and weighed over 17lbs. World class trout over 10lbs are routinely caught on the grass flats of the Indian River Lagoon. Any sandy spot on the grass flats provides an ambush spot for a speckled trout.

Snook also become more plentiful as you venture south in the Indian River Lagoon towards Cocoa Beach. Residential areas and mangrove backcountry become great places to search for quality snook in this area. Average fish here are anywhere from 5-10lbs, with some trophies weighing more than 30lbs.

Black drum are also year round residents and can be found on the flats, in canals, around bridges and other deep holes. An elusive fish, black drum are hard fighters. Most fish range from 5-20lbs, but some trophy giants weighing more than 50lbs are not out of the question.

The North Indian River Lagoon is also home to the Kennedy Space Center. Just minutes from New Smyrna Beach and Cocoa Beach, the Space Coast riverfront near Titusville is the closest viewing point for yearly shuttle launches and is regularly packed with visitors from around the world to watch this breathtaking event. Here the Indian River Lagoon is bordered on it's eastern edge by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands of acres of freshwater impoundments and marsh are heavily managed for wading birds and migrating waterfowl. The Refuge is also home to many alligators, manatees, dolphins, otters, raccoons and many more. Titusville also serves as an acess point to the southern end of Canaveral National Seashore.

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