HOT SPOTS: Fishing on the Space Coast!
Nice Port Canaveral Tarpon for the Luther and Queener Families.
Did you know that Titusville sits smack in the middle of some excellent summertime fishing opportunities? Besides being directly on the Indian River Lagoon, Titusville is only a short 30-minute drive from several other great fishing locations. The World Famous Mosquito Lagoon is the most-geographical near location, but Port Canaveral is also only 20 min from Titusville. All three locations, the Mosquito Lagoon (don’t be turned off by the name), the Indian River Lagoon, and Port Canaveral offer all different, but all very fun and unique fishing opportunities. During the summer months, we target mostly snook, along with redfish, seatrout, black drum, tarpon. The warmer waters of the summer give us our most variety of fish to target.
Excellent first redfish for this junior angler.
The Indian River is Titusville’s eastern border and offers many great fishing opportunities. With the summer rains, many of the natural creeks that flow into the Indian River from the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge become feeding stations for all our target fishes. The freshwater currents of these creeks flush small shrimp and baitfish out of the marsh and he predatory gamefish wait in ambush. These drainages fish best early or late in the day, the hot-summer sun puts the fish in siesta mode midday. Fishing pre-sunrise until 11am or so in the morning and then again, the several hours before darkness and into the fish hour or so of night are our most-productive times to fish. So, get on the water early, take an afternoon nap, and go fish after the almost daily afternoon thundershowers!
Trophy Mosquito Lagoon redfish for Joe.
The second-most near Titusville location to fish is the World-Famous Mosquito Lagoon. The Mosquito Lagoon is home to some of the best seatrout and redfish fishing to be found anywhere. Endless flats, coves, and miles and miles of shorelines provide countless places to fish. Larger schools of big-breeder sized redfish group up in the summer months, along with smaller-sized redfish schools. Some of the largest redfish and seatrout to be found anywhere on the planet are found here. Baitfish school up in the summer months and the fish follow. Just as all the summer fishing in Florida, beating the heat is key!
Sabrina with a monster Mosquito Lagoon seatrout.
Port Canaveral provides the most variety near Titusville to fish. Whether fishing inside the harbor, on the beaches, or on the reef, Port Canaveral offers the most fish holding locations in the summer. The seasonal influx of migratory menhaden (a type of baitfish and we call them pogies) bring tarpon, snook, sharks, and countless other species in tow. Calm seas and light winds are the norm here in the summer, so it is our best time to take advantage of nearshore waters of the Atlantic. As previously stated, early starts are a must to beat the heat.
Snook caught in Port Canaveral with the Space X Falcon 9 rocket being barged in.
Titusville’s central location to many exciting and productive fishing locations make it a fun starting point for your next fishing adventure. Summer offers the best variety and fishing styles. Whether it’s fishing the Indian River or Mosquito Lagoon for inshore gamefishes or nearshore in the Atlantic Ocean for migratory species, Titusville is close to the action! Come visit Titusville and get a tan, tight lines, sore arms and new fishing memory!
Doug from Orlando with a true Mosquito Lagoon giant redfish.
ABOUT THIS STORY:
Stories & Adventures wishes to thank Captain Scott MacCalla an Indian River Fishing Guide for writing this blog about fishing hot spots in our area.
All photos courtesy of Scott MacCalla and the Titusville Area Visitors Council.