Inshore Fishing Report for Kayakers and Waders in Tampa, FL
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Salt Strong, SUP Fishing
You might not believe this, but I found this amazing inshore fishing hole while sitting in a window seat on a flight from Atlanta to Tampa.
And you don’t even need a boat to get there!
Let me explain.
Finding a new fishing spot for redfish, snook, and trout can be a daunting task for many inshore anglers… especially those without a boat.
And this is a significant problem because finding a good fishing area is WAY more important than having the best fishing equipment.
Since one of my favorite things to do is explore new fishing areas, I thought it would be helpful to start publishing details about kayak and/or wade-friendly areas so those who don’t have a boat or are visiting from out of town can get a head start to finding easily accessible fishing grounds…
So here’s the plan:
- I’ll record my exploration trips and describe what to expect
- Minimal gear will be used (no motor, just 1 rod/reel, and minimal tackle)
- Each fishing report will show satellite views of the location along with tips on what gear is recommended
So without further ado, here’s our first Salt Strong “No Motor” Fishing Report from Cypress Point Park in Tampa, FL…
Tampa Fishing Report – Cypress Point Park
After seeing the healthy grass flats from the window seat of many flights while descending towards Tampa International Airport (who would have ever guessed you could find fishing spots from a commercial airline flight), I finally decided to venture out there to see if they held redfish, snook, and/or trout.
Fortunately, there is a nice park that touches this great looking flat allowing for a very convenient access to inshore anglers who like to go wade fishing, kayak fishing, or paddleboard fishing…
It’s called Cypress Point Park… below is an aerial image along with its address:
Address:
Cypress Point Park
5620 W Cypress St.
Tampa, FL 33607
Cypress Point Park Fishing Review
Here’s a chart showing Cypress Point Park’s accessibility ratings for inshore anglers:
Cypress Park Fishing Report
On my visit, I decided to fish via paddle board so I could quickly cover ground while having an elevated view of the water (compared to kayak fishing) because I only had a few hours of free time.
Note: This isn’t a fancy fishing paddle board… just an old board I’ve had for years with a missing fin that I really like because it is light and very easy to transport.
I went to the park on August 19th of 2015… I got on the water around 8:30 and was back on land after a couple hours of fun.
Here’s a quick summary of the top inshore species that I caught/saw at Cypress Point Park:
- Redfish: Great… caught a keeper in the first 15 minutes from a good sized school and saw roaming singles too
- Snook: Good… caught one and saw several other snook stalking bait up in the shallows (all small snook though)
- Trout: Good… saw a ~20 inch trout in a pothole and there likely are many smaller trout holding on the outside edge of the flat
Short Video of the Trip
CLICK HERE to see exactly how to rig the lure used in this video.
Conclusion
Finding new fishing grounds isn’t as hard as most anglers think. If done properly, it can be an incredibly fun and rewarding way to enjoy even a short opening of the day.
Heck, it can even be done under 10,000 feet on a commercial airline…
Best of all, having a boat and/or fancy equipment is not a requirement for catching redfish, snook, and trout… all you need is the motivation to simply get out there along with a lure or two that you feel confident in using…
The only guarantee in fishing is that you won’t catch anything if you don’t go…
P.S. – If you’d like to see more reports like this, please leave a comment below (or send an email to fish@saltstrong.com) and state the area you’d like me to cover… I’ll be planning future trips based on feedback received.
P.P.S. – If you think your friends or fishing network would like this post, please Tag them or Share this with them. It would mean a lot to me.
Fish On!
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I know that using a fishing chart is still very useful when it comes to finding new areas to fish. This chart https://waterproofcharts.com/product/tampa-bay-area-inshore-fishing-chart-22f/ has been really good to me, especially when it comes to snook and redfish.
How about Robert Rees Park area?
I have not yet been there. It def looks good from the satellite maps though.
Hi Luke, I am considering going out to either Cypress Point Park, Picnic Island, or around the Gandy Bridge this weekend on my paddleboard – any preference? also, at Cypress Point Park, it looks like you turned south from the park and headed towards 275, is this correct? Thanks!
All of them can be effective. Cypress point would be my least favorite of the two right now because it gets less water flow.
During this day, I fished both sides of the park (north and south) and fish were on both sides.
Hey guys! I’m planning on doing some wading (8-weight fly rod) for redfish at Picnic Island (Tampa) next week. Any advice?
I put together this Insider Report from a trip to Picnic Island just a couple weeks ago. You’ll see where a lot of snook and some quality redfish were holding in this post: https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/insiders/insider-exclusive-content/2-days-full-moon-3-days-front-picnic-island-trip-2/
Thanks Luke!
Hey guys! We are headed to Tampa-Brandon area for the weekend. We have a small Key West and are looking for some quick, easy access places to fish…as we don’t have a lot of time. Hoping to catch some reds and snook. Any suggestions for locations?? Thanks!!
Coffee pot park as a nice little boat ramp or try Chris park Saint Petersburg. Bigger spots you can try Courtney Campbell cause way ramp handy bridge ramps and picnic island
I am planning a family vacation to Tampa in November so I have been researching the shallow water fishing in the area. I love to wade fish and your site has the best information. Are there any safety concerns that a new person should be aware of? Thanks for the wonderful site.
Where are good spots to catch redfish near Ruskin or riverview?
That whole shoreline of Tampe Bay has many very good areas for redfish. Two of my favorite launch points are Cockroach Bay and Bishop Harbor.
Try fishing in Jacksonvile
Thanks for that, pretty informative for a brief show-how is the bottom on the Tampa bay? Does it vary as it does here in the east or is it mostly hard? Going to have an opportunity to kayak out of St Pete this season, so keep the intel coming-
Hello…how deep is the water you are fishing in….can this area be waded…thanks gary