The Best Parks In Florida To Go Fishing
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing
No matter where you live in Florida, you’re never really more than an hour and a half from the water.
Unless it’s rush hour.
Then you’re an hour and a half from your local grocery store.
But still, Florida is the fishing capital of the world, and for good reason.
In the morning you can catch snook, trout, and redfish on the flats…
Then in the afternoon, you can head offshore for grouper, marlin, tuna, kingfish, and wahoo…
And then you can still make it home on time to catch a few bass in your favorite lake.
Oh, and then at night head back to the flats for some flounder gigging.
There are so many great places to fish in Florida, but we still get asked all the time, “Where should I go fishing?”
So we asked our Facebook group what some of their favorite fish-friendly parks in Florida are.
We got some excellent suggestions from them so we put together this list for you.
It’s a mix of city, county, state, and national parks, and you’ll be able to quickly see what species you can catch there, how you can fish for them (boat, wade, kayak, etc.), what region the parks are in, and other available activities to help you have a great trip.
Enjoy!
Note: These parks are grouped together by region, and not ranked in any way.
Big Lagoon State Park
Region:
- North West Florida
Species typically caught:
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
Park information:
St. Andrews State Park
Region:
- North West Florida
Species typically caught:
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- King Mackerel
- Spanish Mackerel
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Pier
- Beach
- Jetty
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
- Beach
Park information:
St. George Island State Park
Region:
- North West Florida
Species typically caught:
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Spanish Mackerel
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Beach
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- Beach
Park information:
Anclote River Park
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Pier
Other Activities:
- Playground
- Horshoe Pits
- Volleyball
Park information:
Anclote Key Fishing Report [VIDEO]
We recently were in an inshore fishing tournament near Anclote River Park… see the full post (including what we did right and wrong) here.
Caladesi Island State Park
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Beach
Other Activities:
- Beach
- Camping
- Hiking
- Biking
Park information:
Fort De Soto Park
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Beach
- Pier
Other Activities:
- Beach
- Camping
- Dog park
- Historic Fort Guided Tours
- Biking
Park information:
Fort De Soto Snook [VIDEO]
38″ snook + dog + rain = a wild time!
Weedon Island Preserve
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Pier
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Cultural & Natural History Center
- Biking
Park information:
Fun Weedon Island SUP Fishing Trip
Picnic Island Park
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Pier
- Beach
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Dog Beach
- Disc Golf
- Biking
Park information:
Cayo Costa State Park
Region:
- South West Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Spanish Mackerel
- King Mackerel
- Pompano
- Cobia
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Beach
Other Activities:
- Beach
- Camping
- Biking
Park information:
Everglades National Park
Region:
- South Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Bonefish
- Permit
- Grouper
- Snapper
- Triple Tail
- Cobia
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Cultural & Natural History Center
- Biking
- Airboat Tours
- Camping
- Guided Tours
Park information:
Oleta River State Park
Region:
- West Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Snapper
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Beach
- Pier
Other Activities:
- Beach
- Camping
- Biking
Park information:
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Region:
- South Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Snapper
- Pompano
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
- Beach
- Pier
Other Activities:
- Beach
- Camping
- Biking
Park information:
Key Biscayne Fishing Report [VIDEO]
Check out the video above to see Luke’s exploration trip to Key Biscayne, and read the full post here.
Long Key State Park
Region:
- Florida Keys
Species typically caught:
- King Mackerel
- Spanish Mackerel
- Bonefish
- Tarpon
- Permit
- Barracuda
- Cobia
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Bridge
- Beach
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Camping
- Snorkeling
- Beach
- Lobstering
Park information:
Bahia Honda State Park
Region:
- Florida Keys
Species typically caught:
- King Mackerel
- Spanish Mackerel
- Bonefish
- Tarpon
- Permit
- Barracuda
- Cobia
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Bridge
- Beach
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Camping
- Snorkeling
- Beach
- Lobstering
Park information:
Dry Tortugas National Park
Region:
- Florida Keys
Species typically caught:
- King Mackerel
- Grouper
- Bonefish
- Permit
- Cobia
- Sailfish
- Marlin
- Mahi Mahi
- Tuna
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Beach
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Camping
- Snorkeling
- Beach
- Fort Jefferson
Park information:
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Region:
- Florida Keys
Species typically caught:
- King Mackerel
- Grouper
- Bonefish
- Permit
- Cobia
- Sailfish
- Marlin
- Mahi Mahi
- Tuna
- Wahoo
- Tarpon
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Beach
- Wade
- Jetty
Other Activities:
- Camping
- Snorkeling
- Beach
Park information:
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Region:
- East Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Pier
- Beach
- Jetty
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- McLarty Treasure Museum
- Beach
Park information:
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Region:
- East Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Cobia
- Spanish Mackerel
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Pier
- Beach
- Jetty
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- Beach
Park information:
Indian River Preserve State Park
Region:
- East Central Florida
Species typically caught:
- Snook
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Tarpon
- Black Drum
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
Park information:
Big & Little Talbot Island State Parks
Region:
- North East Florida
Species typically caught:
- Redfish
- Trout
- Flounder
- Pompano
- Whiting
- Bluefish
How you can fish here:
- Kayak
- Boat
- Beach
- Wade
Other Activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Camping
- Beach
Park information:
Conclusion
Thank you to all of our readers who contributed to this list!
Did we miss your favorite park?
Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add it in!
Also, each of the above pins is a fishing report (many of them at the parks listed above), so if you want to learn how to maximize your time at these parks and catch more fish, join our Insider Club.
P.S. Have a friend who needs to see this list? TAG or SHARE this with them!
Do You Want To Quickly Find New Fishing Spots In Your Area?
Then you’ve got to see this private fishing club!
Here’s what you’ll receive today:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing where the inshore fish are feeding all year long
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in certain areas
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Click here to join today.
Related articles:
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great information. Can you list Florida’s west coast? Thanks
Honeymoon Island State Park
Big lagoon is my area! And it’s the first one on the list
Awesome park!
Be careful, but I don’t know how you can protect yourself. Just read on FB about a man who went fishing in a Kayak there, came home, looked like a sunburn on his lower leg, and it ended up being that flesh eating disease. He told the MD’s he had NO cuts or abrasions on his leg, but they told him it can get in through the pores of his skin. Many surgeries later, he lived, but has to learn to walk again. Love to fish and am moving to FL soon. Can’t let it stop me, but just be aware if you see anything unusual, get to ER Quick!!