UTERJanuary
Clear water sight fishing: reds and black drum on the flats
The clearest water of the year in Mosquito Lagoon — sight-fish schools of reds and drum on calm sunny afternoons; big trout in the deeper troughs.
Sebastian to New Smyrna
Indian River Lagoon fishing
What's biting in Indian River Lagoon in October: king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and snook at their peak, with pompano, whiting and bluefish around too. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows 30 fish here month by month, from Melbourne to New Smyrna Beach.
Fall peak: reds, trout and snook everywhere; flounder at the inlets
Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the northern Indian River Lagoon — shallow, clear, grass-and-sand flats famous for sight-fishing tailing redfish and giant trout — plus Port Canaveral and Ponce Inlet, the beaches, and the nearshore reefs.
MelbourneCocoaTitusvillePort CanaveralNew Smyrna Beach
Updated
Now · October
Fall peak: reds, trout and snook everywhere; flounder at the inlets
The lagoon's best month — reds and trout all day on the flats as the water drops through the 70s; flounder on the inlet sand.
RedfishSpotted seatroutSnookFlounderTarponSpanish mackerelKing mackerel
This month here
From the season calendar, best firstPeakPeakPeakSpawningPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakArrivingArrivingArrivingArrivingLeavingLeavingLeavingAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAround
King mackerel
Fall run on the reefs.
Spanish mackerel
Fall run behind the mullet.
Snook
Redfish
The lagoon's best month as the water drops through the 70s.
Spotted seatrout
All day on the flats as the water cools.
Flounder
Gag grouper
Jack crevalle
Ladyfish
Wahoo
Little tunny (bonito)
Blacktip shark
On the mullet run.
Spinner shark
Bull shark
Pompano
Fall run: fish move down the beach behind the mullet.
Whiting
Bluefish
Sailfish
Tarpon
The last of the run; fish leaving south with the mullet.
Striped mullet
Bonnethead shark
Cobia
Sheepshead
Mangrove snapper
Goliath grouper
Black drum
Tripletail
Red snapper
Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
The water
The tide here
Wind-driven, almost no tide
The lagoons barely have a tide — Mosquito Lagoon and the northern Indian River are wind-driven. Water moves when the wind blows, and the only real tide is at Port Canaveral and Ponce Inlet. Fish the wind and the temperature, not the table.
Snook
Slot 28–32" · open Feb 1 – May 31 and Sep 1 – Dec 14
One per person with a snook permit. Indian River Lagoon region rules. Snook are a southern-lagoon and inlet fish here; reds and trout are the lagoon's own. Check MyFWC for the rule of the day.
Structure that matters
Grass flatChannel edgeDock / pilingsBridgePass / inletBeach / surfArtificial reefWreck
After a cold front
The lagoon's shallow water cools fast. Reds and trout drop into the deeper channels, canals and the ICW; on the first sunny afternoon they crawl back onto the dark-bottom flats that warm first. Black drum schools show in the cold.
Month by month
What's happening, and what to throwFebruary
Gator trout month; reds tail on the flats; snook opens in the south
The biggest trout of the year on the flats on warm afternoons — slow suspending plugs. Reds tailing in the shallows.
March
Topwater trout at dawn; reds strong; the beach wakes up
Dawn topwater on the flats for trout, reds all day, pompano and Spanish off the beach and at the inlets as the water warms.
April
Spring peak on the lagoon; cobia and kings off Canaveral
Trout and reds on the flats early; cobia on the nearshore rays and buoys; kings on the Canaveral reefs; the first tarpon at Ponce.
May
Tarpon show in the lagoon and inlets; trout before the heat
Tarpon in the Indian River and at the inlets; snook at Sebastian (closes the 31st); trout at dawn before the flats warm.
June
Summer pattern: dawn on the flats, tarpon in the lagoon
The most stable weather of the year. Reds and trout at first light; tarpon rolling in the Banana River and Indian River; snapper on the bridges and docks.
July
Hot and glassy: reds early, tarpon and jacks in the lagoon
Fish the flats before the sun is high; tarpon and jacks bust bait in the deeper lagoon all day; dock lights at night.
August
Reds start to school; tarpon at the inlets; the mullet gather
Schools of reds forming on the lagoon flats; tarpon at Canaveral and Ponce on the bait; first mullet on the beach late month.
September
The mullet run: snook reopens, reds, tarpon and jacks on the beach
Snook harvest reopens the 1st. Beach and inlet blitzes on the mullet; reds schooled in the lagoon; trout feed as the water cools.
October · now
Fall peak: reds, trout and snook everywhere; flounder at the inlets
The lagoon's best month — reds and trout all day on the flats as the water drops through the 70s; flounder on the inlet sand.
November
Flounder run at Ponce and Canaveral; trout and reds on the flats; pompano
Flounder through the inlets on the outgoing; trout on every flat; pompano in the surf; the first drum schools.
December
Winter sight fishing begins; snook closes mid-month
Cold clear water: reds and drum on the flats on sunny afternoons, trout in the troughs, sheepshead on the pilings.
Fish guides for Indian River Lagoon
When, where and what to use, fish by fishBlack drumBlacktip sharkBluefishCobiaFlounderGag grouperGoliath grouperJack crevalleKing mackerelMahi-mahi (dolphin)Mangrove snapperPompanoRedfishSailfishSheepsheadSnookSpanish mackerelSpotted seatroutStriped mulletTarponTripletail
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