Castaways Point Park Fishing

Castaways Point Park is a Palm Bay riverfront park built around fishing, with two piers, a boardwalk and a fish cleaning station on the Indian River Lagoon.

• The city lists fishing, a fishing pier and a fish cleaning station
• Seatrout, redfish and black drum all year, snook in the warm months
• Refreshed in a project finished in January 2025
• Restrooms, pavilions, grills and shade trees for a family outing

The park is at 2990 Bay Boulevard NE in Palm Bay, on the Indian River Lagoon.

• Hours: 7 a.m. until sunset
• Parking: the city lists parking at the park; no fee is listed
• The north and south piers are joined by a wooden boardwalk added in the renovation finished in January 2025
• A concrete walkway, benches and overlooks line the waterfront
• A kayak and canoe launch lets paddlers reach more of the shoreline

Palm Bay's stretch of the lagoon, with two piers and a rebuilt shoreline to fish.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout on the grass around the piers, redfish and black drum along the shoreline
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at first light, mangrove snapper at the piers, ladyfish and jacks chasing bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, crevalle jacks and redfish close to the piers
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum at the pier pilings, seatrout in the deeper water

Light tackle and live shrimp do most of the work; use both piers to find the fish.

• Seatrout: a live shrimp free-lined or under a cork off the end of either pier
• Redfish: a gold spoon or a soft plastic cast along the stabilized shoreline between the piers
• Snook: a live finger mullet on a 2/0 circle hook at dawn
• Sheepshead: shrimp or a fiddler crab on a size 1 hook straight down by the pilings
• Kayak anglers can launch at the park and fish the shoreline beyond the piers

Almost no lunar tide reaches this part of the lagoon, so watch the wind instead of the tide table.

• A gentle breeze moving water past the pier ends is the best condition
• Summer mornings from the 7 a.m. opening are prime time
• Clear water after a calm spell is good for spotting redfish along the shoreline
• Rain runoff stains the water; switch to live shrimp
• The park closes at sunset, so plan evening sessions around it

A small city park, refreshed in 2025, that suits families.

• Thunderstorms build on summer afternoons; leave the piers at the first rumble
• The shade trees help, but the piers are exposed; carry water
• Give manatees a wide berth
• Keep casts clear of paddlers at the kayak launch
• Share the boardwalk between the piers with walkers
• A concrete walkway and boardwalk make the waterfront easy to reach, but wheelchair access to the piers is not confirmed

Castaways Point is well equipped for its size.

• Restrooms and water fountains
• A fishing pier and a fish cleaning station
• Pavilions, grills and picnic tables, with pavilion rentals through the city
• Benches, overlooks and mature shade trees
• A kayak and canoe launch
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait in Palm Bay or Melbourne before you come

• Try both piers; with the wind in one direction, one side often fishes better
• On calm days, cast along the stabilized shoreline between the piers for redfish
• Arrive at the 7 a.m. opening in summer for the best of the bite
• Bring a small cutting board and knife; the cleaning station makes a quick job of your catch
• Pavilion rentals through the city make it easy to bring a group

Castaways Point Park is a City of Palm Bay park; follow posted park rules.

• Park hours are 7 a.m. until sunset
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Keeping a snook also requires a snook permit
• The FWC's Indian River Lagoon region has release rules for redfish; check FWC before you fish
• Manatees are protected by state and federal law
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything