Osteen Park, Merritt Island Fishing

Osteen Park is a shady neighborhood park with its own covered fishing pier on the Indian River Lagoon, a calm, comfortable place to fish with a sunset view.

• A 75-foot pier with a covered shelter, reached by a paved walkway
• Seatrout, redfish and black drum through the year
• Snook, mangrove snapper and jacks in the warm months, sheepshead in winter
• Free parking, restrooms, a playground and a pavilion
• A roofed shelter on the pier for shade on hot days

The park is at 425 South Tropical Trail in Merritt Island, on the west side of the island facing the Indian River, south of the State Road 520 causeway.

• Hours: the county lists it as open from dawn to dusk, except for scheduled use
• Parking: free; the county notes the lots stay open to the public even when the pavilion is booked
• The walk: a paved walkway runs from the parking area through the trees to the pier
• The pier: 75 feet long, with a covered shelter
• The docks beside the park belong to private homes and an apartment complex; fish only from the park's pier

The pier sits over open lagoon water, so the catch follows the seasons of the Indian River.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish on the grass edges, black drum on the bottom, jacks returning
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook and mangrove snapper around the pilings at dawn and dusk, ladyfish on the surface
• Fall (Sep-Nov): mullet schools draw snook, jacks and redfish; seatrout feed well as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead on the pilings, black drum and seatrout on mild afternoons

Keep it light: a 7-foot medium spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader.

• A live shrimp under a popping cork, cast off the end of the pier for seatrout and redfish
• Shrimp on a knocker rig dropped beside the pilings for black drum and sheepshead
• A small jig or soft plastic worked back along the grass for seatrout
• A live pinfish or small mullet at dusk for snook
• A pier net or a long-handled landing net saves bigger fish that would break off on the lift

The Indian River Lagoon has almost no tide off Merritt Island, so wind, water temperature and time of day set the bite.

• Early morning and the last hour before dusk are the best times
• The pier faces west: a west wind blows straight at it and stirs up the shallows, while an east wind leaves the water calm and clear
• Moving water after a shift in the wind often starts the fish feeding
• In winter, fish the warm afternoons after a cold front passes
• Heavy summer rain can darken the water; switch to natural bait

A short paved walk to a county pier makes this one of the easier lagoon spots to fish.

• Lightning is the main summer danger; the pier shelter is not safe in a storm, so leave early
• Keep children away from the pier edge and watch hooks when others walk past
• Manatees are common in the lagoon; do not cast at them
• Sun and heat: the shelter helps, but bring water
• The county flags the park as accessible, and the paved walkway leads right to the pier

Everything is close to the pier, which makes this an easy half-day.

• Restrooms
• The Osteen Park pavilion (560 square feet, five tables and a grill), which can be reserved
• Seven picnic tables spread through the park
• A playground
• Free parking
• The covered shelter on the pier gives some shade
• No bait shop in the park; bring your bait with you

• Start at the far end of the pier, the point farthest out, with a cork and shrimp
• Sheepshead feed right against the pilings in winter; fish straight down, not out
• The pier faces west, so sunsets over the river are a highlight, and the last hour before the park closes at dusk is often the best bite
• Weekday mornings are the quietest time
• The paved walkway to the pier passes the pavilion, so expect company on the path when a party has booked it

Osteen Park is a Brevard County park; follow the posted park rules.

• County code allows fishing in county parks only where it is designated; the county lists this pier for fishing
• The park is open dawn to dusk
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Snook need an FWC snook permit to keep
• Redfish fall under the FWC's Indian River Lagoon region rules; check them and plan to release any redfish you catch
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything