Parrish Park (Max Brewer Causeway) Fishing

Parrish Park lines the Max Brewer Causeway across the Indian River Lagoon at Titusville, with a short pier, a boardwalk and a long stretch of fishable shoreline, open from dawn to dusk.

• Seatrout, redfish, black drum and snook in the lagoon
• A 100-foot pier and about 1,400 feet of shoreline fishing
• A clear view of the launch pads at Kennedy Space Center
• Restrooms, picnic shelters and a six-lane boat ramp

The park is on SR 402 (the A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway) from the east end of the Max Brewer Bridge to the Kennedy Space Center security gates, reached from US 1 in downtown Titusville.

• Parking: free, with paved spaces for 46 cars and 47 boat trailers at the ramp on the west end; leave the trailer spaces for boaters
• East side: open to pedestrians only
• Hours: dawn to dusk; the boat ramps are open 24 hours
• Surface: level ground, a boardwalk and the pier near the ramp
• The causeway continues east through the security gates into the wildlife refuge and on to Playalinda Beach

Lagoon fishing here follows the water temperature.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish on the grass edges, black drum, jacks
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook and tarpon around the bridge, mangrove snapper, seatrout early and late
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, redfish, jacks and ladyfish close to the causeway
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead on the seawalls and bridge, seatrout in deeper water

A medium spinning rod with 15 lb braid covers most of it.

• Seatrout: a popping cork with live shrimp, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head along grass edges
• Redfish and black drum: shrimp, crab or cut mullet on a Carolina rig
• Snook: live mullet or pinfish near the bridge, especially at dawn and dusk
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs beside the bridge fenders and seawalls in winter
• A landing net helps from the pier and the shoreline

The northern lagoon has almost no lunar tide; wind moves the water instead.

• Look for moving water after a wind shift, and fish the windward shoreline where bait piles up
• Calm, clear mornings are best for sight-fishing along the grass
• A strong north wind in winter pushes water out and concentrates fish in deeper holes near the bridge
• Heavy summer rain can lower salinity and slow the bite
• Dawn and dusk are the prime windows

One of the easiest spots on the lagoon to fish.

• Boat trailers come and go at the ramp; keep lines and gear out of the lanes
• Summer afternoon lightning over the open lagoon; leave early
• Traffic is heavy on launch days, and parking fills hours before a launch
• Watch for manatees and turtles along the shoreline; do not snag them
• Never eat puffer fish or shellfish from the lagoon here: the Park Service reports high levels of Pyrodinium, an algae that makes saxitoxin, at Parrish
• Paved parking, the boardwalk and the pier suit most anglers

Brevard County lists these amenities at the park.

• Restrooms and free parking
• A 100-foot fishing pier, a boardwalk and about 1,400 feet of shoreline fishing
• A six-lane boat ramp for motorized boats, plus canoe access
• Eight small picnic shelters, which can be reserved
• No bait shop in the park; bait and tackle shops are in Titusville
• Bring your own shade in summer

• Walk the shoreline to find where the wind is pushing bait
• Winter sheepshead on the bridge fenders are a reliable dinner
• Launch days bring huge crowds; plan a fishing trip for another day
• A popping cork is the local standard for seatrout
• Keep an eye out for dolphins and manatees, and move your bait if they settle in
• The refuge beyond the gates has more shoreline, with its own rules

Parrish Park is managed by Brevard County Parks and Recreation; the refuge beyond the gates is federal land with its own rules.

• The park is open from dawn to dusk (the boat ramps around the clock); Brevard County parks allow fishing only in areas designated for it, here the pier and the shoreline fishing areas
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Keeping a snook requires a snook permit as well as the license; check FWC seasons
• The FWC's Indian River Lagoon region has release rules for redfish; check FWC before you fish
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything