Rotary Park at Suntree Fishing

Rotary Park at Suntree is a well-equipped county park on the Indian River Lagoon where a short fishing pier and a sandy shoreline give easy access to the lagoon's trout, redfish and drum.

• A 140-foot fishing pier and shoreline fishing, as listed by Brevard County
• Seatrout, redfish and black drum year round; snook and jacks in the warm months
• Restrooms in the large pavilion, a big playground and riverside picnic shelters with grills
• Free parking, a couple of miles north of the Pineda Causeway on US 1

The park is at 6495 S. US Highway 1, at the junction with Suntree Boulevard, on the river side of the highway between Rockledge and Melbourne.

• Getting there: turn toward the river at the US 1 and Suntree Boulevard junction; the park road leads to the lot
• Parking: free, in the park's lot
• Hours: the county lists the park as open from dawn to dusk
• The walk: from the lot to the large pavilion on the point, where the pier runs out into the lagoon, or south along the shoreline boardwalk
• The Pineda Causeway, with its own parks and bridge fishing, is a couple of miles south

This stretch of the Indian River Lagoon holds the usual lagoon fish, and the warm months bring more snook and jacks than farther north.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish on the grass edges, black drum, sheepshead finishing on the pier pilings
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at dawn and dusk, mangrove snapper around the pilings, jacks and ladyfish on bait schools
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, redfish, jacks and ladyfish close to shore; flounder on the bottom
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead around the pilings, seatrout in the deeper holes on warmer afternoons

Light tackle is enough here: a 7-foot spinning rod, 10-15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Seatrout: a cork rig with a live shrimp, or a paddle-tail on a quarter-ounce jig head worked over grass and sand patches
• Redfish and black drum: a light Carolina rig with shrimp, a piece of blue crab or cut mullet
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp dropped straight down beside the pier pilings
• Snook: live mullet or pinfish, or a swimbait, at first light and dusk
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs when bait is flipping
• From the shoreline, wade no deeper than your knees and shuffle your feet

The Indian River Lagoon at Suntree has almost no lunar tide; the wind moves the water and sets where the bait gathers.

• An east wind blows onto this west shore and piles bait along it; that is often the time to fish here
• A change in wind direction often starts a feeding spell
• Calm, clear mornings are best for spotting fish along the grass edges
• Winter cold fronts push fish to deeper holes; fish the warm afternoons
• Heavy summer rain freshens and clouds the lagoon, and the bite slows

The park is set up for families, with restrooms in the main pavilion and the water close by.

• The county describes the sandy shoreline as good for swimming too; never cast where people are in the water
• Leave at the first thunder; summer afternoon storms build fast over the lagoon
• Stingrays lie in the shallows; shuffle your feet if you step in
• Manatees and dolphins visit; move your bait if a manatee comes close
• Keep children away from the pier edge, and bring shade and water in summer

Brevard County lists family-friendly facilities throughout the park.

• A large pavilion on the point with restrooms, barbecue pits and a river view
• Six small picnic shelters with grills along the shore and boardwalk
• A large playground
• A 140-foot fishing pier with a shade roof at its end, and a sandy shoreline
• Free parking
• No bait shop; pick up shrimp on the way
• Pier lighting is not confirmed; carry a headlamp

• Fish the end of the pier early in the morning, before the park gets busy
• On an east wind, work the shoreline either side of the pier where bait is piling in
• Dolphins hunt along this shore; when they move in, the fish often scatter, so give it time
• Fiddler crabs on the pilings are the winter sheepshead bait
• Drift a cork and live shrimp along the grass edges to locate the trout, then work that stretch

Brevard County Parks and Recreation manages Rotary Park at Suntree; the posted park rules apply, and the park is open from dawn to dusk.

• Unless you are exempt, you need a Florida saltwater fishing license
• To keep a snook you also need a snook permit
• Redfish and spotted seatrout have regional rules in the Indian River Lagoon, including release rules for redfish; check with FWC before keeping any fish
• Fishing for sharks from shore, pier included, requires the free FWC shore-based shark permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything