Seagull Park, Satellite Beach Fishing

Seagull Park is a quiet county beach access with a surf-fishing reputation: Brevard County says the park is popular for surfing and surf fishing, and there is no lifeguard tower to fish around.

• Open beach with room to set several rods in summer and winter alike
• Pompano and whiting in the cooler months, snook and croaker when the water warms
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their seasonal runs
• Free parking, two small shelters and an outdoor shower
• Small and simple: no restrooms and only a handful of parking spaces

The park is at 285 State Road A1A in South Patrick Shores, a Satellite Beach address, on the ocean side of the highway.

• Hours: the county lists it as open from dawn to dusk
• Parking: free, but the lot holds only about 15 cars; arrive early on weekends
• The walk: a wide wooden crossover leads through the sea grapes to the sand, a short and easy walk
• No lifeguards are posted here; the county's nearest staffed tower is miles to the south
• The county's small S.P.R.A. Park a few hundred yards south also lists surf fishing if this lot is full

This stretch of central Brevard beach sees a changing cast through the year.

• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano and whiting on calmer days, bluefish and black drum when the surf is up
• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting peak, Spanish mackerel and bluefish run north, blacktip sharks move along the beach
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting and croaker in the near trough, snook along the beach at dawn
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, crevalle jacks, bluefish, redfish and the odd tarpon close to shore

Two rods cover this beach: a long surf rod for the outer trough and a lighter one for the wash.

• Pompano and whiting: a two-hook rig with small floats, sand fleas, clam or shrimp, and a pyramid sinker heavy enough to hold
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: silver spoons or small jigs cast past the bar when fish are working
• Black drum and redfish: half a blue crab or a chunk of clam on a fish-finder rig
• Snook: a live mullet or a bucktail worked along the first trough at first light
• Sand fleas are the classic pompano bait; bring them or buy them before you come, as county park rules protect the wildlife in its parks

Tides here rise and fall twice a day, with a range of a few feet, and the surf changes daily with the wind.

• The rising tide into high water is the usual window for pompano and whiting
• A light onshore breeze and a little surf often switch pompano on; a flat, clear sea suits spoons for mackerel
• Big swells after a front call for heavier sinkers and shorter sessions
• Summer is best at dawn, before heat and afternoon storms
• Watch for diving birds and bait sprays, which show where mackerel and bluefish are feeding

This is an unguarded Atlantic beach, so anglers need to look after themselves.

• Rip currents are common on this coast; wade no deeper than your knees and never fish from a sandbar with a trough behind you
• No lifeguards are on duty at this park
• Lightning is the summer danger; leave at the first thunder
• Shuffle your feet in the wash to warn off stingrays
• Stay on the crossover to protect the dunes and sea turtle nests
• The county flags the park as accessible, and the crossover is a boardwalk, but reaching the water means crossing soft sand

Facilities are basic, so bring what you need for the session.

• Two small covered shelters with picnic tables
• An outdoor shower fed by an artesian well (the water is not for drinking)
• Free parking for about 15 cars
• No restrooms, according to the county's park page
• No bait shop at the park; bring or buy all your bait before you arrive

• Walk a little way from the crossover to find a trough away from surfers
• Pompano often run the first trough on a rising tide; do not cast past them
• The county notes the beach as a place to watch rocket launches from Cape Canaveral
• Rinse reels under the outdoor shower before the drive home
• In fall, watch for mullet schools tight to the beach; the predators are rarely far behind

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

• County code allows fishing in county parks only where it is designated, and the county lists surf fishing here
• The park is open dawn to dusk
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Targeting sharks from shore needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit and its online course, and chumming from the beach is prohibited for any species
• Snook need an FWC snook permit to keep, and Brevard's beaches fall in the FWC's Indian River Lagoon region for redfish; check its rules and plan to release any redfish
• Stay off the dunes and away from marked turtle nests
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything