Spessard Holland North Beach Park Fishing

Spessard Holland North Beach Park is a small county beach park in Melbourne Beach that the county describes as a popular fishing site.

• Named a popular fishing site by the county, with pompano the cool-season target
• Spring and fall mackerel runs, and snook on summer mornings
• Three dune crossovers, one of them ADA accessible, and two reservable pavilions
• Restrooms, a drinking fountain and outdoor showers

The park is at 2525 Highway A1A in Melbourne Beach, about three miles south of US 192; Spessard Holland South Beach Park is about half a mile farther south on the same beach.

• Hours: the county opens it from dawn to dusk
• Parking: on site, with more at the South Beach Park about half a mile south; no fee is listed
• Access: three dune crossovers spread along the park's frontage
• Lifeguards: seasonal; the county's tower here is staffed in summer, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the days it is open
• The park's two mid-sized pavilions can be reserved through the county

The surf here follows the usual Space Coast calendar, with the pompano run peaking in the cooler months.

• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano on the better days, whiting, bluefish and black drum
• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting, blacktip sharks moving along the beach, Spanish mackerel passing north
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at dawn, whiting and croaker through the day, lifeguards on the beach for part of the season
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings bluefish, snook, redfish, crevalle jacks and tarpon tight to the beach

Distance helps on this beach: a 10 to 12 ft surf rod reaches the outer trough where pompano often feed.

• Pompano: a two-hook pompano rig with small floats, sand fleas or clam, and a 4 oz pyramid sinker to hold in the surf
• Whiting and croaker: a lighter rod with size 2 hooks and shrimp in the near trough
• Spanish mackerel: a small silver spoon or a jig cast past the bar during the spring and fall runs
• Black drum and redfish: half a crab or a clam on a fish-finder rig
• Set up away from the crossovers used by swimmers when the lifeguards are on duty

Tides rise and fall twice a day, and a pompano morning is best timed around them.

• The rising tide into high water is the usual pompano window
• Cool, slightly rough water after a winter front often brings the best pompano days
• A flat, clear sea in spring and fall is ideal for casting spoons to passing mackerel
• Summer mornings fish best before heat and afternoon storms
• Big onshore swells call for heavier sinkers and shorter sessions

A family beach with good facilities, but the surf is the open Atlantic.

• Rip currents occur along this beach; wade no deeper than your knees
• When lifeguards are on duty, fish well away from the swimming area
• Lightning is the summer danger; leave when you first hear thunder
• Stingrays hide in the wash; drag your feet as you walk in
• Stay on the crossovers; the dunes and the summer turtle nests need protecting
• One of the three crossovers is ADA accessible, and the county flags the park as accessible

Spessard Holland North is well set up for a long day on the beach, with the South park's facilities about half a mile south as well.

• Restrooms and a drinking fountain
• Outdoor showers
• Two mid-sized pavilions, picnic tables and benches
• Three dune crossovers, one ADA accessible, to spread out along the beach
• Parking on site
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait in Melbourne or Melbourne Beach before you come

• Arrive early on winter weekends to pick your stretch of sand
• Watch the other rods; when one bends, the fish are in that trough
• If this lot is full, Spessard Holland South Beach Park, about half a mile south, has its own parking, restrooms and crossovers
• Rinse gear in the outdoor showers before the drive home
• If the crowd is thick, the county's Val M. Steele Park farther south has no lifeguards and more room

Spessard Holland North Beach Park is a Brevard County park; follow posted park rules.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Fishing for sharks from shore requires the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit, and chumming from the beach is prohibited
• Keeping a snook also requires a snook permit
• This beach is in the FWC's Indian River Lagoon region, which has release rules for redfish; check FWC before you fish
• Stay off the dunes and away from marked sea turtle nests
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything