Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier

Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier keeps the west end of the 1922 Walker Bridge in use as a public pier over the Indian River Lagoon, right beside the Max Brewer Bridge on the Titusville shore.

• A 540-foot pier and 300 feet of catwalks, as listed by Brevard County
• Spotted seatrout, redfish, black drum and sheepshead around the pilings
• Crabbing and shrimping as well as fishing
• Restrooms and parking at the foot of the pier, with launch views across the river

The pier is at 2 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in north Titusville, at the west end of the bridge that carries the parkway over the lagoon toward Merritt Island.

• Getting there: from US 1 in downtown Titusville, follow the A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway east toward the bridge
• Parking: free, in the lot at the foot of the pier, with the historical marker at its end
• Fees: no fee to fish is listed by the county; read the posted signs
• The walk: short, from the parking area straight onto the pier deck and catwalks
• Parrish Park, across the bridge on the causeway, is a separate county park with its own shoreline

The pier sits in the northern Indian River Lagoon, where the fishing follows water temperature and wind more than tide.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout on the grass edges, redfish and black drum, sheepshead still on the pilings early in the season
• Summer (Jun-Aug): seatrout at dawn and dusk, jacks and ladyfish chasing bait, mangrove snapper at the pilings, catfish on cut bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run pushes redfish, jacks and the odd snook close to the pier; flounder on the bottom
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead on the pilings, seatrout in the deeper water toward the bridge channel

Light to medium spinning tackle with 10-20 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader covers most of the fishing here.

• Seatrout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head along grass and channel edges
• Redfish and black drum: shrimp, blue crab or cut mullet on a Carolina rig near the pilings
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader with a small, strong hook, dropped tight to the pilings
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs worked fast when bait is showing
• Crabs and shrimp: drop nets or baited lines for blue crabs, a long-handled dip net and a light for shrimp
• A drop net helps land bigger fish from the deck

This stretch of the lagoon is far from any inlet and has almost no lunar tide; the wind moves the water instead.

• A steady wind piles water and bait against one shore; fish the side it is blowing toward
• A change in wind direction often starts fish feeding as the water flows back
• Calm, clear mornings are best for watching grass edges and pilings
• Strong north winds in winter lower the water and push fish toward the deeper bridge channel
• Heavy summer rain freshens and clouds the water, and the bite slows
• Early morning and evening fish best in the summer heat

The pier lets you fish the lagoon from a deck rather than a muddy bank, and the walk from the car is short.

• Leave at the first thunder; the pier and the open lagoon give no shelter from lightning
• Boats run the bridge channel nearby; keep lines clear of it
• Manatees and dolphins visit; move your bait if a manatee comes close and never snag one
• Watch your footing on the catwalks at dusk and bring a headlamp
• Parking at the foot of the pier keeps the walk short; check the catwalks yourself before bringing a wheelchair
• Launch days bring big crowds and heavy traffic

Brevard County lists restrooms and parking at the pier, and says the park and its restrooms stay open when a rocket launch is scheduled after normal hours.

• Restrooms at the site
• Free parking at the foot of the pier
• A 540-foot pier and 300 feet of catwalks
• A seafood restaurant stands beside the pier; check it is open before counting on it
• No bait shop is listed at the pier; bring bait with you or buy it in Titusville
• Lights on the pier are not confirmed; bring your own

• Walk out past the first pilings; the deeper water toward the bridge channel usually holds more fish
• Fiddler crabs are the classic sheepshead bait on the pilings from winter into early spring
• Rocket launches fill the pier and the parking area; pick another day or arrive very early
• Read the historical marker at the end of the parking area: this is the last piece of the 1922 Walker Bridge
• A day after a wind shift often fishes better than a flat calm
• Shrimping is done after dark with a light and a net; check the posted park hours before planning a night trip

The pier is a Brevard County park; follow the posted park rules and hours.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Keeping a snook needs a snook permit as well as the license
• Blue crabs and shrimp have their own FWC gear and harvest rules; check them before you net or trap
• Redfish and seatrout in the Indian River Lagoon are managed by region, and the lagoon region has release rules for redfish; check FWC before keeping any fish
• Shore-based shark fishing, including from a pier, needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything