Veterans Memorial Park, Merritt Island Fishing

Veterans Memorial Park is an easy, level lagoon spot on Merritt Island: a lighted boardwalk along Sykes Creek beside the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, with free parking and restrooms close by.

• The county says the waterfront is popular for fishing and lists shoreline fishing among the amenities
• A 335-foot lighted boardwalk with benches runs along the water beside the center
• Seatrout, redfish and black drum all year, with snook and jacks in the warm months
• The county also lists the park as a place to watch rocket launches
• A good pick for a short session or a family outing with a rod

The park is at 400 South Sykes Creek Parkway in Merritt Island, on the west shore of Sykes Creek, south of State Road 520.

• Hours: the county lists the park as open from dawn to dusk, except for scheduled use
• Parking: free, in the park lots beside the Veterans Memorial Center
• The walk: a short, level stroll from the lots to the boardwalk along the seawall
• Paddling: the county's photos show a small sandy kayak launch into the creek
• Kiwanis Island Park sits on the far side of the creek, north of SR 520, with its own entrance and road

Sykes Creek holds the familiar Indian River Lagoon mix, with the most variety once the water warms.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish along the seawall, black drum on the bottom, the first jacks and ladyfish
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at dawn and dusk, mangrove snapper around the wall, ladyfish busting bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): mullet schools bring snook and jacks close in, and seatrout and redfish feed hard
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum along the seawall, seatrout on the warmest afternoons

Light spinning tackle handles almost everything here: a 7-foot rod, 10 to 15 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader.

• Live shrimp under a popping cork along the seawall for seatrout and redfish
• Shrimp or a piece of crab on a small bottom rig for black drum and sheepshead
• Soft plastic jerkbaits or paddle tails worked slowly along the edge at first light for snook
• Small bucktails or silver spoons for jacks and ladyfish when bait is showing
• A long-handled landing net makes it easier to lift a good fish up to the boardwalk

Sykes Creek is lagoon water with almost no tide, so the fishing follows the wind, the light and the water temperature rather than a tide table.

• Dawn and dusk give the best light, especially through the summer
• A steady breeze pushing water along the seawall moves bait and wakes the fish up
• Calm, clear mornings are good for sight-casting along the wall
• Winter cold fronts push fish deeper; fish the warmest part of the day
• After heavy rain the creek can run dark; slow down and use natural bait

This is one of the gentler spots on the lagoon, with a level boardwalk and paved paths beside the Veterans Memorial Center.

• Lightning builds most summer afternoons; leave at the first thunder
• There is little shade on the boardwalk at midday, so carry water and a hat
• Manatees use the creek; never cast at them, and cut the line close if one is hooked by accident
• Keep hooks clear of walkers and cyclists sharing the boardwalk and pedway
• The county flags the park as accessible, and the boardwalk and paths suit anglers with limited mobility

The park has the basics for a relaxed few hours, all within a short walk of the boardwalk.

• Restrooms
• A mid-size pavilion and picnic tables
• A playground with exercise stations around it
• A paved bicycle pedway that loops around a small lake
• Free parking
• The Veterans Memorial Center museum and plaza beside the waterfront
• No bait or tackle shop in the park; bring bait with you

• Try the bend where the boardwalk turns around the building; a corner in the seawall often gathers bait on a breeze
• A cast net is useful for catching your own finger mullet in the fall
• Visit the veterans plaza and museum while you are there; the county notes the site's link to the last naval battle of the Revolutionary War
• Launch days bring crowds, so arrive early if a rocket is scheduled
• Fish the last hour before dusk, then pack up; the park closes at dark

Veterans Memorial Park is a Brevard County park run with the Veterans Memorial Center; follow the posted park rules.

• County code allows fishing in county parks only in areas the county designates; here the county lists the waterfront shoreline for fishing
• The park is open dawn to dusk
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Redfish here fall under the FWC's Indian River Lagoon region rules; check them and plan to release any redfish you catch
• Keeping a snook also requires an FWC snook permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything