West Lake Park, Hollywood Fishing

West Lake Park, Hollywood wraps a large mangrove lagoon just west of the Intracoastal, and the county allows fishing from all sides of the Sheridan Street bridge where the road crosses the lake. That short span sits over a narrow channel between the two halves of West Lake, so every tide funnels bait past it.

• A tidal bottleneck between the north and south parts of the lake
• Snook, mangrove snapper, sheepshead and black drum, the fish the county names for West Lake
• Jacks and tarpon when bait moves through the channel
• Only electric or self-propelled boats on the lake, so there are no gas outboards under the bridge

West Lake Park's main entrance is at 1200 Sheridan Street in Hollywood, and the fishing bridge is on Sheridan Street to the east of it, between the main park and Anne Kolb Nature Center. The park is run by Broward County Parks and Recreation.

• Getting there: follow Sheridan Street toward the beach; the park entrance at 1200 Sheridan Street is west of the fishing bridge
• Entry: a vehicle fee on weekends and holidays ($3 for a car with 8 or fewer people, $20 for 9 or more); free if you walk or cycle in
• Hours: the park is open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily and closed on Christmas Day
• The walk: there is no parking on the bridge itself; follow the Sheridan Street sidewalk from the park
• Surface: sidewalk beside a busy multi-lane road

West Lake is a mangrove estuary, and the bridge channel is where its fish move in and out with the tide.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook moving through the channel, jacks and ladyfish on bait, mangrove snapper becoming active
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook and tarpon at dawn and dusk, mangrove snapper around the bridge structure
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run pushes bait through the channel, with snook, tarpon and jacks behind it
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the bridge structure, and snook tucked into the lake on cold snaps

The channel current is strong, so fish heavier than you would in open water.

• Snook: a 7- to 8-foot medium-heavy spinning rod, 30 lb braid and a 40 lb fluorocarbon leader, with live shrimp or pilchards drifted along the shadow line, or a swimbait swept with the current
• Mangrove snapper: small live shrimp on a knocker rig with enough weight to hold near the structure
• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook, straight down beside the bridge supports
• Jacks and ladyfish: small bucktails and spoons worked across the current
• A bridge net or long-handled net is the only safe way to lift a good fish from the sidewalk

The Atlantic has two tides a day, and West Lake fills and drains through this channel with each of them.

• Best: the middle hours of the tide, when the current is strongest; slack water is slow
• The outgoing tide carries bait from the lake's back bays toward the Intracoastal
• Dawn and dusk are prime for snook and tarpon; midday suits snapper and sheepshead
• Weekday mornings are quieter on the road and on the water
• Summer afternoon storms build fast over the lagoon; leave the bridge at the first thunder

This is a sidewalk beside a busy multi-lane road, so traffic is the main hazard.

• Stay well back from the curb, keep rods upright and never cast toward the road
• Wear something bright at dawn and dusk so drivers can see you
• Watch for kayakers and paddleboarders passing under the bridge, and keep lines clear of them
• The current under the bridge is strong; never climb down to the water
• Lightning and heat are serious in summer, and there is no shade on the bridge
• Accessibility: level sidewalk, but a long walk from parking and close to traffic

There is nothing on the bridge itself; the park is where the amenities are.

• West Lake Park has picnic areas, a playground, a splash pad and sports courts
• Restrooms by the playground in the main park, and at Anne Kolb Nature Center
• The park marina rents kayaks and paddleboards on weekends and Monday mornings, weather permitting; the county's pages give different hours, so check first
• You can launch your own canoe, kayak or paddleboard from the marina's ramp, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• No bait or tackle is sold on site; bring shrimp and tackle with you
• Carry water; there is no shade or seating on the bridge

• Fish the down-current side of the bridge; bait and fish stack up where the flow leaves the channel
• Work the shadow line at dawn for snook, and switch to snapper rigs when the sun gets high
• Bring a bridge net and a short rod that is easy to handle on a narrow sidewalk
• Only electric or self-propelled boats are allowed on West Lake, so the channel stays fairly quiet
• Anne Kolb Nature Center, just east along Sheridan Street, has free boardwalk fishing on the Intracoastal when the bridge is busy

West Lake Park is run by Broward County Parks and Recreation, and county park rules apply.

• The county allows fishing from all sides of the Sheridan Street bridge that crosses the lake, off the fishing trail boardwalk and pier, and from the South Trail along the Intracoastal
• Boats on West Lake must be electric-powered or self-propelled
• The park is open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and release rules; check FWC before keeping any snook
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything