Harbour Heights Park Fishing

Harbour Heights Park puts shore anglers on the brackish tidal Peace River a few miles upriver of Punta Gorda, a stretch where local fishing reports regularly find snook, juvenile tarpon and black drum.

• Snook all year, mostly small with the odd big fish
• Juvenile tarpon rolling in the warm months
• Black drum schools in spring, short reds and small snapper in winter
• Restrooms, picnic shelters, a boat ramp and a kayak launch on site

The park is on Voyageur Drive east of Port Charlotte, on a point where the Peace River runs north to south a few miles above the I-75 bridge, with a residential canal along its south side.

• Parking: a lot serving the boat ramp and park; county boat-ramp parking is normally pay-to-park, but the county says ramp and beach parking fees are temporarily suspended, so check the signs
• Vehicles with a state disabled parking permit park free at county parks and ramps when the permit holder is present
• Hours: the park is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• The county's paddling guide lists the park's ramp as a launch for its mid-county trails, including the beginner-rated Harbour Heights Trail

This stretch of the river is brackish, and what bites follows the salinity: a dry spring pushes saltier water and saltwater fish upriver, while summer rain freshens it.

• Spring (Mar–May): black drum schools moving through this stretch, small snook everywhere, juvenile tarpon starting to show
• Summer (Jun–Aug): juvenile tarpon rolling at dawn, snook, young bull sharks, jacks passing through, catfish on the bottom
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snook feeding as the water cools, jacks and tarpon still around
• Winter (Dec–Feb): short redfish and small snook under docks and in deeper bends, small mangrove snapper, the odd seatrout in deeper water

Keep tackle simple and baits natural.

• Snook and reds: live shrimp or a small pinfish on a 1/0 to 2/0 circle hook with 20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon, cast along the bank or drifted under a popping cork; paddletails and jerkbaits at first light
• Black drum: shrimp or a piece of blue crab on the bottom with a 1 to 2 oz egg sinker; give them time to eat
• Juvenile tarpon: small swimbaits, soft jerkbaits or live shrimp at dawn and dusk
• Catfish and sharks: cut bait on the bottom, with a wire leader for sharks
• A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid covers nearly everything here

Charlotte Harbor tides are small and mixed, usually two uneven highs and lows a day and sometimes only one, and this far up the Peace River the river's own flow matters as much as the tide.

• Fish moving water; the first of the outgoing tide pulls bait along the bank
• In the summer rainy season the river runs fresh and tea-colored and fish drop downstream
• After a dry spell saltier water brings reds and drum back upriver
• Winter cold fronts push snook into deeper, warmer bends; fish slowly on the afternoon after a front
• Dawn and dusk fish best in summer heat

This is a natural river edge, not a railed pier.

• Alligators live in the brackish Peace River; keep children and dogs back from the water and never leave fish scraps on the bank
• Young bull sharks are common, so don't wade, and handle any shark carefully
• Give launching boats priority and never fish from the ramp itself
• Summer afternoon storms bring lightning; leave at the first thunder
• Bring water, sun protection and bug spray
• The county does not list accessible fishing facilities here, so check the bank before bringing a wheelchair

The county lists a well-equipped neighborhood park.

• A restroom or portable toilet
• Picnic shelters, one rentable, with picnic tables and grills
• A boat ramp and a kayak launch
• Horseshoe, shuffleboard and volleyball courts
• No bait, tackle or food is listed in the park, so bring live shrimp and supplies with you
• No lighting is listed for night fishing, and the park closes at 9 p.m.

• Big black drum have been reported right by the park's boat ramp in spring; fish shrimp or crab on the bottom nearby, well clear of launching boats
• Juvenile tarpon roll off the park at first light in the warm months; bring a light rod and small swimbaits
• In winter, fish slow and deep for snook and reds sheltering from cold fronts
• After heavy rain the river freshens and the bite slows; try again after a few dry days
• Carry a landing net; lifting fish up the bank breaks light leaders
• A kayak from the launch reaches quieter water upriver

Harbour Heights Park is run by Charlotte County Community Services; follow the posted park rules.

• Park hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida residents fishing from shore can use the no-cost resident shoreline license
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and release rules; check FWC before keeping or handling one
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything