Rookery Bay Reserve, Shell Island Road Fishing

Rookery Bay Reserve, Shell Island Road gives shore anglers a way into what the reserve calls one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America, with a short trail to the bank of Henderson Creek that the reserve says visitors often use to go fishing.

• Bank fishing on a tidal mangrove creek
• Snook, redfish, mangrove snapper and spotted seatrout, the reserve's most popular species
• A primitive launch for kayaks and small boats
• Open dawn to dusk, with no facilities listed

The access is at 10 Shell Island Road in Naples, between Naples and Marco Island: the road runs almost three miles west from Collier Boulevard and ends at a primitive boat ramp on Rookery Bay and Henderson Creek.

• Park near the ramp; keep the launch clear for boats and kayaks
• The Monument Point Trail starts near the ramp and runs about a quarter mile to the Children's Monument on the bank of Henderson Creek
• Access to Shell Island Road is open from dawn to dusk
• The Briggs Boardwalk, the road's other trail, is closed for renovations until further notice
• No entry or parking fee is listed by the reserve; check posted signs

Henderson Creek drains mangrove forest into Rookery Bay, so it holds classic backcountry fish all year.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook move along the creek edges, and redfish and trout feed on the rising tides
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook and mangrove snapper around the mangrove roots, with the chance of a juvenile tarpon rolling at dawn
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and snook feed hard ahead of winter, and jacks push bait through the creek
• Winter (Dec-Feb): snook shelter in the creek on cold snaps, and sheepshead and black drum feed slowly on the bottom

Light to medium spinning tackle with 15 lb braid and a 25 to 30 lb fluorocarbon leader suits the snaggy mangrove edges.

• Snook and redfish: a live shrimp or small pinfish on a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook, cast tight to the mangroves on moving water
• Artificials: weedless soft plastics, paddletails and a gold spoon along the edges
• Mangrove snapper: a small hook and a piece of shrimp near roots and snags
• Black drum and sheepshead: shrimp or crab on a short leader with a small egg sinker
• Bring a landing net; lifting a good fish up a muddy bank is hard

NOAA's nearest prediction station, inside Keewaydin Island about two miles away, shows two highs and two lows a day of uneven size, usually about two feet apart and up to three feet on the biggest tides.

• Moving water is what makes the creek fish; slack tide is slow
• The outgoing tide drains bait out of the mangroves and brings snook and redfish to the creek mouth and edges
• A rising tide floods the shoreline and lets redfish push up to the roots
• Winter cold fronts clear the water and push snook into the deeper creek
• Summer rain darkens the water; fish the first light and the moving tide

This is undeveloped backcountry, so come ready for it.

• The reserve lists alligators and American crocodiles among its wildlife; stay back from the water's edge with children and pets, and never swim
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums can be fierce, especially at dawn and dusk
• Summer afternoon storms bring lightning; leave at the first thunder
• Bring water, shade and sun protection; no facilities are listed
• The route to the creek is a natural trail about a quarter mile long, not a paved or accessible path
• Watch for boats and trailers at the ramp

The reserve lists no visitor facilities at Shell Island Road beyond the launch and the trails.

• A primitive boat ramp used mostly by kayaks and canoes; small shallow-draft boats launch from the beach with caution, and a 4x4 is recommended for trailers
• The Monument Point Trail to the creek bank
• No restrooms, drinking water, bait, food or lighting are listed, so bring everything you need
• Pack out all trash and used line

• Walk the Monument Point Trail and fish the creek bank near the Children's Monument, the spot the reserve points anglers to
• Time your visit for the moving tide, ideally the first hours of the outgoing
• Keep your casts tight to the mangroves: snook and redfish hold right under the roots
• A kayak launched at the ramp opens miles of creek and bay shoreline
• Arrive early in summer to beat the heat and the afternoon storms
• Leave before dusk, when the access closes

Shell Island Road is part of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which permits fishing throughout the reserve as long as it complies with state law.

• Access is open from dawn to dusk
• Follow posted reserve rules and stay on the trails
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Smalltooth sawfish are on the reserve's species list and are federally endangered: if one takes your bait by accident, release it at once under NOAA's safe-handling guidelines and report it
• 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