Round Island Riverside Park Fishing

Round Island Riverside Park is a quiet county park on the Indian River Lagoon south of Vero Beach, with a fishing pier on a small island reached by a footbridge.

• Snook, redfish and seatrout on the grass flats
• A peaceful pier, boardwalk and paddling launch
• Manatees, dolphins and birds all around
• Open around the clock, with restrooms

The park is on the lagoon side of A1A, about 7.5 miles south of 17th Street in Vero Beach, across A1A from Round Island Oceanside Beach Park.

• Parking: a paved lot with 28 spaces, 2 accessible spaces and 12 boat-trailer spaces
• Hours: listed as open 24 hours; the boat ramps are open 24 hours too
• The pier: cross the footbridge to the island and follow the trail to the pier, the park's listed fishing spot
• A 400-foot boardwalk runs along the water for watching manatees, and the park has two boat ramps and a canoe launch

The flats here fish best early and late.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish on the grass, snook moving onto the flats, black drum
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at dawn, jacks and ladyfish, mangrove snapper around structure
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, redfish and jacks through the lagoon
• Winter (Dec-Feb): seatrout and black drum in deeper pockets, sheepshead around structure

Light spinning tackle is the right tool.

• Seatrout and redfish: a popping cork with live shrimp, or a paddle-tail soft plastic on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig head
• Snook: live pilchards, finger mullet or a walk-the-dog topwater at dawn, on a 30 lb leader
• Black drum: shrimp on the bottom
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs
• Use darker lures when rain has stained the lagoon

Tides are small in this part of the lagoon, so wind and water movement matter more than the tide table.

• Moving water, from tide or wind, is what turns the fish on
• Dawn is the best time in summer, before the heat and the afternoon storms
• Clear water on calm days allows sight-fishing along the grass
• Heavy rain freshens and stains the lagoon; switch to live bait and dark lures

A calm, family-friendly spot.

• Manatees are protected and common here; never snag, feed or disturb them
• Summer lightning over the lagoon; leave early
• Heat and sun on the open boardwalk; bring water
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums at dawn and dusk
• Paved parking and boardwalks; the island trail is natural ground
• Boat traffic at the ramps; keep lines clear of the launch area

Good basic facilities.

• Restrooms and a drinking fountain
• A picnic pavilion with a grill and picnic tables
• Two boat ramps and a canoe launch
• A fishing pier and an observation tower on the island, reached by a footbridge and trails
• A 400-foot boardwalk over the water
• Paved parking with accessible and boat-trailer spaces
• No bait shop; buy bait in Vero Beach or Fort Pierce

• Arrive at first light in summer for snook on the flats
• Paddle a kayak from the canoe launch to reach more grass edges
• Fish from the pier on the island; the boardwalk is for watching manatees
• Watch for mullet schools; snook and reds are usually underneath
• The beach park across A1A is a good choice if the lagoon is slow

Round Island Riverside Park is an Indian River County park.

• County park rules allow fishing only in areas designated for it (here the fishing pier) and bar dogs, alcohol, camping and overnight parking
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Manatees are protected by state and federal law; it is illegal to harass or disturb them
• Keeping a snook requires a snook permit as well as the license; check FWC seasons
• The FWC's Indian River Lagoon region has release rules for redfish; check FWC before you fish
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything