Wabasso Beach Park Fishing

Wabasso Beach Park is a small county beach park at the end of Wabasso Beach Road, a short hop from the Wabasso Causeway to the surf.

• Pompano and whiting from late fall into spring
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their spring and fall runs
• A live beach camera from the county to check conditions first
• Restrooms, showers and an accessible crossover beside a small lot

The park is at 1820 Wabasso Beach Road, Vero Beach, at the ocean end of Wabasso Beach Road on the barrier island.

• Parking: a paved lot with 34 spaces, 4 of them accessible, plus a bike rack; no fee is listed
• Hours: 7 a.m. until sunset, daily
• Lifeguards: on duty from 9:10 a.m. to 4:50 p.m.; fish outside the guarded area
• Access: a boardwalk and an ADA crossover lead to the beach
• The county's Wabasso Causeway Park on the lagoon is a short drive back west along CR 510

Wabasso's surf follows the migrations that pass the Treasure Coast each year.

• Spring (Mar-May): Spanish mackerel and bluefish running north, pompano and whiting in the troughs
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook on the trough edge at sunrise, whiting and croaker through the day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): mullet schools hug the beach, trailed by crevalle jacks, tarpon, snook and bluefish
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano when the water is clean, whiting all season, black drum on crab

A 9 to 10 ft surf rod and a 7 ft spinning rod cover this beach.

• Pompano: a small nylon pompano jig tipped with shrimp, hopped along the bottom of the trough, or sand fleas on a float rig
• Whiting: a two-hook bottom rig with size 2 hooks and fresh shrimp, fished close in
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: a silver spoon or a diamond jig cast beyond the bar and cranked fast
• Snook: a soft swimbait worked slowly along the edge of the trough at first light
• Keep a pair of pliers handy; bluefish and mackerel teeth are sharp

Two high and two low tides a day wash this beach.

• A rising tide into high water pushes fish into the trough in front of the crossover
• Check the county's live beach camera for surf height and seaweed before you go
• Moderate, clean surf is pompano weather; flat seas suit jigs and spoons
• Heavy onshore seas stir up weed and sand; wait for the water to clear
• Spring and fall mornings with birds diving offshore mean mackerel are passing

A small, guarded park where space on the sand is shared with swimmers.

• Fish only outside the guarded area, and keep casts well away from swimmers
• Rip currents are possible whenever the surf is up; keep out of rough water
• Leave the beach when thunder starts; summer storms build quickly
• Shuffle in the wash to avoid stepping on stingrays
• Sea turtles nest from March 1 to October 31; stay off the dunes
• The ADA crossover and accessible spaces help anglers with limited mobility

Facilities are compact but complete for a half day on the beach.

• Restrooms and outdoor showers
• A drinking fountain
• Two pavilions with picnic tables and grills
• A boardwalk, an ADA crossover and a bike rack
• 34 parking spaces, 4 of them accessible
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait on the mainland before crossing the causeway

• With only 34 spaces, arrive at the 7 a.m. opening on fair-weather weekends
• Watch the county's beach camera before driving over; it saves a wasted trip on a blown-out day
• If the surf is unfishable, the lagoon at Wabasso Causeway Park is a few minutes away
• Tip pompano jigs with a small strip of shrimp and bounce them slowly
• Walk away from the guarded area rather than crowding the crossover

Wabasso Beach Park is an Indian River County park, and the county's park rules apply.

• The county allows fishing outside the guarded areas during park hours
• County parks allow no pets, no alcohol, no open fires, no camping and no overnight parking
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit, and chumming from the beach is prohibited
• Keeping a snook also requires a snook permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything