Horton Park, Cape Coral Fishing

Horton Park is an easy, well-equipped place to fish the Caloosahatchee from the Cape Coral side, with the city's blessing to fish the river shoreline at any hour.

• River shoreline fishing allowed 24 hours, as listed by the city
• Snook, redfish, black drum and sheepshead near the Midpoint Bridge
• Jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snapper in the warm months
• Restrooms, picnic pavilions, a playground and a walking path
• No parking fee unless you are towing a boat trailer

The park is in southeast Cape Coral on the Caloosahatchee River, just south of the Midpoint Bridge, where the Everest Canal meets the river.

• Parking: free for cars; boat trailer parking is $15 a day or by annual permit, paid through the Passport Parking app
• Hours: the city lists river shoreline fishing here as allowed 24 hours
• The walk: a short path runs along the river overlooking the 5-acre boat launch facility
• The Midpoint Bridge, just north of the park, is a toll bridge
• Picnic pavilions can be reserved through the city

The river here is usually salty enough for inshore fish, but heavy rain and freshwater releases upriver can push them downstream.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook and redfish becoming active, jacks and ladyfish chasing bait, the last of the sheepshead
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at dawn, dusk and night, mangrove snapper, tarpon rolling in the river
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and black drum along the edges, snook feeding before winter
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on structure; snook sheltering in the deeper canal and river water on cold days

Fish close to the edges and any structure.

• Snook: live shrimp or pinfish on a 2/0 circle hook with a 30 lb leader, or a white jig or paddletail worked slowly, especially at night
• Redfish and black drum: shrimp, crab or cut bait on a sliding sinker rig
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a small, strong hook near hard structure
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs
• A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 15 to 20 lb braid covers most of it; bring a landing net

The river follows the coast's mixed tides, usually two uneven highs and lows a day, with a small range, but current still builds around the bridge and the canal mouth.

• Fish the moving tide; the outgoing tide draws bait out of the canal
• The incoming tide brings saltier, clearer water up the river
• After heavy rain or big freshwater releases, the river runs dark and the bite slows
• Night and low light are best for snook, especially in summer
• Winter cold snaps push snook into the deeper, warmer water of the canals

A calm, family-friendly park with a few cautions.

• Boats launch and retrieve here all day; never cast across the ramp or the canal traffic
• Summer thunderstorms build quickly over the river; leave at the first thunder
• The river edge can be slippery; take care landing fish
• At night, bring a headlamp and fish with a friend
• The walking path, restrooms and parking lot make it an easy site to reach

The city lists a good set of park facilities.

• Restrooms
• Picnic pavilions (reservable), benches, a playground, horseshoe pits and a cornhole court
• A walking path along the river
• A saltwater boat ramp with paid trailer parking
• No bait or food for sale was confirmed; bring bait, ice and water
• Lighting for night anglers was not confirmed

• Fish the mouth of the canal on the outgoing tide, when bait pours out into the river
• Cold winter nights can bring snook into the canals and the park's shoreline
• Stay clear of the ramp whenever boats are launching or loading
• Keep a landing net handy; hauling a good fish out by the line snaps it
• Park in the car spaces, not the trailer spaces, which are ticketed without a fee or decal

The City of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department runs the park and lists its river shoreline as an approved fishing location.

• Fishing on the river shoreline is allowed 24 hours
• Boat trailer parking needs the daily fee or an annual decal; rangers and police issue tickets
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Tarpon and goliath grouper have special release rules: check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything