Tropical Point Park Fishing

Tropical Point Park is a quiet neighborhood park on the water in St. James City, with a kayak launch, restrooms and a view across the lower Matlacha Pass. It suits an angler who wants a few hours on a mangrove shoreline without a crowd.

• Shore fishing for redfish, spotted seatrout and snook
• Sheepshead and black drum in the cooler months
• Free parking, restrooms and grills
• Open dawn to dusk; a good launch for a kayak angler

The park is at 3401 Tropical Point Drive in St. James City, near the south tip of Pine Island, reached from Stringfellow Road; it began as a neighborhood park for the Tropical Homesites subdivision in the early 1950s.

• Parking is free but limited, and trailers are not allowed
• The FWC's ramp inventory notes overflow parking at the nearby Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve on Stringfellow Road
• The park is open from dawn to dusk; there is no overnight parking or camping
• The waterfront is a short walk from the small parking area; the open, sandy shore beside the kayak launch at the end of the lot is the easiest place to cast, while the rest of the shore is fringed with mangroves
• Kayaks and canoes may launch from the park, so keep your lines clear of paddlers

This is shallow backcountry water, so the fish follow the tide and the seasons.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and trout on the grass edges, and snook moving back onto the mangrove shorelines
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook, mangrove snapper, jacks and ladyfish, best early and late on the moving tide
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish school on the higher tides, and trout feed hard as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around shell and structure, with trout in the deeper holes on cold mornings

Light spinning tackle with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon leader covers most of what swims here.

• Redfish and snook: a live shrimp or pinfish on a 1/0 circle hook, free-lined or under a popping cork along the mangrove edge
• Trout: a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head, or shrimp under a cork, over the grass
• Sheepshead and black drum: shrimp or fiddler crabs on a short leader with a small egg sinker near shell and structure
• Artificials: a gold spoon or a weedless soft plastic for tailing reds on the higher tides
• The county bans fishing with nets in its parks, so bring your bait with you

NOAA's prediction station at Tropical Homesites on Matlacha Pass, right beside the park, shows two highs and two lows of uneven size on most days, usually one to two feet apart.

• Fish the higher half of the tide, when redfish push up to the mangroves
• The first of the falling tide pulls bait off the flats and brings trout and snook to the edges
• Very low tides leave the edge shallow; fish farther out on the deeper water then
• Calm mornings and evenings are best; a stiff wind muddies the shallow water
• Summer rain and warm water put fish on the move at first light

The water here is calm, but the backcountry has its own hazards.

• Shuffle your feet if you wade: stingrays sit on the sandy bottom, and oyster shell cuts
• Do not wade out of your depth; backcountry channels can drop off suddenly
• Lightning builds on summer afternoons; leave at the first thunder
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are fierce at dawn and dusk near the mangroves
• Bring water and sun protection for the hot months
• The small lot is unpaved, and the park lists no accessible fishing facilities

This is a small, simple neighborhood park.

• Restrooms
• Charcoal grills and viewing areas
• Free parking in a small lot, with no trailer parking
• A kayak and canoe launch with no dock
• No bait, tackle, food or lights are listed, so bring everything you need
• Overflow parking is at the Pine Island Flatwoods Preserve on Stringfellow Road

• Come early: the small lot fills and there is no trailer parking
• Fish the higher, moving tide along the mangroves for redfish
• A kayak launched here puts you on miles of mangrove shoreline and grass flats
• In winter, slow down with shrimp on the bottom for sheepshead and black drum
• Bring bug spray even on breezy days, especially at dusk
• Pack out everything, including line and bait bags; the shoreline is a nursery for young fish

Tropical Point Park is run by Lee County Parks and Recreation, whose parks ordinance allows fishing in park waters under state and federal law with some limits.

• The park is open dawn to dusk; no overnight parking or camping
• The ordinance bans fishing in designated swimming areas and fishing with nets, spears, bows, snatch hooks and gigs
• The county notes that a saltwater fishing license is required to fish from shore here, with no fee for Florida residents
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Snook have their own seasons and rules; check FWC before keeping one
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything