Clifton S. Perry Beach Fishing

Clifton S. Perry Beach is a small, peaceful natural area where a boardwalk through the mangroves leads to a fishing pier on the Indian River Lagoon.

• A fishing pier and an open-air pavilion over the lagoon
• Snook, seatrout, redfish and snapper in a quiet setting
• Part of a protected area that spans the island from ocean to lagoon
• A kayak launch and a paddling-trail stop if you also fish from a kayak

Perry Beach is on MacArthur Boulevard on Hutchinson Island, between Santa Lucea Beach and the House of Refuge. Martin County manages it as a natural area.

• Getting there: cross the Stuart Causeway to Hutchinson Island and head south on MacArthur Boulevard
• Parking: a small shell-rock lot, with one space for a school bus
• The walk: an interpretive trail and a boardwalk lead through the mangroves to the lagoon
• A sidewalk links the site to the beach access at Santa Lucea on the ocean side
• Hours: follow the hours posted at the site

The lagoon here lies a few miles north of the St. Lucie Inlet, so lagoon regulars mix with fish moving in from the inlet.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook and seatrout on the move, jacks and ladyfish, the last of the sheepshead
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper, snook at dawn and dusk, ladyfish and jacks
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run pushes snook, jacks and redfish along the mangroves; pompano start to pass through the lagoon
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the structure, seatrout and redfish on warm afternoons
• Year-round: pinfish and catfish on cut bait

Keep it light and simple; a 7-foot medium spinning rod with 10-15 lb braid and a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader handles most fish here.

• Snook and redfish: live shrimp, or soft-plastic paddle tails and jerkbaits worked along the mangrove edges
• Seatrout: a popping cork over shrimp, or a soft plastic over sand and grass
• Sheepshead and black drum: shrimp or fiddler crabs close to the pier on a small knocker rig
• Mangrove snapper: small live baits on a light leader at dusk
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs when bait shows
• A landing net helps; snook shake hooks at the surface

There are two tides a day, as on the rest of the Atlantic coast, but the lagoon's range is small and the wind can hold water in or push it out for days.

• Moving water on either tide is best; slack water is usually slow
• Dawn and dusk are prime for snook and trout, especially in summer
• A falling tide drains the mangroves and brings bait to the edges
• Cold fronts in winter slow things for a day or two, then sheepshead feed
• After heavy rain the water can turn dark; clearer water fishes better

This is a natural area with simple facilities, so come prepared.

• A boardwalk leads to the pier; the parking area is shell rock
• Leave the pier at the first thunder on summer afternoons
• Bring insect repellent for the mangroves at dawn and dusk
• Give kayakers room at the launch next to the pier
• Bring water and sun protection; the shade bench and the pavilion are the only cover
• Manatees and dolphins pass by; do not feed them

Perry Beach is a natural area, not a full-service park.

• A small shell-rock parking area and a covered shade bench
• An interpretive trail and a boardwalk through the mangroves
• A fishing pier, stairs down into the water and a canoe and kayak launch
• An open-air educational pavilion over the lagoon with bench seating
• No restrooms are listed; Stuart Beach, a short drive north, has restrooms with showers
• No bait or food on site; bring everything you need

• Come at first light; the lot is small and the pier is quietest early
• Work a soft plastic along the mangrove edges on the falling tide
• Sheepshead gather around structure in winter; bring fiddler crabs
• Pair a lagoon session with the surf across the road at Santa Lucea
• Carry out your line and trash; this is a protected natural area
• Pack light or bring a backpack; you carry your gear along the boardwalk

Clifton S. Perry Beach is a Martin County natural area, and this part of the lagoon lies in the Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve.

• Follow the rules posted at the site and leave the habitat undisturbed
• The county's park code bans throwing a cast net onto seagrass from any county park, or leaving cast-net debris behind
• The same code bans shark fishing from county property within 1,000 yards of its guarded beach parks: Santa Lucea Beach across the road is inside that zone around Stuart Beach, and this preserve lies just outside it
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons, permits and handling rules; check FWC
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything