Cove Road Park Fishing

Cove Road Park is a small lagoon-side park where Cove Road meets the Indian River Lagoon, just south of the St. Lucie Inlet. It is a launch point for paddlers heading to the state preserve across the water, and the county's park finder lists fishing too, so it doubles as an easy shore spot on clean, inlet-fed water.

• A sandy kayak launch beach on the lagoon
• Snook, seatrout, redfish and jacks in the warm months
• Parking, picnic areas and grills are listed
• A stop on the county's designated paddling trail

The park is at the east end of Cove Road in Port Salerno, south of Stuart, on the west shore of the Indian River Lagoon. It is maintained by Martin County.

• Getting there: take Cove Road east to its end at the lagoon
• Parking: the FWC's launch inventory describes a small unpaved lot with room for only about five cars
• Entry: no fee is listed
• The walk: a few steps from the car to the sandy launch beach
• Hours: the FWC's inventory lists sunrise to sunset; follow any posted hours
• St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park lies across the lagoon, and paddlers launch here to reach it

Being close to the St. Lucie Inlet gives this stretch clean water and a steady supply of bait.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook return to the edges, trout and redfish work the flats, and jacks show up
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook and mangrove snapper in the morning and evening, with tarpon passing through
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, jacks and ladyfish crashing bait along the shore
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around structure, with the odd pompano or bluefish on cooler days

A medium spinning outfit handles almost everything from this beach.

• Snook and redfish: live shrimp or pilchards, or a paddle-tail soft plastic, on 20 lb braid with a 30 lb fluorocarbon leader, cast along the edges from a 7-foot rod
• Spotted seatrout: a shrimp under a popping cork, or a small jig bounced over the grass
• Jacks, ladyfish and bluefish: spoons, bucktails and topwater plugs when bait is busting
• Pompano: a small pompano jig or sand fleas on a light bottom rig along the sandy edge
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on the bottom near any structure

The Atlantic has two tides a day, and the nearby St. Lucie Inlet gives this part of the lagoon more tidal flow than most.

• The incoming tide brings the cleanest, saltiest water from the inlet
• The first hours of the outgoing carry bait off the flats, good for snook
• Early morning and late afternoon fish best in the warm months
• Strong east winds and big seas outside can cloud the water
• Heavy rain and freshwater releases from the St. Lucie River can darken the lagoon for days

The launch beach is easy going, but it is shared with paddlers and sits beside a busy waterway.

• Keep your lines clear of kayakers launching and landing
• Boat wakes from the Intracoastal can wash up the beach
• Shuffle your feet when wading; stingrays lie in the sand
• Lightning builds fast on summer afternoons; leave the water at the first thunder
• Accessibility: a short walk from the parking area to a sandy beach, with no paved path to the water listed
• Bring sun protection and water; there is little shade at the water's edge

The park is simple and built for launching and picnicking.

• Parking, as listed by the county's tourism office
• Picnic areas, picnic tables, pavilions and grills are listed
• Trash receptacles
• No restrooms, bait shop or food are listed, so bring everything you need
• No lights are listed, so plan on daylight fishing
• It is a stop on the Martin County designated paddling trail

• Fish the first two hours of the incoming for the cleanest inlet water
• Set up to one side of the launch so paddlers can get in and out, and cast to the edges and grass
• Weekday mornings are usually the quietest time at the launch
• Carry both live shrimp and a few artificials; jacks and ladyfish often show up with no warning
• A kayak opens up the flats and creeks on the preserve side of the lagoon

Cove Road Park is maintained by Martin County, and the county's park finder lists fishing there.

• County park code forbids casting a net onto seagrass from a county park; look before you throw
• Obey the posted rules and check the county's park updates page for closures
• Follow Leave No Trace and take all line, hooks and trash home
• Unless an exemption applies, you need a Florida saltwater fishing license
• FWC sets extra season and handling rules for snook and tarpon; read them before you keep a snook
• Shark fishing from shore needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything