Indian RiverSide Park Fishing

Indian RiverSide Park pairs a long public fishing pier with the park Martin County calls its premier family destination, right on the Indian River Lagoon.

• A 780-foot fishing pier over the shallow lagoon
• Seatrout, snook and redfish on the flats; sheepshead and black drum on the pilings in winter
• Mangrove snapper, jacks and ladyfish through the warm months
• Restrooms, picnic pavilions, a splash fountain and a lagoon beach for the family
• A mangrove boardwalk and historic buildings to explore between bites

The park is at 1707 NE Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach, on the west shore of the Indian River Lagoon. Martin County Parks and Recreation runs it.

• Getting there: follow NE Indian River Drive south from downtown Jensen Beach along the lagoon; the park is on the water side
• Parking: several large paved lots inside the park
• The walk: paved paths lead from the lots to the waterfront and the pier
• Size: 63 acres with half a mile of lagoon frontage and a 3/4-mile walking path
• Hours: Martin County's park code opens its parks from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. unless other hours are posted, and keeps fishing piers open at all times; go by the signs at the park, and the splash fountain keeps its own daytime hours

The lagoon here is shallow, and its fish follow the water temperature through the year.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and snook on the move, jacks and ladyfish, the last of the sheepshead
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper around the pilings, snook at dawn and dusk, ladyfish and jacks, the odd tarpon rolling beyond the pier
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run pulls snook, jacks, redfish and big ladyfish along the shoreline; flounder start to show
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the pilings, seatrout on warm afternoons, flounder on sandy bottom
• Year-round: pinfish, catfish and stingrays keep a bait rod busy

Light to medium spinning gear with 8-15 lb line and a 20-30 lb fluorocarbon leader covers most of what swims here.

• Seatrout and snook: a live shrimp under a popping cork, or soft-plastic jerkbaits and paddle tails worked over the sand and grass patches
• Sheepshead and black drum: shrimp or fiddler crabs on a small knocker rig dropped tight to the pilings
• Mangrove snapper: small live baits or cut shrimp on light fluorocarbon at dusk
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons, jigs and topwater plugs when bait sprays
• Redfish: gold spoons or cut mullet along the edges on a rising tide
• Bring a long-handled landing net; lifting a good fish to the deck by the line often ends in a lost fish

The ocean tide reaches this part of the lagoon through the inlets, so there are two tides a day, but the range is small and the wind often moves more water than the tide does.

• Fish moving water; the first hours of either tide are usually best
• Early morning and evening are the prime times, especially in summer
• A light breeze that ripples the surface helps with trout and snook
• Strong north or east winds stir up the shallows and push water around for days
• Winter cold fronts slow the bite, then sheepshead and black drum feed on the calmer days that follow
• Heavy summer rain can stain the lagoon; clear, calm mornings are best for sight fishing

Paved paths and ADA-accessible facilities make this a good choice for anglers with limited mobility; the pier is long, so plan for the walk out.

• Paved walkways run through the park, with ADA-accessible picnic sites and restrooms
• Lightning builds on most summer afternoons; leave the exposed pier at the first thunder
• Bring sun protection and water for a long session on the pier
• Watch young children near the pier edges and at the lagoon beach
• Shuffle your feet if you wade off the beach, to warn stingrays away
• Keep casts clear of kayakers, sailors from the sailing center and passing boats
• Manatees and dolphins visit; never feed them or let them take a bait

The park is well equipped for a family day out.

• Restrooms with ADA access and drinking fountains
• Four picnic pavilions plus more covered picnic areas
• A free interactive splash fountain with its own daytime hours
• A lagoon beach, a 3/4-mile walking path and a mangrove boardwalk
• The Treasure Coast Children's Museum, the U.S. Sailing Center and historic rental venues, including the Mansion at Tuckahoe
• The park lists no bait shop, so bring bait and tackle with you

• Walk out toward the end of the pier for deeper water and more room to cast
• Fish the pilings with shrimp in winter for sheepshead and black drum
• Fish the first hours after dawn, when the lagoon is calm and the pier is quiet
• Look for mullet schools and diving birds in fall; snook and jacks follow them
• A popping cork over sandy patches draws trout you cannot see
• Pair a slow morning with a walk on the mangrove boardwalk past the historic Sewall house

Indian RiverSide Park is a Martin County park.

• Follow the rules and hours posted at the park and on the pier
• County park rules forbid throwing a cast net over seagrass from park land, so check the bottom before you net bait
• 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