Boca Raton Inlet (South Inlet Park) Fishing

Boca Raton Inlet (South Inlet Park) puts a rock jetty right on one of the busiest, fishiest inlets on the southeast coast. Clear ocean water meets the outflow of Lake Boca Raton here, and fish stack up along the rocks on every tide.

• The south jetty and the inlet mouth are the main fishing areas
• A signature snook spot, with jacks, snapper and tarpon in the current
• Surf fishing on the beach beside the inlet in fall and winter, outside the guarded area
• A small county park with restrooms, outdoor showers and lifeguards

South Inlet Park is at 1100 South Ocean Boulevard (A1A) in Boca Raton, immediately south of the inlet. It is run by Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation.

• Getting there: follow A1A along the beach; the park entrance is on the east side of the road just south of the inlet bridge
• Parking: a paid lot with card-only kiosks or ParkMobile; the hourly rate is higher on weekends and holidays
• Hours: the park is open sunrise to sunset; the county lists the jetty as open 24 hours
• The walk: short, from the lot through the park to the beach; the jetty is at the north end of the beach
• Surface: sand, then the jetty's flat top with rough boulders on both sides

The inlet holds fish all year, and the surf changes with the season.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook moving back to the inlet, crevalle jack, bluefish and the tail of the pompano run, first tarpon
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook at night and on the tide change, mangrove snapper on the rocks, tarpon rolling in the inlet mouth, barracuda
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings big snook, tarpon, jacks and bluefish crashing bait along the jetty and beach
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano and whiting on the beach, Spanish mackerel and bluefish off the jetty, sheepshead around the rocks

Match the tackle to the current: you need weight or a heavy jig to get down in the middle of a tide.

• Snook: live pilchards, finger mullet or shrimp on a 4/0 circle hook and 40-50 lb fluorocarbon leader, drifted along the inside of the jetty; bucktail jigs and swimbaits at night
• Jacks and tarpon: large swimming plugs or live mullet when bait is moving out of the inlet; 30 lb class spinning gear at least
• Mangrove snapper: small live shrimp or cut bait on a knocker rig tight to the rocks
• Pompano: pompano jigs or a double-drop rig with sand fleas in the first trough on the beach
• Bring a long-handled net or a rope net; landing a big snook off the rocks is difficult

Boca Raton Inlet has two tides a day, with a mean range of a little over 2 feet at NOAA's Lake Boca Raton station just inside, and it fishes on the change.

• The last of the outgoing tide and the first of the incoming are the classic snook windows
• A strong outgoing tide flushes bait out of Lake Boca Raton and draws predators to the mouth
• Clean blue water on an incoming tide is best for jacks, snapper and mackerel
• Early morning, dusk and night beat the middle of the day for snook, and the jetty stays open after the park closes
• A big northeast swell makes the jetty dangerous; fish the inside of the inlet or come back another day

The jetty has a flat top you can walk, but no railing, and rough, uneven boulders drop to the water on both sides; it is not wheelchair accessible.

• Wet rock and algae are slippery; wear shoes with grip and never fish the seaward end in a big swell
• The inlet current is very strong; never wade or swim in it
• Heavy boat traffic runs the inlet, especially on weekends; keep your line clear of boats and do not cast across the channel
• Surfers ride the break just south of the jetty; keep casts clear of them
• Summer afternoon thunderstorms bring lightning; leave the jetty as soon as you hear thunder
• The park lends a beach wheelchair through the lifeguards for the sand, but not onto the jetty

South Inlet Park is small but well equipped for a day at the beach.

• Restrooms with outdoor showers
• Picnic areas with grills, small picnic shelters and a reservable pavilion
• Lifeguards on the guarded beach during the day
• Beach access mats and a beach wheelchair through the lifeguards
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait and ice at tackle shops in Boca Raton before you arrive
• No lights on the jetty; bring a headlamp if you stay after dark

• The inside wall of the jetty, where the current curls back, is where most snook are hooked
• Fish the outgoing tide at first light in late summer and fall when the mullet are running
• Catch pilchards with a cast net or sabiki in the morning; live bait outfishes everything here
• Boat wakes stir up the bottom along the rocks; the bite often picks up after a string of boats passes
• Winter cold fronts turn on the pompano on the beach south of the jetty; stay outside the guarded area
• Arrive early on weekends; the lot is small and fills fast

South Inlet Park is a Palm Beach County park, and park rules are posted at the entrance.

• The park is open sunrise to sunset; the jetty is listed as open 24 hours
• No fishing or surfing in the guarded swimming area
• County code bans shark fishing and chumming on county beaches with guarded swim areas, which includes this one
• County code bars collecting any animal other than legally caught fish in county parks, so bring sand fleas and other bait rather than digging them
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and release rules in Florida; check FWC before keeping any snook and release tarpon as FWC directs
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything