Jim Barry Light Harbor Park Fishing

Jim Barry Light Harbor Park is a compact county park on the mainland shore of the Lake Worth Lagoon, close to the Lake Worth Inlet. It combines a fishing pier and a fishing seawall with easy access, so it suits a quick session on the tide.

• A fishing pier plus a seawall where fishing is allowed
• Mangrove snapper and snook most of the year; sheepshead in winter
• Restrooms, benches and two shade stands
• Three boat ramps share the park, so it can be busy

The park is at 1800 Broadway in Riviera Beach, on the Lake Worth Lagoon across the channel from Peanut Island. Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation runs it.

• Getting there: follow Broadway (U.S. 1) through Riviera Beach to the park entrance at 1800
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Parking: regular spaces (the county lists no fee for cars) and boat trailer spaces; no overnight parking, and trailers need the county's daily permit ($15, available on site)
• The walk: short, from the lot to the seawall and the pier
• Surface: the seawall edge and the pier deck

Water from the Lake Worth Inlet reaches this shore on every tide, so it holds a wide mix of lagoon and inlet fish.

• Spring (Mar-May): mangrove snapper and snook become more active, with jacks and blue runners in the channel
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper at their best, snook around the pier shadows, barracuda and tarpon passing
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings snook, jacks and tarpon along the seawall
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings and wall, with snapper still biting on warm days

A medium spinning rod with 15 to 20 lb braid and a 20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon leader handles most fish here.

• Mangrove snapper: small live shrimp or cut bait on a knocker rig close to the pilings and the wall
• Snook: live pilchards or shrimp free-lined in the current, or a paddle-tail swimbait worked along the shadow lines
• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader dropped straight down in winter
• Jacks, blue runners and barracuda: small jigs, spoons or a live bait on a wire leader for barracuda
• Bring a long-handled net or a pier gaff for bigger fish

The Lake Worth Inlet is close by, so the tidal current here is strong. There are two tides a day.

• The incoming tide brings clearer ocean water and usually the best bite
• The first and last hours of each tide are often the most productive
• Slack water is slow; use the time to catch bait or rig up
• Strong wind against the tide makes the channel rough and your baits hard to hold
• Water is murkier after heavy rain, when the lagoon drains; fish closer to the inlet flow

The park is small and easy to get around, but it is a working boat ramp.

• Keep lines and people clear of the ramps and the floating staging docks, and watch for trailers backing up
• Keep lines clear of any boats tied up along the pier
• Boat wakes and a strong current run along the seawall; keep children back from the edge
• Leave the waterfront at the first thunder of a summer storm
• Carry water and sun protection; there are only two shade stands
• Access: a short walk from the lot to the seawall and pier; the park has benches

The facilities are simple but well placed for anglers.

• Restrooms
• A fishing pier and a seawall where fishing is permitted
• Benches and two shade stands
• Three boat ramps with floating staging docks, and canoe and kayak access
• No bait shop, food or lights in the park that we could confirm; bring bait and plenty of water
• The park closes at sunset

• Fish the first half of the incoming tide, when clear water pushes in from the inlet
• Watch the boat traffic; fish hold along the channel edge the boats follow
• Catch pilchards or pinfish with a small sabiki rig for live bait
• In winter, work the pilings slowly with fiddler crabs for sheepshead
• Come on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend rush at the ramps
• Peanut Island is across the channel, but it is reached only by boat

Jim Barry Light Harbor Park is managed by Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation.

• The park is open sunrise to sunset
• Saltwater fishing is permitted from the seawall and the fishing pier
• No overnight parking; boat trailer parking needs the county's daily permit
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and release rules; check FWC before keeping a snook
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything