Waterway Park, Jupiter Fishing

Waterway Park is a county park on the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter, used mostly as a boat launch, with a small fishing pier at the end of a boardwalk next to the Indiantown Road drawbridge. It is a handy place to fish a tide for an hour or two.

• A fishing pier reached by a short boardwalk
• Snook, mangrove snapper and jacks in the warm months; sheepshead in winter
• Restrooms and parking on site
• Three boat ramps, so expect launch traffic

The park is at 3630 Indiantown Road in Jupiter, on the west bank of the Intracoastal Waterway at the Indiantown Road bridge. It is a Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation park.

• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Parking: car spaces, with no fee listed by the county, and boat trailer spaces, which need the county's $15 daily permit (you can get one on site); no overnight parking
• The walk: a short boardwalk leads from the ramp area out to the fishing pier
• Surface: boardwalk and pier decking
• The ramps and floating staging docks are for launching boats, not for fishing

The Jupiter Inlet, to the north, keeps this part of the Intracoastal tidal and salty.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook push up the waterway, and jacks and ladyfish tear into the bait
• Summer (Jun-Aug): the bridge and the pier hold mangrove snapper and snook, and now and then a tarpon rolls in the channel
• Fall (Sep-Nov): riding the tide, the mullet run carries snook, jacks and ladyfish past the pier
• Winter (Dec-Feb): the pilings draw sheepshead and black drum, and the odd seatrout

On the pier, fish a medium-light spinning outfit: 10 to 15 lb braid joined to a 20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Snook: let live shrimp or pilchards drift with the current, or retrieve a small paddle-tail through the shadow lines
• Mangrove snapper: a light knocker rig close to the pilings, baited with a small live shrimp
• Sheepshead and black drum: in winter, lower fiddler crabs or shrimp right beside the pilings
• Jacks and ladyfish: when bait is running, cast small jigs or spoons
• Carry a long-handled net, since a fish hauled up the side of a pier on the line is usually lost

The Jupiter Inlet feeds this water with two Atlantic tides a day, and the current flows along the waterway right past the pier.

• Fish while the tide runs; the bite usually drops off at slack water
• On the flood, cleaner and saltier water pushes in from the inlet
• For snook, dawn and dusk are best, above all in summer
• When a strong wind blows against the tide, the channel chops up and baits are harder to hold
• A heavy summer downpour can cloud the water for a day or two

The pier and park are easy to reach, but the waterway is a busy boating channel.

• Keep lines clear of boats, the ramps and the staging docks
• The drawbridge opens for boat traffic; watch for boats waiting and passing close by
• When summer thunder starts, get off the pier
• Bring drinking water and sun protection
• Access: from the park, a short boardwalk runs out to the pier

Facilities are simple and aimed mainly at boaters, but they cover the basics for a short fishing trip.

• Restrooms
• A fishing pier reached by a boardwalk
• Three boat ramps with four floating staging docks
• Canoe and kayak access
• We could confirm no bait shop, food or lights, so pack bait, drinks and sun protection
• The park closes at sunset

• Fish the first hours of daylight before the ramps get busy
• Work the shadow lines of the pier and the nearby bridge for snook
• A small sabiki rig will catch pinfish or pilchards to use as live bait
• In winter, fish fiddler crabs slowly on the pilings for sheepshead
• Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit, before the boat traffic builds

Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation runs Waterway Park.

• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• The county lists the pier as the place for saltwater fishing here
• Overnight parking is not allowed, and a boat trailer needs the county's daily permit
• Carry a Florida saltwater fishing license unless an exemption applies
• FWC gives snook and tarpon their own seasons and release rules; look them up before keeping a snook
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything