Best Kayak Fishing Indian River Lagoon Tips and Techniques
The Indian River Lagoon is one of the most amazing or THE most amazing places for kayak fishing in Florida. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches from the Ponce Inlet in New Smyrna down to the Jupiter Inlet.
In between these two inlets are some of the best kayak fishing opportunities in the world. You can catch HUGE 50 pound redfish in the northern part of the lagoon. You can catch HUGE 50 pound snook in the Jupiter inlet in the southern most part of the lagoon.
The IRL is a kayak fishing Mecca where you can catch redfish, snook, tarpon, flounder, spotted sea trout, black drum, pompano, sharks...….. all from a fishing kayak.
I am a kayak fishing guide in the middle part of the IRL along the Treasure Coast of Florida. I fish mostly from the Stuart to Vero Beach portion of the IRL. I have been fishing the grass flats, mangroves and oyster bars all over Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, I will teach you the tips and tricks that I know for kayak fishing the Indian River Lagoon Estuary.
Let's get started.
The Indian River Lagoon is one of the most amazing or THE most amazing places for kayak fishing in Florida. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches from the Ponce Inlet in New Smyrna down to the Jupiter Inlet.
In between these two inlets are some of the best kayak fishing opportunities in the world. You can catch HUGE 50 pound redfish in the northern part of the lagoon. You can catch HUGE 50 pound snook in the Jupiter inlet in the southern most part of the lagoon.
The IRL is a kayak fishing Mecca where you can catch redfish, snook, tarpon, flounder, spotted sea trout, black drum, pompano, sharks...….. all from a fishing kayak.
I am a kayak fishing guide in the middle part of the IRL along the Treasure Coast of Florida. I fish mostly from the Stuart to Vero Beach portion of the IRL. I have been fishing the grass flats, mangroves and oyster bars all over Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, I will teach you the tips and tricks that I know for kayak fishing the Indian River Lagoon Estuary.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below and catch more Indian River Lagoon tarpon.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Tarpon
Tarpon a.k.a. the silver king are my favorite IRL species to target when I am fishing for fun. Tarpon are migratory and don't like water temperatures under about 74 degrees. These fish will migrate to the south to find warmer waters in the Winter months and then migrate back up to the north in the Spring when the waters warm back up again.
Tarpon can be found throughout the entire IRL estuary depending upon what season it is. Tarpon like it hot so the best fishing is the buggy, hot and miserable times of the year like July and August. BUT if you are like me, then you are okay with a few bug bites and sweaty clothes when you are catching tarpon.
The best time to catch a tarpon is the first 2 or 3 hours after first light, the last 2 hours before sunset and at night around dock, bridge and inlet lights.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a tarpon. You can read that article by clicking right here.
I prefer to get up super early and have my kayak launched at first light. This is a great time to jump a few tarpon on whatever you throw at them. The best lures for amazing top water tarpon bites are a walk-the-dog type of lure like a Zara Super Spook or a MirroLure Top Dog. There are lots of good walk-the-dog types of lures but those two are my favorite.
Another great lure for tarpon at first light is a DOA CAL 3 inch shad or a DOA Bait Buster. Those are both excellent soft plastic lures to catch morning tarpon with.
If catching an IRL tarpon from a kayak is not on your bucket list, then it should be. You can expect a few acrobatic jumps and an amazing fight from the small 18 inch tarpon up to the 100 pounders that are 5 or 6 feet long. There is no better inshore fighting fish than a tarpon.
The best live bait for big tarpon are large mullet and ladyfish. The best baits for smaller tarpon are finger mullet, pin fish and white baits. White bait are sardines, menhaden, shad, herring or any other shiny little fish.
My favorite way to fish live bait is under a cork with about 4 feet of leader between the hook and the cork. This makes it easier for the tarpon to catch the bait and it helps you figure out where your bait is. Use a circle hook for best results.
When you are hunting tarpon you will want to find deep channels. Tarpon like a deep channel adjacent to a mangrove island, tidal creek, spoil island, dock, bridge.... I think that you get the idea. Once you figure out where they are then stay on them as the move around. They usually do not stay put for long.
Watch the video below and catch more snook in the Indian River Lagoon.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Snook
Snook can be found throughout the entire Indian River Lagoon Estuary throughout the year. BUT they will only be in the deep channels in the upper part around New Smyrna. They will hang out in huge numbers in 20 feet plus where the water temperatures don't vary as much during the Winter months.
Snook are not cold water tolerant and will die if the water temperatures get to 60 degrees and stay there for more than a day or two. A few years ago Florida had a freak cold front that sat on us for almost a week. This killed off 100s of thousands of snook, tarpon, redfish, manatees...… You name it. It was an ecological disaster for our fish populations but they have all bounced back nicely since then.
FUN FACT: Snook that are under about 22 inches in length are all males. After they grow past that length they will change genders and become female. So all of the almost slot and slot and above snook that you catch are all females.
Snook are my second favorite Indian River Lagoon species to catch. You can find them everywhere. They can even live in freshwater. They are in the canals; on the grass flats; in the inlets; on the beach; around docks and bridges; in the mangroves...… You get the idea. Anywhere that you can launch your kayak, you can probably catch yourself a snook.
My favorite way to catch a snook is with a top water walk-the-dog type of hard plastic like a like a Zara Spook or a Mirrolure Top Dog. Snook love to eat top water lures during the first couple of hours after first light. That is when I fish for them most of the time.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in great detail how to catch a snook in Florida. You can read that article by clicking right here.
Once the top water bite tapers off then you can bust out your white 3 inch DOA CALs with a 1/8 ounce red jig head. This is my go to lure for snook most of the time. This lure will also catch tarpon, redfish, spotted sea trout, bluefish, mangrove and mutton snapper, black drum, permit, pompano and more that I am forgetting to mention.
If you are interested in catching your personal best snook, then you will want to do some night fishing. Those big and smart female snook that laugh at your baits and lures all day will feed aggressively at night. The best place to target these huge snook is around well lit docks, bridges and inlets.
The best lures for these night time snook is the flair hawk snook jig. This lure has caught record snook for decades and will continue to do so as long as ther are hungry snook in the world.
They key to using this bait is to cast it up current into the dark waters past the light shine. Then you want to either bounce it off of the bottom or swim it within a foot or so of the bottom about the same speed as the tide is moving.
The biggest snook are at the bottom of the water column. The smaller males will usually be higher in the water column. You want to catch those big, hungry females that are down deep.
FUN FACT: There are 5 different types of snook that can be caught in Florida. They are the common snook, the large scaled fat snook, the small scaled fat snook, the tarpon snook and the swordspine snook. The first 3 snook that I mentioned can all be caught in the Indian River Lagoon. The other two snook can only be caught in Southwest Florida.
You will want to use a jig just heavy enough to get it down to the bottom. A 1 1/2 ounce jig will usually work just fine but you might need to go to 2 ounces if there is a lot of current.
If the water is clean, then you will want to use a white snook jig. If the water is dirty, then you will want to use a pink or a chartreuse snook jig. This is a simple and easy lure to use and once you master it you will be called Sir Snook Slayer.
WANT TO CATCH A TROPHY SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH OR TROUT? Give us a call and BOOK YOUR KAYAK FISHING CHARTER TODAY!
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Spotted Sea Trout
Sea trout have had it pretty hard over the last few years. There have been a lot of water quality issues in the Indian River Lagoon. There have been toxic algae blooms and huge sea grass die offs. Sea trout need healthy grass flats and clean water to flourish.
Just 10 years ago it was nothing to catch 40 or 50 seatrout in a morning fishing session. These days a 5 or 6 fish morning is a good one. They are still around but you have to find a healthy grass flat if you expect to catch any.
The best baits for sea trout is white baits or a live shrimp under a popping cork or a rattle cork. The key to catching trout is to drift the flats until you figure out where they are. Once you find them drop anchor until you quit catching fish and then move until you find them again.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a spotted sea trout in Florida. You can read that article by clicking right here.
Grass flats kayak fishermen often make the mistake of fishing a dead zone because it looks fishy. If you do not see life or get any bites where you are then you have to move. Keep moving until you start catching.
The best lures for trout are a white Berkeley GULP shrimp and swimming mullet. Another good one is the white DOA CALs. You will want to use a technique that goes something like this: Cast, twitch, twitch, reel, twitch, twitch, reel...… Cast and repeat. These lures are great search baits to cover a lot of water to figure out where the trout are all hanging out.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Redfish
The Indian River Lagoon system is one of the only places in the world where there are redfish populations that do not migrate. There are huge 50 pound bull redfish that stay in the lagoon all year long. Most of those monsters are in the northern part of the IRL around Mosquito Lagoon and the Ponce and Sebastian Inlets.
Most of the redfish that I catch are around mangroves or docks but they are in the inlets; around bridges; on the grass flats; in the deep channels and just about everywhere else too. Redfish spend their lives rooting around with their heads down in the mud, grass, sand, oysters or whatever looking for small shrimp, fish and crabs to eat.
Redfish use their extremely evolved sense of smell to find food most of the time. They have 4 nostrils and know how to use them. When you are fishing for redfish the stinky baits and lures work the best.
A great bait to catch redfish with is a fresh dead blue crab, shrimp, mullet chunk, ladyfish chunk, pin fish chunk to name a few of the dead bait that reds like. This is an easy way to catch redfish. Just send out your bait and make sure that it is on the bottom.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in great detail how to catch a redfish in Florida. You can read that article by clicking right here.
I like to use this technique around mangroves along tidal creeks. The reds will cruise in and out of the creeks with the tide as they search for food. They like to hug the mangrove roots so your bait has to be within a foot or so of the roots. A hungry redfish will not pass up an easy lunch.
The best lures for redfish are Berkeley GULP shrimp and swimming mullet with an 1/8 ounce. Keep the bait bouncing off of the bottom or within a foot of the bottom for the best results. In shallow water (three feet or less) you can add a popping cork to this set up and catch tons of reds. Just pop the cork every 15 or 20 seconds.
Watch this video for the best lures for catching Indian River Lagoon redfish.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Black Drum
Black drum a.k.a. big uglies are the largest member of the drum family that includes redfish, sea trout and croakers. Black drum can get up to 100 lbs. and love to cruise the flats and oyster bars in the IRL. They eat shrimp, small fish, crabs, clams, oysters and lots of other critters.
My favorite way to target black drum is to sight fish for them. They like to root around in the sand and mud just like their cousins the redfish do. In doing so they often are vertical in the water column and their tails stick out of the water.
Black drum have an even better olfactory system than a redfish. They have 4 nostrils and barbels like a catfish on their chins to taste/smell prey items. Once again the more stinky your bait is the better. The best bait for black drum is live or fresh dead shrimp. If you can get your bait near the fish without spooking it, then you will have a great shot at catching them.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a black drum in Florida. You can read that article by clicking right here.
The best lures for black drum is …….. wait for it...……. yes you guessed it. Berkeley GULPs. Both the shrimp and the swimming mullet work great for these fish. You don't really have to move it too much. If you see a fish just get it close enough for them to smell and wait for them to pick it up and swim off.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Pompano
Most fishermen think that the best place to catch pompano is off of the beach but there are tons of pompano in the IRL too. They like to search the sandy cuts between grass flats and spoil islands. They also like to hang around any sand bars adjacent to deep channels.
Pompano are a fish species that specializes in crustaceans like mole crabs a.k.a. sand fleas, small blue crabs and fiddler crabs and shrimp. They occasionally eat a small fish or two but shrimp and crabs are the way to go if you want to catch pompano.
These fish are very picky when it comes to the water temperatures that they like. They like the low 60s up to the low 70s the best. Let's call it 62 to 74 degrees. These fish move up and down the coast of Florida seeking these water temperatures and some food to eat.
In my region, they usually start to show up in decent numbers in December and leave my area by May. Pompano are in the jack family which explains why they are such good fighters.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a pompano. You can read that article by clicking right here.
I like to stalk them in the sandy cuts between the many spoil islands in my area. The best baits are a pompano rig with sand fleas or small pieces of shrimp. Go to your local bait shop and ask for 5 pompano rigs, some 1 ounce pyramid sinkers and some frozen shrimp or sand fleas and you are good to go.
The best lures for catching pompano are banana jigs. These are flat elongated jigs that are meant to be bounced off of the sandy bottom to mimic a shrimp or crab on the bottom.
Watch the video below and catch more IRL pompano.
Most fishermen think that the best place to catch pompano is off of the beach but there are tons of pompano in the IRL too. They like to search the sandy cuts between grass flats and spoil islands. They also like to hang around any sand bars adjacent to deep channels.
Pompano are a fish species that specializes in crustaceans like mole crabs a.k.a. sand fleas, small blue crabs and fiddler crabs and shrimp. They occasionally eat a small fish or two but shrimp and crabs are the way to go if you want to catch pompano.
These fish are very picky when it comes to the water temperatures that they like. They like the low 60s up to the low 70s the best. Let's call it 62 to 74 degrees. These fish move up and down the coast of Florida seeking these water temperatures and some food to eat.
In my region, they usually start to show up in decent numbers in December and leave my area by May. Pompano are in the jack family which explains why they are such good fighters.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a pompano. You can read that article by clicking right here.
I like to stalk them in the sandy cuts between the many spoil islands in my area. The best baits are a pompano rig with sand fleas or small pieces of shrimp. Go to your local bait shop and ask for 5 pompano rigs, some 1 ounce pyramid sinkers and some frozen shrimp or sand fleas and you are good to go.
The best lures for catching pompano are banana jigs. These are flat elongated jigs that are meant to be bounced off of the sandy bottom to mimic a shrimp or crab on the bottom.
Watch the video below and catch more IRL pompano.
Indian River Lagoon Kayak Fishing for Flounder
Flounder are another tasty denizen of the IRL. These fish come into the IRL in huge numbers after they spawn offshore in the Fall. They move through the inlets and then disperse throughout the IRL. They are a fun fish to catch and they are very good to eat too.
My favorite place to target flounder is around docks. They like to bury in the sand near a dock piling and wait to ambush some unsuspecting fish, shrimp or crab that comes too close to them.
Flounder are not one of those fish that vigorously pursues its food. It has a very specific strike zone and speed that you have to consider if you want to catch some.
The best bait bar none, hands down, no doubt about it, is a Berkeley GULP swimming mullet or shrimp. That is it. Don't bother going out and buying live bait or anything else for catching flounder around docks. There is no need. So now you know what bait to use you probably want to know how do you fish it.
The key to fishing for flounder is a slow and low presentation. If your lure is more than 18 inches from the bottom it will most likely be ignored by even the hungriest of flounder. You have to keep your lure down. I like to bounce mine a couple of times then lit it sit for 10 or 15 seconds then bounce and retrieve it again and let it sit.
I wrote another article on this website that covers in much more detail how to catch a flounder in Florida. You can read that article by clicking right here.
Remember keep it slow and low. There is no such thing as fishing your jigs too slow to catch a flounder. It should take you about 2 or 3 minutes to retrieve your jig every time you cast it out.
I recommend using a braided line to catch a flounder. Their strikes are almost imperceptible so if you think that you just got a hit try to set the hook immediately. If you miss, it really doesn't matter because the flounder do not scare easily. Just let the jig fall back to the bottom and wiggle it a little bit. Often the flounder that you missed will come back and pick it up again.
Watch the video below and catch more flounder with lures.
Conclusion:
The Indian River Lagoon is another gem in Florida's crown of natural beauty. Fishermen from all over the world come right in our back yards to enjoy this fishery. It has had some health issues over recent years but hopefully it will be able to keep going for many years to come.
The kayak fishing in the IRL is still amazing and all kinds of species that I did not even mention can be caught in its waters all year long.
I hope that this article helps you catch more IRL fish.
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