The Space Coast is fishing well on both sides of the barrier islands. Redfish are tailing the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River flats, snook have pushed onto the beaches and around Ponce Inlet, and the surf is giving up whiting, pompano, and the occasional tarpon.
What’s Hitting
Redfish are the inshore headline, tailing the lagoon flats on calm mornings. Snook are stacked around Ponce Inlet and on the beachfront. Trout are working the deeper grass edges, and the surf and inlet are holding tarpon, jacks, and Spanish mackerel on the bait schools.
Where to Find Them
Sight-fish reds on the Mosquito Lagoon and northern Indian River flats early. Snook hold around the Ponce Inlet jetties and along the beaches. Trout sit on the grass edges in 3 to 5 feet, and the bait pods near the inlet draw tarpon and Spanish. The Ponce Inlet jetty and the surrounding flats hold snook, reds, and flounder, while the Indian River side offers calm-water options on windy days.
Tides & Conditions
Warm, often glassy mornings set up sight-fishing on the lagoon flats before the wind and storms build. Water clarity is decent in the lagoon. The inlet fishes best on the moving tide, and the surf is most active early and late. Afternoon thunderstorms are a daily certainty.
Tackle & Tactics
Throw weedless gold spoons or soft plastics to tailing reds — make long casts and lead the fish. Snook around the inlet want live whitebait or a bucktail in the current. In the surf, fish fresh shrimp or sand fleas on a pompano rig, and keep a jig ready for cruising Spanish. A 3000- to 4000-class spinner with 15- to 20-pound braid and a long fluorocarbon leader is ideal for lagoon reds and beach snook; bump up for inlet fish in current.
Local Intel This Week
Launch at Haulover Canal or the Bair’s Cove ramp for Mosquito Lagoon access, and the Ponce Inlet ramps for the inlet and beach. Reds are concentrating on the calm lagoon flats and snook around the inlet. Snook are catch-and-release in summer on the Atlantic coast — check current FWC regulations before keeping fish. The Sunglow Pier and the Ponce Inlet jetty give shore-bound anglers solid access to snook, Spanish, and the occasional tarpon.
This Week’s Tip
On the lagoon flats, the lower the sun and the calmer the surface, the easier it is to spot tailing and cruising reds. Get there at first light, pole quietly, and you’ll see fish before they see you.