The IRL spring fishery is peaking. Tarpon are stacked from Sebastian Inlet to the Vero Beach area, snook have set up on the FPL power plant outflow at Cape Canaveral, and the redfish on the flats are still active in the higher tide windows.
Tarpon — IRL Peak
Tarpon are rolling throughout the lagoon from Sebastian Inlet south to Vero Beach. Schools are most concentrated near the inlet on the outgoing tide and in the deeper holes of the lagoon proper.
Live mullet and crabs drifted on a 7/0 circle hook is the method. Best windows are first light and the last two hours of daylight.
Beach tarpon are also showing on the Atlantic side from Sebastian south. Sight-casting from a kayak or small skiff in calm conditions is producing memorable shots.
Snook — Power Plant, Bridges, Beaches
The FPL power plant discharge at Port Canaveral remains a snook factory. The warm-water outflow holds fish year-round, and right now the bite is excellent on live mullet and threadfin.
Bridges throughout the lagoon — Sebastian, Wabasso, Eau Gallie, and Pineda — are all holding snook on the up-current side at night.
Beach snook at sunrise on the Vero and Indialantic stretches is also productive.
Inshore — Redfish, Trout
Redfish in the lagoon are still being caught on the higher tide flats, though water temps in the upper 70s have pushed them deeper. Look for fish on the deeper grass edges (3 to 5 feet) during the day.
Seatrout remain excellent on the lagoon grass flats. The deeper potholes (4 to 7 feet) hold the bigger fish — gulp shrimp on a 1/4 oz jighead is producing.
Conditions
Water temps in the lagoon 79–82°F. Light winds most days.
Spots & Access This Week
The Indian River Lagoon system is huge, so pick your zone. Boaters launch from the Bair’s Cove and Beacon 42 ramps on Merritt Island for the Banana River no-motor zone reds, or from the Sebastian Inlet-area ramps to reach the inlet snook, snapper, and tarpon. The causeways — the 520, the Pineda, and the Eau Gallie — offer shore access for snook and trout, and the Sebastian Inlet jetty and catwalks are the premier land-based spots for snook, snapper, and the odd tarpon on the moving tide. Kayak anglers have unmatched access to the skinny flats where the boats can’t follow.
Tackle Breakdown & This Week’s Tip
Sight-fishing the flats for reds calls for a 3000–4000 spinning reel, 10–20 pound braid, and a 25-pound leader with a weedless gold spoon or a soft-plastic jerkbait so you can present quietly. Snook around the spoil islands and the causeways want a heavier 4000-class outfit and a 30-pound leader to turn fish away from structure. Trout on the grass edges eat popping corks and paddletails on light tackle, and a few live shrimp around the bridge pilings will load up on mangrove snapper.
This week’s tip: on the shallow lagoon flats, a quiet approach matters more than the lure. Stake out or pole into casting range and let a school of reds settle before you cast — cruising fish that get bumped by a trolling motor or a hull slap shut down for the morning. Patience on the first flat beats hopping from flat to flat all day. Snook are catch-and-release on the Atlantic coast through the summer closure.
Related on fishing.digital: