Cocoa Beach Fishing Guide - Banana River Lagoon Fishing Charters

The Banana River Lagoon is part of the Indian River Lagoon system near Cocoa Beach, Florida. It is approximately 28 miles long and is not a river at all. It is a shallow saltwater lagoon. At its northern end, it is surrounded by Kennedy Space Center. The first 3.5 miles are closed to all public access. The next 6 miles area no motor zone and can be fish from any man or wind powered craft. At the end of that zone, the Barge Canal cross the Banana and meets the lock heading to Part Canaveral. The final portion of the Banana River is a mix of undeveloped mangrove shorelines as well as residential areas with many docks. At it's southern end, it merges with the Indian River Lagoon near Melbourne.

Redfish, seatrout, and black drum can be found here throughout the year. A popular method for targeting these fish is poling the flats and sight fishing using light spinning tackle or flyrods. Redfish and drum exceeding 30 pounds spend their whole lives in these waters. Seasonal catches may include tarpon, jack crevalle, ladyfish, pompano and snook. The flats are composed of a mix of sea grasses, sand and shell. They provide a home to the baitfish, crabs, shrimp, marine worms, clams and other crustaceans that live there.

Animal life in the Banana River Lagoon

Bottle nose dolphin, manatee, stingrays, sea turtles, and a multitude of wading birds live along the Banana River Lagoon. During winter months, the bird population increases dramatically as many species migrate here. During every fishing trip, there is a chance to get a closeup view of wildlife as well as enjoying the fishing.

Only minutes from Cocoa Beach and Melbourne and an hour from Orlando and Disney, this is an excellent sport fishing location. Often, we do not encounter the amount of boat traffic and other anglers one may find in the Mosquito Lagoon or Indian River.

Cocoa Beach Banana River Fishing Guide Capt. Chris Myers offers light tackle spinning and fly fishing charters near Cocoa Beach and Orlando for redfish, black drum, and spotted seatrout all year long. Depending on fishing conditions, weather, and time of year, I also fish other parts of the Lagoon system. Contact me for the latest information of where i am fishing.