Fabulous Fishing On Florida’s Paradise Coast: Inshore Vs. Offshore

Florida’s Paradise Coast is one of the most fertile and diverse fisheries you’ll find anywhere. From kayak fishing in the idyllic mangrove estuaries of Ten Thousands Islands to deep-sea fishing 40 miles into the Gulf of America, our destination offers just about any angling experience you’d want — for seasoned experts, total newbies and everyone in between. 

Fishing on Florida’s Paradise Coast comes in two basic types: inshore and offshore. Let’s take a deeper dive to better understand what you can expect from each:

INSHORE FISHING

Not only are there countless places to fish inshore on Florida’s Paradise Coast, there are any number of ways to go about it — powerboat or kayak, wading or off a pier, fly fishing or light tackle. 

Here are some of the best spots to wet a line inshore. 

Ten Thousand Islands — This stunningly beautiful area, in the southern part of Florida’s Paradise Coast just 30 miles from Naples, is a marvel of small islands, mangrove islets and other habitats. 

The 35,000-acre wildlife refuge — consisting of salt, fresh and brackish waters — teems with fish year-round. It nurtures many of the species that sport anglers seek most: bass, tarpon, permit, cobia, snapper, pompano, sheepshead, tripletail, mackerel and more. When in season, you can go after snook, a prized sportfish indigenous to southern Florida. Snook season runs from March 1 to April 30 and Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

Amid Ten Thousand Islands is a series of rivers and creeks that have more fishing spots than you can cover in many, many visits. These waterways flow into bays that have fishing spots as deep as 20 feet, but also massive oyster bars, grass and mud flats. All of these habitats make for different types of angling.

While you can always go out on a motorboat charter, Ten Thousand Islands is perfect for kayak fishing. Dropping a line or casting from one of these sleek crafts is peaceful and quiet — until a high-spirited fish grabs onto your line. Then you’re in for a really fun tussle. A distinct advantage of kayak fishing is being able to get up close to the mangroves where many species congregate.

Rookery Bay — Situated inland between Naples and Marco Island, much of Rookery Bay Opens in new window is part of one of 29 protected reserves in the U.S. This body of water, filled with mangrove forests and grass flats, is ideal for kayak fishing — or you can keep it even simpler by wading in for some flats fishing.

Rookery Bay is widely known for redfish, which are renowned as hard fighters (and make for terrific eating), as well as mangrove snapper, seatrout, pompano and snook when in season.

Freshwater Fishing — Further inshore, right in the heart of Naples, you’ll find the Golden Gate Canal, a winding system of drainage canals that brims with aquatic life. If you’ve towed a boat for your visit, this eight-mile system is simple to navigate and easy to access from the Golden Gate Boat Ramp. (Local guides will also take you on excursions here.) You’ll catch largemouth and peacock bass, catfish, panfish and more.

For a more remote freshwater experience, and a change of scenery, drive 60 miles northeast of Naples to beautiful Lake Trafford Opens in new window , where you can fish by watercraft, by wading in the grass flats or from a pier. The 1,500-acre lake is known for largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, catfish, sunfish, and other freshwater species.

OFFSHORE FISHING

Beach fishing — This near-shore fishing is best done early in the day, when the “beach bite” is in full effect, or late in the afternoon and at sunset. Using light tackle, you can pitch a variety of live baits, artificial lures and flies. Don’t expect to be reeling in the big ones, but with the help of a good guide you can catch plenty of fish on a half-day outing. And you’ll be angling with the gorgeous beaches of Florida’s Paradise Coast as a backdrop. Beach fishing is particularly fun for families with young children.

Fishing the Wrecks and Reefs — The waters off Florida’s Paradise Coast are home to dozens of man-made wrecks and artificial reefs found in water as shallow as 20 feet deep. They consist of old barges, sunken shrimping vessels, construction debris and more. Local anglers refer to these spots as “fish havens.” You can expect to tangle with feisty gamefish like cobia, snapper, gag and goliath grouper, mackerel, barracuda, permit and a plethora of sharks. Guides will often use heavy chumming to draw fish out and cause a feeding frenzy.

Deep Sea Fishing — Charter guides take you out on comfortable, fully equipped boats ranging from 40 to 75 feet, offering half-day or full-day excursions. Deep-sea fishing follows a simple rule: the farther out you go, the bigger the fish. Twenty miles into the Gulf of America, you can catch a magnificent array of species: different types of grouper and snapper, amberjack, cobia, kingfish and more. 

Head out 40 miles and beyond to hunt mahi mahi, wahoo and tuna. Either way, there’s a good chance you’ll return to the dock with enough catch to serve more than a few dinners.

This article just skims the surface of the fishing experiences on Florida’s Paradise Coast. Unless you’re familiar with local waters or are an accomplished angler who is experienced enough to go it alone, it’s best to use one of the Paradise Coast’s many fishing guides. They’ll handle it all, so you enjoy the ride (or the paddle), soak up the sun and the views, and do more catching than fishing.