Mosquito Lagoon

The Mosquito Lagoon, covering more than 25,000 acres, lays completely protected within the borders of Canaveral National Seashore and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The south end of the Mosquito Lagoon (click for map) lies under the shadows of the Kennedy Space Center and the shuttle launch pads, literally just a few yards from the waters edge. Only 30 minutes from Orlando and Daytona Beach, Mosquito Lagoon is one of the premier stops in Florida for sightfishing.

For anglers, Mosquito Lagoon Redfish are world famous because of the fits and great pleasure the give anglers while sightfishing the shallow grass flats that average 1-3 feet deep. It’s an exciting form of hunting on the water. Redfish schools of 100-300 fish are not uncommon with many others ranging from 30-75 fish. Some are heavy shouldered bruisers that push over 50+ inches in length and weigh over 40 pounds, a sure equipment test for the light tackle enthusiast. Mosquito Lagoon is also filled full of 5-10lb redfish feeding on the shallow flats in the backcountry waters.

The Mosquito Lagoon is also an excellent place to sight fish true "gator" Spotted Sea Trout with trophies over 30 inches in length and topping scales at 10-15 pounds. Their uncanny ability to detect your presence make presentation a critical factor for success. Trophy Mosquito Lagoon sea trout are often regarded on par with bonefish in terms of difficulty to catch.

During the middle part of the year, Mosquito Lagoon Tarpon are welcomed to the the local area. Smaller juvenile fish in the 5-40lb range are generally here year round, found rolling and feeding in many areas. Migrating adult tarpon from 60-150lbs move into the area during the summer months, allowing the patient angler a rare chance to do battle with the silver king in Central Florida. As a special bonus, at times these big tarpon can be found "laid up" during the calm late mornings.

Because there is limited tidal flow on the flats throughout much of the area, it's not a favorite place to search for Mosquito Lagoon Snook. However in the norther portions of the Lagoon that are tidal and have deeper waters, there are lots of opportunities to find snook throughout most of the year. The average snook that one may come across in Mosquito lagoon is 2-10lbs.

Black drum are also year round residents but are in lesser numbers than their redfish and sea trout cousins. A highly elusive fish, black drum are bull dog fighters once hooked on the flats. While most fish range from 5-20lbs, the occassional 30, 40+lb fish are not out of the question in some areas.

Because Mosquito Lagoon lies under the protective eye of NASA and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, it's a glimpse of Florida from the past, with no developments, hotels, condos, or buildings on the skyline. Palm trees, mangroves, spoil islands, and salt marsh dominate the landscape. In addition to serving as home to many fish, the area also has many dolphins, manatees, deer, wild hogs, otters, raccoons, alligators, wading birds, migrating waterfowl and more.