New Smyrna Beach Area - Indian River Lagoon - Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

November 30, 2023

What a fall fishing season…Best we’ve seen here in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon in several years! Clients that joined me for a day of flats fishing this in November had no problems catching lots of redfish! Colder weather has arrived over the past couple weeks which is now moving the big speckled trout up shallow. Snook and black drum are starting to school up in some holes which will add to our target lists for the remainder of the year. We are about to have an epic winter with big schools of fish and lots of catching. Don’t miss out!

Recently I have been creating videos about the past month of fishing…talking about the bite and sharing some recent photos of client catches. You can find these videos on my Youtube Channel. Be sure to check them out and if you like the video’s give them a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel.

If you’re read my reports or seen my videos you know that I’ve been talking about the best fishing in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon in several years! There are loads of redfish around this fall and catching has been phenomenal. Even the slowest of days have seen us land almost double digits. The best days have seen us catch 25+ redfish. Water levels in Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon will continue to drop over the next two months and we are going to see some big schools and epic sight fishing! Live bait, lures and flies have all been producing. Giant redfish are largely done for the year as they scatter and move off. The ones that stick around are pretty lethargic and it’s a slow bite, so won’t be spending any time on them till later spring of 2024 as we focus on the shallow flats fishing.

Seeing more speckled trout up on the grass flats in Mosquito Lagoon every day now that the cold fronts are getting more regular. The trout we’ve caught recently have all been in the 18-26” range. The big gator trout the Lagoon is famous for just started showing more recently and I’ve seen a couple over 30” on the last charter. Live bait is the best way to go this time of year for the giant trout when the water is clear, cold and low. We catch some throwing lures too but not as big. If the numbers of speckled trout in Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon this summer is any indication, it too is gonna be pretty epic this winter.

Black drum schools are showing more places in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon. Some giants over 25lbs are starting to show and will start really schooling up after Christmas. We can get huge schools of drum in the winter time, with some containing several hundred on average. Shrimp and crabs work best when I come across them on the flats. Less sought than redfish, they fight hard and we can catch a bunch of them when we try.

Snook are largely on the move back into backwaters of the Lagoons. Still have some big ones hanging around Ponce Inlet and the bridges in closest proximity to it as the ocean water stays warmer there later into the year. Big winter schools of smaller ones form though in backwater creeks and sloughs though with fish up to 32”. Some days over the next couple months we’ll catch 30+ snook per day. Live bait and lures both work.

Be sure to check out the latest video of me discussing this past month on Youtube. December and January calendars are filling fast. Have 10 days remaining open in December and 12 for January. Holidays are super busy!!! Snowbird busy season will also fill the first few months of the New Year. SO don’t wait till last minute! Text me or call me at 386-212-4931 or even send me an email to secure a date. Read my fishing charter page to view the top reasons why you should book your trip with me today! I look forward to fishing with you soon.