Information about Indian River Lagoon

Fishing the Indian River Lagoon or IRL on Florida's East Coast

Florida's East Coast has a natural lagoon or waterway called the Indian River Lagoon. Florida's earliest settlers just called it the "Indian River" and not until the last couple of decades has the community started correcting the nomenclature to append the word "lagoon", hence "Indian River Lagoon" or just IRL for short.

What is a Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or brackish water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral reef, or similar feature. In the case of the IRL, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a thin barrier island with narrow breaks or "openings" called inlets. Almost the entire eastern seaboard of Florida is a barrier island and Brevard County has a well known city on it's barrier island called Cocoa Beach and it also host the Canaveral National Seashore and northward to Ponce Inlet.

The Indian River Lagoon is a TRUE lagoon, there are no headwaters or freshwater springs feeding the lagoon as indicated by it's name "Indian River". The small turbulent inlets including Sebastian Inlet, New Smyrna Inlet and Fort Pierce Inlet are just a few spigots that feed into the IRL. The IRL is saltwater and has very little freshwater intrusion from natural sources other than small creeks and "real" rivers with Sebastian River, Turkey and Crane Creek coming to mind.

A Lagoon In Peril

One of the more prevalent ecological problems to the Indian River Lagoon is storm water runoff. Unlike natural runoff that occurred before human development, storm water runoff comes from our roadways, parks, golf courses and other sources. Every summer storm sends millions of gallons of runoff into the lagoons sending petroleum products from roadways and nitrates/phosphates and other chemicals from yards and manicured landscaping. While raw sewage has been greatly illuminated from the lagoon, treated sewage and waste are evasive and killing tens of thousands of acres of important sea grass each decade.

"As I've fished and utilized my native waterway from childhood I have witnessed an alarming decay of water quality and sea grass in all of the lagoons surrounding my home town of Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach. Each year I watch precious lagoon habitat disappear as storm water runoff sends killing agents destroying the what I've grown to love and admire on our Indian River Lagoon," explains Captain Richard Bradley of Lagooner Fishing Guides. "We all have to do our part to protect the lagoon but even if we stop utilizing this natural waterway on Florida's east coast, the battle will be lost to insurmountable amounts of runoff from agriculture and roadways. Once the seagrass is gone, it will all be finished."

Experience the Indian River Lagoon waterway During September

Whether you choose to go fishing, boat riding, or swimming in the IRL it's a great experience in the Florida sunshine. Lagooner Fishing Guides are trained professionals that help you catch fish and enjoy your outdoor experience to it's fullest.

The family above went for a day on the IRL and had a blast on this late March afternoon fishing with a Indian River Fishing Guide. "We saw manatees, dolphins and caught a load of big fish, it was the best day I've had with my dad!" explains one of the kids above. "We caught redfish and spotted seatrout." says another excited young angler.

Looking for information about fishing the Indian River Lagoon or IRL in Central Florida? Call (321) 868-4953 and Ask for Captain Richard or his fishing mate Captain Gina. They'll be more than glad to talk to you in length about setting up a fishing trip while you're visiting the area.

Where is the Indian River Lagoon

Technically the IRL or Indian River is part of the Intracoastal waterway on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The name of this body of water changes as you traverse the waterway from Biscayne Bay in Miami and northward toward the Chesapeake Bay or Montawk New Jersey.

East Central Florida's prominent Indian River Lagoon sections are called the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River Lagoon and of course the Indian River Lagoon as it heads south toward Sebastian Inlet and Fort Pierce with the North Boundary skirting a small town called Scottsmoore and Mims. Fishing information on the Indian River can be found at the links above.