The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is world renowned for its myriad and colorful bird species. Each year nearly a million visitors drive, hike or bike its access road and trails or maneuver kayaks, canoes and other craft through its waters hoping for glimpses of roseate spoonbills, ibises, herons, egrets, wood storks and other species.

Sunset over the land of plenty. Ding Darling's charms include abundant bird life and fish-filled waters.

But for many of us Ding’s fame as an exotic, open-air aviary is a secondary attraction. First is that the 7,000-acre refuge is one of Florida’s great shallow-water fisheries.

The key to Ding’s superb angling is its rich variety of environments. An intricate maze of creeks, bayous, impoundments, grassflats, oyster bars and mangrove thickets provides niches for virtually every species of salt- and brackish-water fish found in South Florida’s inshore waters. The thing about Ding is that it is full of fish.

Whether you are hooked on cast-netting mullet, jumping monster tarpon or dunking a shrimp for sheepshead, Ding has something for you. Like many of Florida’s hotspots, you never know what will swim by. All of Ding’s waters, large and small, hold fish. It is the numbers and species that make some more productive than others for anglers.

Rob Jess, refuge manager, is one person who knows just how good Ding is. Jess, who fishes often and all over the refuge with his son, Ryan, calls it “bar none, one of the best areas in Southwest Florida.” But his judgment comes with an important qualification: “if somebody is willing to kayak or canoe in.”

Heading the refuge’s list of anglers’ favorite species are snook, redfish and spotted seatrout. But according to Jess, reds are by far the best bet. The reason is that redfish numbers have jumped dramatically in recent years. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen 100 redfish tailing,” he comments, “but I have.”

Jess’s caveat about kayaks and canoes refers to the fact that large portions of the refuge are off-limits to motorized craft. This is one reason, he says, for the excellent fishing. In the no-motor area, it’s paddle, pole or drift only. If you have an engine on your boat (combustion or electric), it must be trimmed up out of the water and not used until you’ve returned to the general waters of the refuge.

The stealth factor contributes to some great days on the water. Just outside Ding, in the waters of Pine Island Sound, on some days the ubiquitous whine of high-powered outboards can make the fish, especially redfish, as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. In Ding’s no-wake and no-motor zones the fish are far from easy pickings but they are more approachable by wading and careful poling.

Another advantage, Jess says, is that strict usage regulations preserve the area’s fragile ecology. “The protection that the refuge is under provides ample grasses and that is the key. That and the mangrove habitat.” Both environments are rich nurseries for invertebrates and juvenile fish, providing the basis for a healthy marine ecosystem.

Though Jess and others prefer the quiet and solitude of the no-motor zones, large sections of Ding’s northern perimeter, bordering Pine Island Sound, are open to motorized craft operated at idle speed. Among the most popular and productive areas are Tarpon Bay, MacIntyre Creek, Hard Working Bayou and Duffy Creek. If action is slow on snook and reds, a sure bet to break a skunk streak is the “trout hole,” a large depression about a half mile up MacIntyre Creek. If you have a depthfinder, look for depths of four feet or more.

Two notes of caution:

One, much of the refuge is very shallow and boats with a minimal draft are the best bets for not running aground. Light boats such as johnboats are most easily pushed off a sand flat. Getting caught on a fast falling tide in your 20-foot V-hull could leave you sitting high and dry for hours. Even in a canoe or kayak advance planning is prudent. If fishing an outgoing tide, be sure to factor in getting back to your launch site before dead low. Otherwise you may have a long, hard slog across exposed flats, not a fun pastime when dragging a boat.