Great Inshore Fishing at Pelican Island Refuge: Florida Waypoints

President Theodore Roosevelt signed Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge into existence in 1903. He did it, by executive order, to protect one of the nation’s last brown pelican rookeries.

Did Teddy sense, at the time, that he was also protecting some of the best sportfishing grounds in Florida? I feel sure he’d be pleased were he to visit the refuge today.

Catching an inshore slam—snook, trout, redfish—is a pretty good bet on the waters in and around the 5,500-acre Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Yes, this corner of the Indian River Lagoon has suffered water quality declines in recent years. The dieoff of seagrass starting in 2010, followed by profusions of brown and green microalgae, and shaggy, “tumbleweed” piles of drift algae, has not gone unrecognized.

But what’s this about protecting pelicans? That effort, at least, certainly has worked out.

It may be hard to imagine a time when pelicans were scarce. It’s easy to fall into the trending mindset of “things were better back then.” Truth is, long before we packed houses on the coast and dumped fertilizer on crops and lawns, we nearly wiped out the pelicans. Same for herons and egrets. Through the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, we shot them to collect and sell their feathers, valuable accents for women’s hats and other apparel. Ridiculous, in hindsight.

Today, the birds have bounced back, thanks to changes in conservation attitudes and policy. Roosevelt’s legacy spurred all kinds of good. From that original 5-acre seed of Pelican Island, today the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System boasts 850 million acres—150 million acres in Florida. The majority of our Refuge system is open to fishing and hunting—the carefully regulated kind.

The namesake Pelican Island, a tiny mangrove key, is a prohibited-entry zone marked with signs. A few saltmarsh impoundments in the refuge are also off-limits to fishing. Otherwise, the flats, creeks, coves and islands in this refuge are excellent places to pole a skiff or paddle a kayak or canoe. The water gets very shallow outside the channels.

A Florida Sportsman editor logged an inshore slam on a recent trip, catching a redfish under a shady mangrove inside Horseshoe Island, two seatrout in a cut near the Intracoastal, and a couple of snook on points at Paul’s Island (that’s Paul, BTW, for Paul Kroegel, local homesteader hired by Roosevelt as the nation’s first National Wildlife Refuge Manager). All the fish, plus several jacks and ladyfish, were caught on a white paddle-tail on a 1/8-ounce jighead.

IF YOU GO

• Breakfast and Lunch: Beach Bites (formerly Boppy’s) at Wabasso Beach, where SR 510 meets the beach.
• Bait & Tackle: Whitey’s Fishing Outfitters, (321) 724-1440, is a classic Florida shop.
• Shore Fishing: Not much inside Pelican Island Refuge, but the region is among Florida’s best land-based saltwater destinations: Sebastian Inlet State Park, just a few miles north; Wabasso Causeway, to the south; excellent Atlantic beach access.
• Boat Ramps: Wabasso Causeway, Sebastian Inlet State Park, Sebastian Main Street Ramp; unimproved kayak launch on Jungle Trail.
• Refuge Entry Fee: There is none, but donations are encouraged. All sportsmen and women should invest in the National Wildlife Refuge system by purchasing an annual Federal Duck Stamp ($29). That revenue supports the acquisition, preservation and stewardship of more places like Pelican Island Refuge.

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This article was featured in the May 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman. Click to subscribe

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