Loxahatchee River Fishing Guides

About the Loxahatchee River

The Loxahatchee is a short, remarkable river that runs from cypress swamp in northern Palm Beach County down through Jupiter to a jetty inlet on the Atlantic. It was the first river in Florida designated federally as wild and scenic, and the transition along its length is dramatic: bald cypress and freshwater marsh in the upper northwest fork, mangrove and oyster bar through the middle, and a hard-running saltwater inlet at the mouth. The USGS gauge just downstream of the US-1 bridge reads stage and water temperature, and the temperature record is the more useful of the two for anglers.

Common snook are the signature fish and the reason most guides work this water. They hold on the bridge shadow lines, the mangrove edges, the inlet rocks and the docks through the middle river, and the fishery runs year-round with a closed harvest season timed to spawning. Tarpon show in the inlet and the deeper middle basin from spring into fall, ranging from juvenile fish in the backwaters to large migratory fish near the mouth. Red drum, crevalle jack, mangrove snapper and ladyfish round out the everyday catch.

Water temperature governs everything here. Snook are cold-intolerant, and a hard winter front that drops the river into the low sixties will push fish into the warmest available water and shut the bite down for days. The gauge makes this visible before a trip rather than after. Salinity varies with rainfall and upstream water management, and the upper northwest fork can fish as freshwater bass water in a wet year.

Access is good but the river is busy, particularly on weekends near the inlet, and much of the shoreline is developed and private. Most productive fishing is done from a skiff or kayak working structure quietly. Tidal current through the inlet is strong and deserves respect from anyone in a small boat.

Access

Jupiter area public ramp near the US-1 bridge — closest access to the USGS gauge and the lower river.
Burt Reynolds Park boat ramp, Jupiter — improved trailer launch with parking near the inlet.
Jonathan Dickinson state park, Riverbend — canoe and kayak launch to the wild upper northwest fork.
Coral Cove and Jupiter Inlet area shore access — bank and jetty fishing at the mouth.
Sawfish Bay Park — kayak and paddleboard access to the middle river and mangrove edges.
Riverbend Park, Jupiter — freshwater upper river paddle access above the tidal reach.
Jupiter Inlet Colony area docks and seawalls — walk-in access to structure on the lower river.

Seasons

Spring: strong. Snook stage toward the inlet as water warms through March and April, tarpon begin showing in the middle river, and jacks push bait schools on the flats.
Summer: the peak for tarpon and for big snook around the inlet and bridges, best fished at night or on the first hour of light; harvest of snook is closed through the summer spawn.
Fall: excellent and less crowded. Falling water temperature spreads snook back through the mangroves and docks, and red drum fishing improves through October and November.
Winter: fronts dominate. Fish the warmest water on the incoming tide, target sheepshead and black drum around structure, and watch the temperature gauge before committing to a snook trip.