Banana River Lagoon

The Banana River lagoon is one of the best fishing destinations on the East Coast of the United States. We fish for redfish all year around along with spotted sea trout and the occassional tarpon and snook. You'll love to go fishing and boating on these waters that let you discover the wonderful wildlife including manatees, alligators and more. It's adjacent waterways are from the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.

Sykes Creek is the main tributary within the Banana River Aquatic Preserve.

The most important spring habitat (300-500 individuals/survey day) for the east coast population of manatees has been the northern Banana River (2001, Florida Manatee Recovery Plan). Large numbers of manatees use the Banana River almost year-round.

The Banana River supports the largest pelican rookery on the Atlantic Coast, a significant population of alligators, and diamondback terrapin turtles.

Favored by recreational fisherman, the shallow seagrass and mangrove based ecosystem supports large gamefish.

Other public uses include boating, fishing, sail boarding, kayaking, duck hunting and bird watching.

The Banana River Lagoon is located on Florida's East Coast and is part of the lagoon system that includes the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon and the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). While technically the Banana River Lagoon does not host the ICW, the lagoons share the same water and characteristics. The Banana River lagoon's most northern area is connected to the Banana Creek running through the Kennedy Space Center and connecting to the Indian River Lagoon as it wanders westward. If you could continue north on an air boat for a short distance you'd pickup on the famous fishing mecca the Mosquito Lagoon and onto New Smyrna Inlet or further north on the ICW. North Banana includes the famous No Motor Zone or NMZ as it's often referred where canoes and kayaks make their way to the most fertile shallow water redfishing in the world, barred none (even the Mosquito Lagoon). After September 9, 2001 the federal government closed most of this presteen waterway to any boat traffic and it's become a breeding ground for even more Banana River fish including world record sized sea trout and redfish.

Following the waterway southward the shorelines of the Banana River become developed toward Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach and Metro Merritt Island.