Guides, season notes, and updates. Sourced and cited.
Collier County lists Barefoot Beach Preserve at 505 Barefoot Beach Boulevard with $10 parking, 8 a.m. to sunset hours, no dogs and beach rentals from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Read more →Collier County lists Clam Pass Park as open 6 a.m. to sunset with a $10 pay-to-park fee, a three-quarter-mile boardwalk and a free tram. No dogs. What the county page says and leaves out.
Read more →Collier County's August 2025 release lists the Collier Boulevard Park boat ramp at $10 to launch and $10 parking, with two launch lanes and phone payment. Plus what to confirm now.
Read more →Collier County lists Conner Park with 158 parking spaces and a fishing area, Bluebill Beach Access as drop-off only, and a 38-space lot on Seagate Drive. Hours and the $10 fee.
Read more →Coral Oaks lists public rates from $50 to $90, a $55 walking rate after 2 p.m., tee times up to 7 days ahead and a $50 spectator cart fee. Rates page is dated January 2026.
Read more →Charlotte County lists Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park with a fishing pier, limited parking and a free park-and-ride from Tringali Park. Address, hours and what is not stated.
Read more →Saltwater cast nets in Florida must measure 14 feet or less stretched, can harvest only listed species, and are limited to two per vessel or one per person ashore. FWC wording quoted.
Read more →Florida residents fishing in their county of residence with live or natural bait and gear without a line retrieval mechanism are exempt from the saltwater license. The wording, and the limits.
Read more →Florida anglers fishing from a pier that holds a saltwater pier license are exempt from the saltwater license. The pier license costs $501.50 a year. What that means and how to check.
Read more →Red drum in the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest regions must measure 18 to 27 inches, with one fish per harvester and two per vessel. State waters only. The rule as written.
Read more →Florida allows one tarpon per harvester per year, only with a harvest tag and only for a potential IGFA record. Fish over 40 inches stay in the water. Jig rule for Boca Grande Pass.
Read more →Fishing for reef fish in the Gulf from Florida requires a dehooking device, a venting tool or descending device, and non-stainless non-offset circle hooks with natural bait. The rule as written.
Read more →Kings Gate in Port Charlotte is a semi-private 18-hole executive course that welcomes walkers and private carts. What the club's pages say about members, advance tee times and what they leave out.
Read more →Lely Resort's Flamingo Island and Mustang courses are open to the public in Naples. Course facts, how tee times are booked and what the club's own pages do not publish.
Read more →Collier County lists Tigertail Beach Park at 480 Hernando Dr. with a $10 pay-to-park fee, no dogs, and concessions and water-sport rentals closed until further notice.
Read more →Alison Hagerup Beach Park on Captiva lists parking at $25 for 2 hours and $40 all day, paid by text or online. Hours, rules and the shore-fishing license note.
Read more →Andy Rosse Lane Park on Captiva has a west-end beach access for foot traffic only and no parking. What Lee County says about the park and shore fishing.
Read more →Lee County lists 14 Gulf-side beach accesses on Boca Grande, a 19th Street East paddlecraft launch and a 3-hour parking limit in non-residential zones.
Read more →Cayo Pelau Preserve is an island reached only by water, with nearly 3 miles of coastline on Charlotte Harbor. Lee County lists fishing as an amenity.
Read more →Dog Beach Park on the Bonita Beach Causeway lists free parking, tidal-flat access and a rule that bars fishing in any area where dogs are present.
Read more →FWC lists the spiny lobster permit at $5 annual or $25 for five years, residents only for the five-year option, and it is required on top of a saltwater license.
Read more →Orange River Preserve in Fort Myers lists fishing as an amenity and points paddlers to Manatee Park, where parking is paid. What Lee County says.
Read more →Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve charges $1 per hour, $5 maximum a day. What Lee County lists for hours, the boardwalk, pets and whether fishing is mentioned.
Read more →Butterford Waterway Park on Marathon Blvd lists a boat ramp and fishing. The county hours sheet gives 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and a 24 hour ramp entry. No fee is posted.
Read more →Ainger Creek, Anger, Boca Grande, Placida and El Jobean piers each say closed on their Charlotte County page. Centennial Fishing Pier shows no closure notice.
Read more →Chester Roberts Park lists fishing and canoe and kayak access with historic features. The county page has an address and hours but no fee or rules.
Read more →What the National Park Service says about fishing Everglades National Park: license, bait limits, closed waters, trap limits and mercury warnings.
Read more →Harbour Heights Park lists a boat ramp, fishing, a kayak launch and free parking in its pavilion block. Hours from the county sheet; no ramp fee is posted.
Read more →Hathaway Park lists a boat ramp, fishing and free parking, and links park rules for an environmental park. What the Charlotte County page says and omits.
Read more →Port Charlotte Beach Park lists a boardwalk fishing pier and a kayak launch, and says Boat ramp A remains closed. Hours and what the county page leaves out.
Read more →South Gulf Cove Park lists fishing and a boat ramp, says the ramp remains closed, and lists free parking with paid parking at the ramp. Hours and gaps.
Read more →Spring Lake Park in Port Charlotte lists fishing, a boat ramp and a nature trail, and says the canoe and kayak launch remains closed. Hours and gaps.
Read more →The Charlotte County page for Gaines Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte lists a fishing pier, kayak launch and nature trail, with hours but no fee.
Read more →Alva Boat Ramp has 15 parking spots at $5 per day and dawn to dusk hours, per Lee County. What the page says and leaves out.
Read more →Bonita Beach Park's lot and amenities closed Sept. 8, 2026 for Hurricane Ian repairs. Lee County lists $2 per hour, no annual pass and no fishing in the swim zone.
Read more →Bowman's Beach Park on Sanibel lists parking at $5 per hour and open 24 hours a day. What Lee County says about hours, the walk and fishing.
Read more →Davis Boat Ramp on Davis Blvd. charges $5 a day, opens dawn to dusk and bans overnight parking and mooring, per Lee County.
Read more →Estero Island's seven county beach accesses have no parking and Lee County lists them closed until further notice. The Park and Ride fallback.
Read more →Imperial River Boat Ramp in Bonita Springs has two ramps, a paddlecraft launch and a fishing pier walk. $5 a day, 72 hour trailer limit, no fishing at the ramp.
Read more →Lynn Hall Memorial Park's lot is closed for construction. Lee County lists $2 per hour, no annual pass, no fishing in the swim zone and a Park and Ride option.
Read more →Matlacha Boat Ramp has a two slip launch, 30 trailer spaces, $10 per day parking and hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Quoted from Lee County.
Read more →Punta Rassa Boat Ramp in Fort Myers is open 24 hours and charges $10 for 24 hours, $20 for 48 and $30 for 72. What Lee County lists.
Read more →Telegraph Creek Primitive Paddlecraft Launch in Alva lists free parking and is for non-motorized boats only. What Lee County says, and what it leaves out.
Read more →Lee County says Bonita Beach Accesses #2 through #9 on Hickory Blvd are free to park, open dawn to dusk, no pets, no fires or grilling.
Read more →Crescent Beach Family Park in Fort Myers Beach reopened July 29, 2026. Open dawn to dusk, fishing listed, no pets. The county page states no parking fee.
Read more →Kids under 16 need no Florida fishing license, saltwater or freshwater, and no snook or lobster permit. The rule starts at 16. Optional youth license: $17.00.
Read more →A hard credit card-style Florida fishing license costs extra and holds up to seven licenses. Lifetime licenses include a plastic card.
Read more →Florida residents 65 and older need no fishing license, snook permit or lobster permit with proof of age or residency. Tarpon tags still apply.
Read more →Saltwater: the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the first weekend in June and the first Saturday in September. Freshwater 2027: April 3-4 and June 12-13. No license needed.
Read more →A Florida resident lifetime saltwater fishing license costs $126.50 for ages 4 and younger, $226.50 for ages 5 to 12 and $301.50 for 13 and older.
Read more →Florida non-resident fishing licenses cost $17 for 3 days, $30 for 7 days and $47 for a year, saltwater or freshwater, per FWC.
Read more →A Florida snook permit costs $10.00 a year or $50.00 for five years (residents only) and is needed on top of a saltwater license.
Read more →Anglers 16 and older fishing 13 reef species from a private boat must add the free State Reef Fish Angler designation.
Read more →Florida stone crab season reopens Oct. 15 after the May 2 to Oct. 14 closure. Claws must be 2 7/8 inches. Limit 1 gallon per harvester.
Read more →Horton Park Boat Ramp in Cape Coral charges $15 a day for trailer parking through Passport Parking, zone 1958. Residents can buy a $75 annual decal.
Read more →Judd Park in North Fort Myers lists a paddlecraft launch, dawn to dusk hours and free parking. The county page gives no launch details or fishing rules.
Read more →Lavender's Landing Boat Ramp in Bokeelia has two slips, 29 trailer spaces, $10 daily parking, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours and no overnight parking.
Read more →Lee County says vehicles with a disabled veteran (DAV) plate or a Florida Toll Exemption pass do not pay at county boat ramps, parks, preserves and beaches.
Read more →Lee County lists Fishing as an amenity at 26 preserves, from Galt and Bunche Beach to boat-only sites. Some have no public access or are closed.
Read more →The Matlacha fishing pier is part of Lee County's Matlacha Park and Boat Ramp: open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., $10 per day parking, no overnight parking.
Read more →Lee County's Mullock Creek Boat Ramp in Fort Myers is closed for renovations. The county bought the site Dec. 18, 2025. Planned parking is $10 a day.
Read more →Pine Island Commercial Marina's public ramp opens to recreational boaters only on weekends and county holidays, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., $10 per day.
Read more →Florida license rules follow the fish species, not the water. Where both types swim, use a combo license or release the wrong species.
Read more →Bayshore Live Oak Park in Port Charlotte has a fishing pier and a canoe and kayak launch. What the Charlotte County page lists, and what it leaves out.
Read more →How ArrowHead Golf Club in Naples prices its tee times by hour, when juniors get a lower rate, how far ahead you can book and what you cannot wear.
Read more →Big Cypress WMA is 728,000 acres of National Park Service land, managed with FWC. What you can hunt, what the preserve bans, the ORV permit, and what stays unverified until you read the current brochure.
Read more →Blue Heron Pines posts two summer rate cards, one for the public and one for residents, with 9-hole prices and a 5 PM cart return. Here is how they compare.
Read more →Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb WMA is a 75,000-acre public hunting area near Punta Gorda. What FWC says you can hunt, which seasons need quota permits, and the off-road vehicle rules.
Read more →Bonita Beach Access 10 (Little Hickory Island Park) charges $2 an hour and posted a parking closure from Sept. 8, 2026. County quotes on fishing and rules.
Read more →Bowditch Point Park on Fort Myers Beach charges $2 an hour, bars trailers and posted a parking closure from Sept. 8, 2026. Quoted from Lee County.
Read more →Caloosahatchee Regional Park charges $1 an hour or $5 a day, rents kayaks and bans dogs and generators. Hours and rules quoted from Lee County Parks.
Read more →Bunche Beach parking is $2 an hour, outfitters pay $5 per vessel, and pets, grills and motor vehicles are banned. Quoted from Lee County Parks.
Read more →The Cove of Rotonda posts monthly rates with cart included, a flat 9-hole price and a cheaper after-3 PM window. Here are the October and November numbers.
Read more →Delnor-Wiggins Pass restricts anglers to set areas. The $6 fee, the new kiosk payment rule, hours and the dredging notice, quoted from the state park page.
Read more →Dove season runs Sept. 26 to Oct. 18, Nov. 14 to Dec. 6 and Dec. 19 to Jan. 31 with a 15-bird limit. Quail runs Nov. 14 to March 7 with a limit of 12. What FWC says about hunting both on public land near Punta Gorda.
Read more →FWC 2026-27 duck season: teal and wood duck Sept. 19-23, regular season Nov. 21-29 and Dec. 12 to Jan. 31, six-duck daily bag. Permits you need and SWFL public land notes.
Read more →What Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples posts for its 2026 summer rates, why a solo player cannot take a cart, the last tee time and the cancellation window.
Read more →The City of Fort Myers publishes Eastwood Golf Course's fall rates, range hours, dress code and booking rules. Here is what a non-resident needs to know.
Read more →El Rio Golf Club in Fort Myers posts one walking price and one riding price for the whole day through Nov. 1, 2026. Here is what that means for a non-member.
Read more →Florida's statewide alligator hunt is a lottery with over 25,000 applicants for over 8,000 permits. Cost, season dates, how phases work, and what the countywide units in Lee and Collier mean.
Read more →FWC's posted prices: $17.00 resident annual, $151.50 non-resident, $13.50 for the Silver Sportsman's 64+, $20.00 military Gold Sportsman's, plus the WMA permit and the season permits you may also need.
Read more →Hibiscus Golf Club in Naples posts a two-window summer rate with cart, a 9-hole morning price, free junior green fees and a military discount. Here is how it works.
Read more →Lovers Key has no bait shop on site, a partly closed boat ramp and no tram. What the state park page says about fees, hours and rentals for anglers.
Read more →Hunters Run in Cape Coral posts a $20 walking rate, a 9-hole riding rate and cheaper junior prices. Here is what the course says about carts, rentals and hours.
Read more →On private land with permission you can humanely kill pythons any time with no permit and no bag limit. FWC also names 32 public lands, including Big Cypress and Babcock/Webb, where no license is needed. Live transport is not allowed.
Read more →Lee County says no launching or retrieval of vessels at the Causeway Islands, no alcohol, gas grills only. The $6 toll and dawn to dusk hours, quoted.
Read more →Shell Point Golf Club in Fort Myers is open to the public. Here is what its own pages say about booking, dress code, range balls and junior prices.
Read more →Stump Pass Beach State Park charges $3 per vehicle by QR code and closes at sunset. State park page quotes on hours, paddling and what is unavailable.
Read more →Lee and Collier sit in FWC Zone A, and part of Charlotte County sits in Zone C. Here are the 2026-2027 archery, crossbow, muzzleloader and general gun dates, the antler rules by deer management unit, and the bag limits.
Read more →South of S.R. 70, FWC's 2026-2027 spring turkey season runs March 6 to April 11. Bag limit, the turkey permit cost, how quota hunts work, and the public land near Lee and Collier that lists turkey hunting.
Read more →Lee County lists Turner Beach as open 24 hours with parking at $5 an hour, mobile payment only, no dogs and a paddlecraft launch. Quoted from the county page.
Read more →On private land with permission you can hunt or trap wild hogs year-round with no license and no bag limit. On public land, WMA rules apply. Here is the difference, plus the dog and trap rules.
Read more →Stoneybrook Golf Club in Estero posts public AM, PM and twilight rates by season and says online booking is the cheapest route. Here is what the page says.
Read more →FWC sets it at 100 yards from any public fishing pier, bridge open to public fishing or public swimming beach, and 100 feet from a jetty above the surface. Plus the full list of species you may never take by spear.
Read more →Applications run October 1 to 15 for a tag to harvest one goliath grouper between March 1 and May 31. $10 to apply, $150 for residents or $500 for non-residents if drawn, and nobody is exempt, not lifetime license holders, not seniors.
Read more →Florida requires a no-cost Shore-based Shark Fishing permit plus an online course for anyone 16 or older fishing for sharks from the beach, a pier or a bridge. Seniors are not exempt, and the permit is required for some non-shark setups too.
Read more →What's biting month by month around Fort Myers, Pine Island, Estero, Naples and Chokoloskee, plus the current FWC season dates and slot limits that actually control when you can keep snook, redfish, trout and gag grouper.
Read more →Gasparilla Island State Park hours and fees, Boca Grande Pass gear rules straight from FWC, and what's realistic to target there.
Read more →FWC's documented range for bullseye snakehead does not include Lee or Collier county. Here's what the agency actually says, and what's really biting in Fort Myers Beach and Lee County canals instead.
Read more →The Cape Coral Yacht Club fishing pier is still not open. Here's the city's own status as of this month, and where to actually fish a pier nearby.
Read more →Where jack crevalle school up around Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, why FWC lists them as unregulated, and the tackle that survives the fight.
Read more →Where ladyfish school up in Lemon Bay and around Englewood Beach, what FWC says about the limit, and the light tackle that makes them worth targeting.
Read more →Where Marco Island's residential canal system is actually fishable from shore, what the city's own park pages list, and what holds in the canals.
Read more →Verified hours for the boat ramps, causeways and park access points around Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Punta Gorda and Chokoloskee that are actually open after dark, plus dock light technique.
Read more →The Punta Gorda Isles canal system, the Peace River mouth, and what holds in saltwater canals here versus Cape Coral's freshwater side.
Read more →Real published charter rates for Sanibel, Punta Gorda, Matlacha, Englewood and Marco Island, what's included, and what FWC says about needing your own license.
Read more →Big bottom-feeders on Pine Island Sound's oyster bars, with current FWC slot and bag figures for Southwest Florida.
Read more →One practical tackle setup for Cape Coral's saltwater and freshwater canals, with knot recommendations and the license each side actually requires.
Read more →Where cobia show up on Gulf structure out of Fort Myers, and the current FWC minimum size and bag limit.
Read more →Disabled veterans rated 50% or higher get a no-cost five-year license. Active and retired military residents pay $20 for the Military Gold Sportsman's License. Residents 65 and older need no license.
Read more →Where flatfish hold along the sand and grass edges of Pine Island Sound, and the exact FWC size, bag and fall closed-season dates.
Read more →What FWC actually says about where butterfly peacock bass live in Florida, and why that range statement matters before planning a trip around Naples or Everglades City.
Read more →Where permit show up on Gulf-side wrecks and passes near Sanibel and Captiva, and the exact FWC size and bag rules for Gulf waters outside the Biscayne special zone.
Read more →Where to find sheepshead around Punta Gorda and St. James City, what rig actually hooks that bait-stealing bite, and the current FWC size and bag limits.
Read more →Florida has no bag or size limit on tilapia, but you need a freshwater license, and spotted tilapia can only be kept dead. Where they bite in Cape Coral and Fort Myers canals.
Read more →Grass flats around Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass hold trout year-round in Southwest Florida, with the current FWC slot and bag figures for this region.
Read more →Live shrimp, cut mullet and gold spoons that catch redfish on flats and seawalls in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, with current FWC slot and bag limits.
Read more →Live pinfish, whitebait and paddle-tail plastics that catch snook around bridges, docks and beaches in SWFL, with current FWC slot, season and permit rules.
Read more →What Blind Pass Beach Park actually offers a shore angler: jetty access, parking cost, and the snook rules that apply to what you catch there.
Read more →Where to launch a boat in Cape Coral, what the city's paid parking program actually costs, and what to target once you're on the water.
Read more →Lovers Key's back-bay boardwalks and Koreshan State Park's boat ramp and kayak launch on the Estero River, both feeding Estero Bay.
Read more →The Gulf Coast Visitor Center's marina and canoe/kayak launch, plus the backup launch points in Everglades City and Chokoloskee, for reaching the Ten Thousand Islands.
Read more →Public shore, pier and canal fishing access points that are actually open right now in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, with what to target at each one.
Read more →Davis Boat Ramp and the two piers at Bunche Beach: where to launch or wade into San Carlos Bay and the Caloosahatchee out of Fort Myers.
Read more →Gag grouper is open in the Gulf for September only. Southwest Florida snook stays closed until October 1. What is open right now in Lee, Collier and Charlotte, sourced from FWC.
Read more →Southwest Florida Gulf snook harvest is open March to April and October to November. Closed Dec. 1 to end of Feb. and May 1 to Sept. 30. Slot 28 to 33 inches, one per day. Atlantic dates differ.
Read more →The Naples Pier is still under reconstruction; here's what the city's own updates say, plus Delnor-Wiggins Pass and Caxambas Park as working alternatives.
Read more →Matlacha Park's lighted pier and boat ramp, plus what to know before you drive out to Bokeelia, for shore anglers working Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound.
Read more →Port Charlotte Beach Park and Bayshore Live Oak Park: piers, a kayak launch, and what's actually open on Charlotte Harbor right now.
Read more →Island A and Island B on the Sanibel Causeway, what the toll actually costs, and the snook, sheepshead and mackerel that hold on the rock revetment.
Read more →How to tell gag, red and black grouper apart, plus current Gulf state-water season, size and bag limits sourced from FWC for Southwest Florida anglers.
Read more →