Summer 2020 Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

When July hits, the Mosquito Lagoon knows it… The air temperatures hit the 90 degree mark regularly, the water on the shallow flats of the Lagoon isn’t far behind. Being located just an hour East of Orlando, Mosquito Lagoon is no stranger to hot, humid summer days and afternoon showers.

Summer time means the kids are out of school. Here’s my Son on the bow of my Caimen looking for Redfish on a flat in Mosquito Lagoon.

When I fish Mosquito Lagoon in the Summer, I make sure I’m out early in the morning, before the sun is over the horizon. Often, I am greeted with calm offshore winds and slicked out flats. Ideal conditions to pole my skiff over the shallows looking for subtle signs of fish in the area. Stealth is key, when fishing this way, when conditions are calm and quiet, you need to move the same way. The fish of Mosquito Lagoon are familiar to the unnatural sounds of an angler. Limiting the amount of noise you make on the flats will not only lead to seeing more signs of fish activity but also will result in catching more fish.

Capt. Jesse Register with a Mosquito Lagoon Redfish on Fly on a perfect summer day.

While there is an abundance of bait this time of year, I’m still drawn to sightfishing. That isn’t to say that fishing around bait schools or on the deeper edges of flats isn’t a good idea. I just prefer stalking single fish in conditions where I can put eyes on them and make a presentation. With that in mind, I’m typically working very shallow sections close to deeper water or poling shorelines.

Spencer, from Orlando, with his personal best Sea Trout. We fished out of my canoe for a truly unique experience on the flats.

Summer time also gets our Tarpon fishing going. It’s hard to imagine that we have the kind of Tarpon fishing we do being so close to a major city like Orlando. For the angler who is up for the challenge of chasing Tarpon from a skiff, this is the time of year to get out and test your skill against the Silver King.

Landing a juvenille Tarpon in the backwaters of New Smyrna Beach, FL.