West Palm Beach offers a plenty of options for anglers seeking offshore and inshore fishing adventures in areas such as canals and lakes. Because the deep water isn’t too far from the shore, it’s ideal for those who enjoy deep-water fishing while keeping the coast in sight. Species targeted in this sublime fishing mecca include tarpon, snook, peacock bass, mahi mahi, sailfish, and more. Anglers can go on fishing charters, fish from kayaks and party boats, or fish from the shore. Some of the prime spots to visit include Palm Beach, Okeeheelee Park, Intracoastal Waterway, various reefs, and along the gulf stream. West Palm Beach offers ample fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill levels.

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Look for sailfish just outside the Palm Beach inlet and near the six artificial wrecks between the Breakers Hotel and the condos to the north. Trolling, kite fishing and drift fishing are popular ways to catch gamefish offshore. Drift fishing works well for catching fish from all levels of the water column.

Head to the mangroves, docks, bridges, channel edges, and seawalls of Lake Worth Lagoon if you prefer inshore fishing. For freshwater anglers, the nearby Lakes Osborne and Okeechobee offer excellent bass fishing opportunities. Live wild shiners make the best bait for bass fishing in these freshwater lakes. Largemouth bass is abundant in fall, winter, and spring, while peacock bass is easier to catch in summer.

The annual autumn mullet run attracts all kinds of gamefish both inshore and offshore. Watch the water to detect which fish is feeding on the mullet – tarpon leaps up, jacks charge, and snook attack from below. Use freelined live mullet near the edge of the school to attract larger fish. Once the bait swims erratically, there’s a predator nearby. Give your catch time to take the baitfish and hook itself before reeling. You can also use dead mullets, spoons, topwater plugs, artificial shrimp, and soft plastics during the mullet run.

While you can fish all year round in West Palm Beach, the best sail fishing is from November to March. The best tarpon fishing is in spring, and the best snook fishing happens in summer. There are often high catch rates for wahoo in the fall.

West Palm Beach boat ramps:

The following boat ramps provide access to West Palm Beach.