Everglades National Park in southern Florida is a great place for boating if you want to see the landscape from a watery perspective, throw in a hook and line for sport or to catch dinner, or to just relax and enjoy the day while out on the water.
Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities at Everglades National Park / NPS - M. Collier
Boating
To boat in this national park, you’ll need to know a few things.
- Boaters need a park pass just like drivers entering this park. You can show your entrance pass card or pre-pay online for a digital pass.
- A boater education course and accompanying certificate are mandatory if operating a powerboat within the marine waters of the park.
- Boaters need to follow all rules and regulations and being aware of access/resource protection/special-use zones for Everglades National Park.
Everglades National Park consists of over 800 square miles (2,072 square kilometers) of marine waters from the Ten Thousand Islands to Florida Bay. Click here for maps and other navigational aids to help you navigate areas ranging from basins to shallow coastal waters to sandbars and seagrass to sharp oyster reefs.
Looking for fuel (marine, regular gas, diesel), food, drinks, and fishing gear? The Flamingo Marina is Everglades National Park's only marina, open year-round, and operated by Everglades Guest Services. There are also two boat ramps, canoe/kayak/pontoon/skiff/houseboat/bicycle rentals, and options for guided boating and canoe trips available at this marina.
Fishing
Whether you are a saltwater or freshwater angler, fishing is listed as one of the most popular outdoor activities within the park. There are almost 300 species of fish within the fresh and salt waters of Everglades National Park, so you might hook snapper, redfish, bluegill, sea trout, largemouth bass, and tarpon, just to name a few. You can also go crabbing for stone or blue crabs, and catch shrimp. Of course, you will need a Florida fishing license for either freshwater or saltwater, and you’ll need to understand both park and Florida fishing regulations.
On a good day when the fish are jumping, it’s important to note anglers are limited to possession of 20 fish/person at any time, but may possess no more than 10 fish of any one species. Be aware that the bag limit for many species is less than 10 fish. There is no possession limit for non-native species like peacock bass or tilapia.
To be aware of all the regulations, read about mercury warnings, and understand other information pertinent to fishing in more detail, click on the Fishing header above.
