Fishing is a popular sport at Port Canaveral, and there are many ways to do it. If you like to keep your feet on dry land, try fishing from the shore of one of our parks. Our most popular spot for shore fishing is the Malcolm E. McLouth Fishing Pier at Jetty Park. Anglers gather here around the clock to try their luck at snook, Spanish mackerel, drum and other challenging sport fish. For more information about the fishing pier and other park facilities, visit our section on Beaches, Parks & Camping.

The Port is also a perfect place to be if your dream day of fishing wouldn't be complete without the rumble of an Evinrude, spray-drenched decks, and losing your sunglasses overboard. From our harbor, you have easy boat access to the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean or, through the Canaveral Barge Canal and Canaveral Lock, to the Banana River, part of Florida's Intracoastal Waterway system.

Notes on using Canaveral Lock: For vessels with up to 12 feet draft, there is no charge for lockage. Lock operating hours are 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 365 days a year. Lockage takes 20 to 30 minutes.

For boaters who trailer their vessels, public boat launching ramps are available at Port's End Park and Freddie Patrick Park at no charge. We also have four marinas located within the Port's harbor and two more lie along the Barge Canal. These marinas provide wet and dry boat storage slips for boat owners who want easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway or the ocean. See Marinas for more information.

Don't worry if you don't have a boat of your own (or your boat is 1,000 miles away, at home). Boat chartering services are readily available at Port Canaveral for half-day, full-day and nighttime excursions. You can join a scheduled tour or fishing expedition or plan your own party. The Canaveral Charter Captains Association also has established a website providing information on charter boats that operate in the area.

Our fishing and facilities are so appealing that several major deep-sea fishing tournaments are held here each year. One of them, the annual Florida Sport Fishing Association's Offshore Tournament, is the largest single-day fishing tournament in the world.

Note: No traps or nets (except cast nets) may be deployed in Port Canaveral.

Maximize your boating and fishing fun by paying attention to safety and the laws of the State of Florida. For fishing regulations, boating safety information and online application for a Florida fishing license, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Restricted Boating and Fishing Areas

Boating and fishing is not allowed in any secured area of Port Canaveral with the exception that crewmembers of visiting ships may fish from their vessel. Secured areas are fenced in on both the north and south ends of the Port and require a Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) badge for entry. For a map of secured areas, click here.

No boating or fishing is allowed in the West Basin on days when cruise ships are present. Boating and fishing in the Trident Basin and within 200 feet of the Navy Pier in the Middle Basin is prohibited and under the jurisdiction of the United States Navy. Please also read about Launch Hazard Areas.

Boating and fishing is allowed in all port waters not designated above, provided the boat is 25 feet from any CPA-owned and operated pier, wharf or dock, and 100 feet from any vessel moored to any CPA-owned and operated pier, wharf or dock. Fishing also is allowed from all unsecured areas of the port such as Jetty Park, Freddie Patrick Park and Ports End Park.

Note: Violations and suspicious fishing-related activities should be reported to Canaveral Port Authority Security at 783-8878.