About Snake Bight, FL

Snake Bight is a canal with an elevation of 36 feet located near the ghost town of the same name in the Monroe County of Florida and it flows along Snake Bight Trail in the Everglades National Park. It is also known as the old Ingraham Canal as it is situated near the Ingraham Highway.

The homonymously named ghost town is more widely known for its massive concentration of mosquitos. The term Snake Bight itself might be a play on words. Calusa Indians resided in and around Snake Bight before modern settlers arrived. Residents of Flamingo as well as visiting fishermen and hunters set up camps in the area later on. The canal was dug out from the bight to the main road in the early 1900s. In 1940, a fish company base was established along the coastal edge of the canal and it contained a fish processing plant. Over the years, hurricanes and heavy storms have taken their toll on the area, resulting in the overgrowth seen now.

All About Fishing in Snake Bight, FL

In addition to being a good area to canoe and view plants and wildlife, Snake Bight has become a designated pole and troll zone for anglers. The canal is home to a variety of fish species including tarpon, sharks, rays, dolphin and redfish. The canal is so shallow in certain areas that the wind and tides often leave large flats exposed, providing great opportunities for flats fishing. The canal’s fecund aquatic vegetation and protected seagrass meadows provide a home to over 200 species of fish, many of which are significant commercially and recreationally. 

Following the designation of a pole and troll zone, anglers can go fishing using boats propelled by push poles, paddles, or electric trolling motors. The best vessels to use in the zone are shallow-draft boats, canoes and kayaks. Fly fishing, baitcasting, drift fishing, spinning, jigging, as well as trolling can be done in the canal. Wade fishing can also be done in areas where it’s too shallow to use a boat. To prevent damage to seagrass, anglers are urged to stay in deeper channels during a falling tide. Poll and troll zone and idle speed signs are available throughout the canal to provide safety and compliance. Anglers are encouraged to look up local fishing regulations as well as bag limits for certain species before venturing out to the canal.

Fishing Seasonality

The peak season is from March to July with most of the fish found in receding tides. The best months to land trophy tarpon is in May and June. Fishing for sharks is open all-year round except for great whites. There are limits to catching and possessing the species in the state. As stingrays are unregulated in Florida, anglers are free to catch and keep them. They can be fished for from May through October as this is when they mate. The high season for dolphinfish is between April and June while anglers will least likely find them during the months of November and December. September is the peak month to fish for redfish as they spawn between the August and November months. Before heading out, anglers are advised to check the day’s tides and weather forecast, particularly wind conditions and the likelihood of thunderstorms. 

Fishing Seasonality

The peak season is from March to July with most of the fish found in receding tides. The best months to land trophy tarpon is in May and June. Fishing for sharks is open all-year round except for great whites. There are limits to catching and possessing the species in the state. As stingrays are unregulated in Florida, anglers are free to catch and keep them. They can be fished for from May through October as this is when they mate. The high season for dolphinfish is between April and June while anglers will least likely find them during the months of November and December. September is the peak month to fish for redfish as they spawn between the August and November months. Before heading out, anglers are advised to check the day’s tides and weather forecast, particularly wind conditions and the likelihood of thunderstorms. 

All About Fishing in Snake Bight, FL

In addition to being a good area to canoe and view plants and wildlife, Snake Bight has become a designated pole and troll zone for anglers. The canal is home to a variety of fish species including tarpon, sharks, rays, dolphin and redfish. The canal is so shallow in certain areas that the wind and tides often leave large flats exposed, providing great opportunities for flats fishing. The canal’s fecund aquatic vegetation and protected seagrass meadows provide a home to over 200 species of fish, many of which are significant commercially and recreationally. 

Following the designation of a pole and troll zone, anglers can go fishing using boats propelled by push poles, paddles, or electric trolling motors. The best vessels to use in the zone are shallow-draft boats, canoes and kayaks. Fly fishing, baitcasting, drift fishing, spinning, jigging, as well as trolling can be done in the canal. Wade fishing can also be done in areas where it’s too shallow to use a boat. To prevent damage to seagrass, anglers are urged to stay in deeper channels during a falling tide. Poll and troll zone and idle speed signs are available throughout the canal to provide safety and compliance. Anglers are encouraged to look up local fishing regulations as well as bag limits for certain species before venturing out to the canal.