Florida /

Indian River Lagoon

Bay in Florida · 165,880 acres · near Allenhurst, Ariel, Audubon, Bellwood

The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary on Florida's Atlantic coast. It runs from Ponce de León Inlet in Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County. It is made up of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the Indian River, which is the main body of water. The lagoon is between half a mile and five miles wide and averages 4 feet deep. Its waters cover 353 square miles. Five inlets connect it with the Atlantic Ocean, although locks at Port Canaveral limit water exchange there. Its brackish water is moved more by wind than by tide. It is one of 28 Estuaries of National Significance in the United States.

Public access is provided by Brevard County, several cities including Melbourne, Cocoa Beach and Palm Bay, the Canaveral Port Authority, Sebastian Inlet State Park and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Launches include Lee Wenner Park, John Jorgensen Landing, Scottsmoor Landing and Rodney S. Ketchum Ports End Park. In Brevard County, state manatee rules set year-round Slow Speed and 25 mph zones and close some areas near power plants from November 15 to March 31. In refuge waters, part of the Banana River is a No-Motor Zone. Two buoyed Pole & Troll Zones in Mosquito Lagoon require internal combustion engines to be shut off outside posted channels. Personal watercraft, airboats and kiteboarding are prohibited in refuge waters. Waters inside the Kennedy Space Center Security Zone are closed to entry.

About 40,000 acres of lagoon water in the refuge are open to fishing, with species including spotted seatrout, flounder and red drum.

Boating rules

Rules change; check with the agency or town before you go.

Launches

Community

Where people who fish, boat and paddle Indian River Lagoon talk about it. Lake associations, clubs and local groups will be added as we find them.

Sources

  1. Fast facts - St. Johns River Water Management District
  2. Fla. Admin. Code R. 68C-22.006 - Brevard County Zones - Cornell LII
  3. Merritt Island NWR Boating and Fishing Regulations - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  4. Fishing at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
  5. Indian River Lagoon - Wikipedia
  6. Indian River Lagoon - Facts and Figures - FAU Harbor Branch

Researched October 13, 2026 from the sources above. Written content CC BY 4.0. Something wrong? Corrections are welcome.

Wikidata: Q1141324