From Palm Bay, 11 waters from our guide are no more than 75 minutes away by road — 9 lakes, 1 bay or estuary and 1 river or creek. 1 of them is salt or brackish water, 9 fresh. Our records list no fewer than 35 species of fish for them.
The shortest drive: Indian River Lagoon, 11 min
Indian River Lagoon (estuary) is the shortest drive from Palm Bay: 11 min (6.5 mi). The drive time is measured to the ramp: Castaways Point Park Kayak Launch.
Also within a short drive:
- Lake Washington — 19 min (15.3 mi)
- Lake Poinsett — 33 min (30.6 mi)
- Saint Johns River — 35 min (33.9 mi)
Launching near Palm Bay: 129 ramps
Around Palm Bay you will find 129 boat ramps, 58 fishing piers and 4 shore-fishing spots on the waters in this guide. Nearest to the center for launching: Castaways Point Park Kayak Launch on Indian River Lagoon, roughly 4.7 mi as the crow flies. For fishing without a boat, the closest pier is Melbourne Beach Pier on Indian River Lagoon, about 6.7 mi from the center.
What bites near Palm Bay: Brown Bullhead first
Brown Bullhead turns up in more of these waters than any other fish: 10 of 11. It is followed by Largemouth Bass (9), Channel Catfish (9), White Catfish (9) and Yellow Bullhead (9).
For each of these 5 fish the closest water is the same: Lake Washington, 19 min (15.3 mi).
3 waters at the top of the Palm Bay list
Ranked by drive time, depth data, species records and access, the first 3 for Palm Bay are:
- Indian River Lagoon (estuary): 218,769 acres, 7 fish species on record, max depth 75.5 ft (surveyed) and 209 ramps.
- Lake Washington: 3,005 acres, 21 fish species on record, max depth 7 ft (surveyed) and 3 ramps.
- Lake Tohopekaliga: 18,627 acres, 19 fish species on record, max depth 17 ft (surveyed), 17 ramps and 120 fish stocked.
Indian River Lagoon goes down to 75.5 ft
Indian River Lagoon has the greatest depth on our map near here, 75.5 ft (surveyed). Other deep spots are Saint Johns River (65 ft), Lake Conway (34 ft) and Alligator Lake (32 ft). Maximum depths are known for 10 of the 11 waters.
Camping within reach of Palm Bay
You can camp next to the water: 8 campgrounds are within reach of Palm Bay. Nearest to the city: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park — Storytelling Camp (12 mi, by Indian River Lagoon), St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park — Pine Camp (12.2 mi, by Indian River Lagoon) and Horseman's Headquarters Camp (12.2 mi, by Indian River Lagoon).
Stocking records around Palm Bay
Stocking records cover 2 of these waters; the largest totals are Lake Conway (200 fish) and Lake Tohopekaliga (120 fish).
