Peacock Bass Fishing West Palm Beach – Florida offers a unique opportunity to catch a game fish found nowhere else in the continental United States: the peacock eye.
For many anglers, catching this new species is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for those who call the southern tip of Florida home, it’s just another day on the water.
Peacock Bass Fishing West Palm Beach
Known for their bright colors and wild strikes, the peacock has become one of the most prized game fish in Florida. Most anglers will agree that large bass are beaten by pounds.
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Peacock bass are not native to Florida. But officials brought the species here on purpose, unlike many invasive species that enter state waters. They have been thriving in South Florida for decades.
The peacock eye is a family of fish native to the Amazon River and its tributaries in South America. The type of catfish caught in Florida is called the peacock bass, which is usually 16 to 20 inches long and weighs 3 to 6 pounds.
These brightly colored predators were introduced to South Florida waters in 1984 to help combat invasive species such as cichlids, Oscarfish and tilapia.
Peacock perch cannot survive cold conditions (temperatures below 60 degrees can be fatal for them), which limits their ability to spread and colonize.
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But they thrive in lakes, ponds in South Florida, and especially in city sewer systems in Broward and Dade counties near Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Anglers who travel to the Orlando area for Disney World or other reasons often hope to catch peacock bass in the city. But since peacock bass are tropical fish that require consistently warm conditions, they cannot survive in this part of the state.
Therefore, there are no peacock bass in areas of North Florida like Jacksonville or Tallahassee. You also won’t find bass fishing near the Central or Southwest Florida areas like Orlando or Tampa Bay.
The northernmost place in Florida where you can safely catch peacock bass is Palm Beach County, about 2.5 hours southeast of Orlando. If you draw a line in South Florida, the Naples area on the west side also has some peacock bass as you will read below.
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The most popular type of freshwater bass fishing in these areas is largemouth bass, which can be caught near Orlando, the Jacksonville area, and almost anywhere in Florida.
Yes, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allows anglers to keep two bass per day. Only one of them can be 17 inches or longer.
However, as with largemouth bass and other important sport species, many anglers prefer to release all peacock bass to help preserve this exciting fishery and allow the species to continue to drive lesser-known invasive fish species in South Florida.
Peacock bass are aggressive predators that often attack bait, surprising anglers accustomed to catching large bass in high-pressure waters. Many lures that work for largemouth will also work for peacock bass.
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This means you can leave the plastic worms at home. Peacock bass eat almost exclusively smaller fish and the best bait is live shad or shad. They also often attack crankbaits, crankbaits, topwater lures and “walking the dog” lures.
Fly fishing is also fun, with peacock bass attacking streamers and popper flies imitating minnows.
In canals, they often hang on near-vertical edges of the canal or hide in the shadows, waiting to catch passing baitfish.
The best time of year to catch bass in Florida is summer. These are warm weather fish, most active from April to September.
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Peacock rarely bite at night, but morning and evening are good times to fish.
Florida bass have a fairly limited range, but in several counties in the southern tip of the state, anglers can catch these fish in a wide variety of waterways.
If you want to catch a peacock in South Florida, these are the best places.
The city’s extensive canal system in Broward and Miami-Dade counties was built in the early 1900s for flood control, drainage, and water conservation and includes more than 300 miles of waterways.
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The canals are a bit like a labyrinth, consisting of a maze of visible canals above ground and underground canals that connect them.
The fishing is often excellent – bass and other species are common – but the canals can be confusing to say the least.
Fortunately, both counties have access to the sewer system from bridges, roads and trails, and there are plenty of places to wet your pipes. The canal passes through residential areas, between shopping centers and under busy roads.
The FWC offers a very helpful Southeast Florida Metropolitan Canal Information page that includes individual maps and guides to many of the best canals.
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The Black Creek Canal in southeast Miami-Dade County is one of the most productive canals for bass fishing. Black Creek Canal has 9.3 miles of navigable canoeable water on 97th Avenue Southwest.
Snapper Creek Canal is another great option, stretching 12.3 miles and connected by several side canals accessible by boat and a 7-acre lake.
You’ll find a paved boat ramp on Southwest 97th Avenue and excellent shore fishing along Red Road Linear Park.
The water in the canals is often clear, so watching peacock bass is an interesting option, especially fly fishing. Additionally, large surface bites usually occur in the early morning and late evening.
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Schools of peacock bass often swim in shallow water or congregate around unique structures such as bridges and piers. They often respond to aggressive, brightly colored lures.
Miami Airport Lakes, just south of Miami International Airport, offers some of the best bass in Florida.
Anglers can catch plenty of 2- and 3-pound peacock bass here. Some are bigger. In the early 1990s, state records over 9 pounds were set on this chain of lakes, and trophy-sized peacock bass can still be caught today.
The five lakes that make up this chain from east to west are Blue Lagoon, Red-shouldered Hawk Lake, Red-tailed Hawk Lake, Lake Joanne, and Lake Mahar.
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Antonio Maceo Park offers a boat ramp (the only one on Airport Lake) at the Blue Lagoon, which is the main access point. The lake is directly connected to Mahar Lake through the Tamiami Canal.
The waters of Miami Airport Lake are deep and clear and offer excellent bass fishing. Try casting around docks, bridge piers, slipways and large stretches of shoreline.
Miami Airport Lake also has many shore fishing opportunities, although most of the access is not official.
Most of the shoreline is occupied by businesses and apartment complexes, but there are also numerous boardwalks, sidewalks, and parking lots that provide access.
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Markham Park is a 669-acre park in Fort Lauderdale that offers excellent fishing opportunities for peacock bass and largemouth bass. Markham Park is located north of Alligator Alley in the west end of Fort Lauderdale, on the edge of the Everglades.
Markham Park offers a variety of fishing opportunities, including lake and canal fishing. The park’s network of small lakes are ideal for boating and offer anglers ample shore access.
The western and southern boundaries of the park are along the New North River channel, which offers some of the best bass in the park. Paths along the coast provide easy access and the entire canal area can be used for fish farming.
Two concrete boat ramps are located on the canal at Markham Park, providing ample parking for vehicles and trailers. Camping is also possible in the park.
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Anglers heading to Markham Park have access to miles of navigable waterways east to Fort Lauderdale and north along the edge of the Everglades.
Be sure to read our complete guide to fishing in the Everglades, which includes walleye and more.
Lake Osborne and Lake Ida are two suburban lakes in Palm Beach County connected by a canal and are the northernmost lakes where you can safely catch walleye.
In addition to bass, Lakes Osborne and Ida are home to native game fish such as largemouth bass, sunfish and goldfish, as well as exotic fish such as clownfish and Mayan cichlids.
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Lake Osborne is the larger of the two lakes at approximately 390 acres and is very easy to fish due to the abundance of parks surrounding its shores.
The Lake Osborne habitat has plenty of healthy vegetation such as willows, cattails, cattails, and hydrillas that provide habitat for peacock-eye and other species.
The north end of Lake Osborne has many parks, while the south end is more developed. Casting around ship gates can be productive.
Covering 147 acres, this smaller lake has ample shoreline and navigation through Lake Ida Park West. The lake and its adjacent channel are ideal for kayak anglers.
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Offering some of the best bass fishing on the west side of Florida, the Golden Gate Canal is a network of freshwater canals that run through the Golden Gate community of Naples.
Peacock bass thrive here along with native game fish such as largemouth bass and black bass. The channels are deep, clear and warm enough to support a self-sustaining population of peacock bass.
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