What To Do on the Water in Central Florida this Winter
November 28, 2023 7 min read
Central Florida boaters, WINTER IS COMING. Okay, to be fair, it’s not really that big a deal. It’s not like we have to winterize. But it does get chilly enough for a few months that sitting on the sandbar isn’t all that pleasant, and fishing can be tough with that northeast wind after a front. So what’s a local boater to do? Sit inside and watch football? Absolutely not. The fact is that there’s plenty of fun stuff to do on the water during our “winter.” Here are a few suggestions:
Watch Eagles and Other Wildlife
For obvious reasons, bald eagles flock to Central Florida to nest during the winter, when they’re a common sight around the region’s lakes, rivers and estuaries. Head out with a pair of binoculars and a field guide to observe them, along with other raptors and our huge variety of wading birds and waterfowl. Winter is also a great time to see big alligators. The water is cold(er), so they sunbathe on banks and logs to warm up.
Head out with a pair of binoculars and a field guide to observe nesting bald eagles.
Visit Our Increible Springs
Central Florida’s amazing springs are worth visiting any time of year, but they’re often crowded during summer. Silver Glen and Salt Springs off Lake George are accessible by boat and usually either empty or close to it in winter. Launching at Ray Wayside Park and idling up the Silver River is sublime, until you’re interrupted by the resident monkeys. The Rainbow River, near Dunnellon, is more than worth the drive.
Launching at Ray Wayside Park and idling up the Silver River is sublime, until you’re interrupted by the resident monkeys.
On the St. Johns, you can beach your boat at Blue Springs State Park and walk along the spring run, which is chock-full of manatees during the colder months. BONUS: The springs are a constant temperature year-round, so as long as you bring warm clothes for when you get out, it’s no colder to snorkel in January than it is in July.
Go Boat Camping
Boat-in camping is a great time but pretty much a cool weather-only activity in our region. The heat and the bugs can make spending the night in a tent downright unpleasant.
Winter, though, is ideal for loading up the boat with tents, food, firewood and friends and heading to your favorite spoil island for a couple of nights.
Winter is ideal for loading up the boat with tents, food, firewood and friends and heading to your favorite spoil island for a couple of nights.
Canaveral National Seashore maintains 14 primitive boat-in campsites in northern Mosquito Lagoon, and there are many more spoil islands open to camping in southern Brevard County. Several rivers in the area also have primitive boat-in sites.
Catch Some Specks (or Shad, or Bass, or Sheepshead, or Trout, or …)
Winter is the “off-season” for fishing in Central Florida more because of the cooler temperatures and northeast winds than because nothing is biting. In fact, there’s plenty of great fishing to be had.
The lakes along the St. Johns provide world-class speck (aka crappie) fishing.
The lakes along the St. Johns provide world-class speck (aka crappie) fishing. Bass fishing is stellar on our many lakes and chains. American shad swim up the St. Johns to spawn and provide exciting action for fly and light tackle anglers. Sheepshead binge around docks, jetties and bridges, and big speckled trout bite best on those cold, windy days.
Comb the Beach for Shells and Other Treasures
Winter’s winds and waves — along with dramatically reduced beach usage — make for prime shelling, especially in areas accessible only or mainly by boat.
You can find a few treasures on the East Coast’s islands and sandbars, but for the best beachcombing you’ll want to make the trek over to the Gulf coast, where you can anchor on the inland side of barrier islands and then walk the exposed Gulf side.
For the best beachcombing you’ll want to make the trek over to the Gulf coast, where you can anchor on the inland side of barrier islands.
Caladesi Island State Park has convenient docking on the bay side with an easy walk to the Gulf side beach. Honeymoon Island State Park has plenty of protected shallow water on the bay side toward the northern end. Three Rooker Island and Anclote Key also have shallow, protected water on their eastern shores and beautiful, undeveloped beaches on their west sides.
Explore Our Scenic Rivers
A steady 15-knot northeast wind might make the open Atlantic or even the Indian River Lagoon highly unpleasant, but it’s a non-issue on Central Florida’s rivers, which are at their most beautiful during winter.
A steady 15-knot northeast wind might make the open Atlantic or even the Indian River Lagoon highly unpleasant, but it’s a non-issue on Central Florida’s rivers.
There’s the St. Johns, of course, which is incredibly scenic and dotted with great boat-in bar-and-grill joints — the Jolly Gator just upstream from Lake Harney, Gator’s Riverside at the SR 415 bridge, St. Johns River Steak and Seafood in Sanford, the Swamp House at Highbanks, the St. Johns River Grille near the SR 44 bridge and Drifters in Astor. The Econlockhatchee, the Wekiva and the Ocklawaha are even more scenic, although not accessible with deeper draft boats.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
You can bet your last dollar that Central Florida’s many boat-in restaurants and bars don’t close just for a little cold front. So bundle up, hit the water, and cruise to your favorite waterside watering hole.
There are plenty of stops along the scenic St. Johns (see above) plus JB’s Fish Camp in Bethune Beach, River Deck and Outriggers in New Smyrna Beach, Down the Hatch and Off the Hook in Ponce Inlet, and many more to the north. In Brevard County, try Pier 220 under the bridge in Titusville, Dolphins on the Barge Canal in Merritt Island, and the Island on the Banana River in Merritt Island.
