Shoalwater / Lagoon Bay is located along the Intracoastal Waterway via Fulghams Cut and west of the Lagoon, and is accessible from the launch ramp at Charlie’s Bait Camp. Charlie’s Bait Camp, on the mainland side of the Intracoastal Waterway, provides access by flats boat or kayak to the nearby flats of Shoalwater Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay, and the Lagoon. These areas offer a wealth of wadefishing and sightcasting options.
Shoalwater has rich grass beds, provides excellent habitat for redfish and is a favorite wadefishing and sightcasting destination. It is protected from north winds. Water depths run from 1 ½ feet to 3 feet in the bays middle. The bay holds clear water over grass-covered hard-sand bottoms. One of the best places to look for cruising and tailing redfish is the north shoreline. Reds will also be located in sand pockets in the grass flats.
When sightcasting to redfish be extremely quiet and move slowly. The fish, which usually travel singley or in small groups of 20 to 24-inchers, are easily spooked in the clear, shallow water. Wading is productive as long as there is about 1 foot near the shoreline. When the water level drops below 1 foot on a low tide, the fish tend to move out into the middle of the bay.
Click here for an aerial view (& topographic map) of Shell Bar and Shoalwater Bay. Shell Bar is at the end of the long narrow island (Long Island) running southwest through the center of the image.
Click here to view a handout provided by Captain Everett Johnson while speaking at the April 2006 PACK meeting.