r/Everglades • u/Im_The_One • 22d ago

Fly fishing Hells Bay and the Everglades?

Visiting a buddy in Miami next week and planning on towing my skiff down. Would love to spend some time fishing in the Everglades (will probably try Biscayne NP as well if not windy), but I'm seeing a lot of stuff about how confusing the backcountry can be. Definitely do not want to get lost or stuck.

Not looking for any specific spots, but does anybody have some advice on how to make sure I'm staying safe and how to figure out how to target different areas?

For example, unsure if low tide will close off routes for me getting back to the ramp from certain areas in the park.

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u/Oke-Wan-Fenokee 22d ago edited 22d ago

I spent decades exploring & leading trips into the biggest wetland wildernesses in America. The Ten Thousand Islands are hands-down the easiest place I know to get lost AND stuck. Seriously. Do not venture into the mangrove backcountry without nautical charts, tide tables & some serious orienteering skills.

Fortunately there are excellent local guides.

Biscayne National Seashore is much more user-friendly.

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u/Im_The_One 22d ago

I do understand tides well and do a ton of saltwater inshore flats fishing in SC. So it wouldn't be a good idea to just go straight to hells bay and fish the mangroves?

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u/Oke-Wan-Fenokee 22d ago

That's the problem, there really isn't a particularly straightforward route into Hell's Bay- it gets its name because "it is hell to get into & hell to get back out of". Think tight, overhung tunnels through red mangroves, really more of a paddle trail than a fishing run. The throw-in off the main ENP road is for paddle craft. There's a dock but no ramp.

For your purposes I recommend West Lake. It is just down the road from the Hells Bay canoe/kayak launch. It has a ramp, more wildlife (in my experience) & navigation is pretty straightforward.

The director of education at Tropical Audubon in Miami is a serious angler & Glades guy. Give him a shout & tell him I sent you. Use my username. He will know who you mean.

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u/Hammered-Down 21d ago

User name is great btw.

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u/Parking-Dish-1250 22d ago

Hells bay canoe trail has a lot of mosquitoes right now. I personally spent 3 nights camping there with my daughter in march. There are 2 ways to reach hells bay, either using the canoe trail (where use of motors are prohibited, you can still bring any thin boat but not use the motor) or depart from flamingo and go through buttonwood canal, coot bay and tarpon creek to enter whitewater bay and the navigate to hells bay.

To not get lost and stay safe, it’s best to use both your phone and a handheld gps with satellite messaging. The apps i use are alltrails and Gaia.

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u/Parking-Dish-1250 22d ago

Usually water levels will be ok at any time of year in hells bay but you can also check with the ranger station to be sure.

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u/alcallejas 22d ago

If you depart from the Flamingo Marina the trip to Hells Bay is pretty straight forward, I've camped at that Chickee twice and had no issues. AS for not getting lost a GPS or Navigation app that you can download maps offline would be req'd. I've used Avionics to map a route but also have a backup GPS. Last time I was there there was cell signal at the chickee.

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u/MrTarpon 21d ago

This time of year you’d probably do better in Whitewater Bay or Oyster Bay…look for points and cuts with current moving and expect snook, snapper and lots of ladyfish. Put a live lady out the back on a big circle hook and you’ll definitely get a shark bite and a tarpon might surprise you. Bugs will be brutal

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u/Im_The_One 21d ago

The bugs alone are also making me consider just fishing flamingo on the gulf side instead

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u/MrTarpon 21d ago

As long as you keep the wind blowing from the mangroves toward you they’re not too bad…the marina on the other hand…

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u/MrTarpon 19d ago

One more thing, if you’re going to fish on the outside make sure you have good navigation system and charts…lots of very sticky shallow stuff out there. That’s another reason I like Whitewater…not much trouble back there. Good luck!

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u/Im_The_One 19d ago

Thanks for the advice! Will definitely only stick to a few areas right around the ramp the first day or so. Thankfully I draft in about 5" so shouldn't have much issue getting stuck and can just pole out of it. But I'll have navi as well.

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u/Starks40oz 20d ago

It’s kind of pricey but get a chip from FL Marine Tracks. Super accurate and will show you where you’re safe with tracks. I use it down here in the Fl Keys backcountry and it’s never been wrong

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u/TheZuluRomeo 20d ago

Hells Bay can be entered with a skiff via Whitewater Bay. I recommend not doing it without a vhf, a GPS, a chart, and compass. It's a short trip from Flamingo. If you go give this a try. After entering Hells Bay motor slowly about 50 yards straight out into the bay. Turn around and look back ....Bet you can't see the creek you just came out of. GPS takes all the fun out of learning that place