The Indian River Lagoon is a different place than when I began fishing there, about 25 years ago. Where seagrasses once flourished in the narrow, 155-mile-long stretch behind central Florida’s Atlantic barrier islands, open water is the norm now. Much of the year, the water is tinted in the browns and greens of persistent algae blooms.
For readers who may or may not recall the “old” lagoon, two pieces of good news:
One, public outcry is finally mobilizing some positive changes for the IRL. Some communities are retiring old septic systems, building marshes to contain stormwater runoff, restocking oysters and clams, and studying other ways to improve water quality.
Two, the lagoon’s trio of heralded gamefish, spotted seatrout, redfish and snook, have mostly weathered the grass dieoffs. The fishing is…
