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Coastal!
Get hooked on boating, kayaking and fishing in Cape Coral.
Photo Provided by The Lee County VCB
If you love boating and fishing, you’ re in the right place. The Caloosahatchee River, Pine Island Sound and the Gulf of Mexico frame the Cape, and 400 miles of canals crisscross the city, so the coastal ambience is central to the city’ s lifestyle. Water sports are easily accessible and affordable, and chances are, you won’ t have to go farther than your backyard to drop a line or crank up your boat.
Sailors, cruisers, powerboat buffs and paddlers make Cape Coral their home and destination— and the boat docks lining waterways are testament to the popularity of marine activities here. It’ s great for landlubbers, too, who enjoy getting out on the water for a daytrip, dining at waterfront restaurants and taking in sunsets and other coastal pursuits. Because our waters are shallow and navigating them can be tricky, many people prefer to leave the piloting and boat maintenance to professionals. Charter captains, fishing guides and cruises are abundant, whether you’ re looking for a day of fishing, a romantic evening sail or a floating party.
If your idea of a perfect outing is by paddle, you’ re in luck. Kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle-boarding are popular pastimes, thanks to the abundance of canals and back bays to explore.
Fishing enthusiasts take pleasure in the endless variety and challenge for both novices and seasoned anglers. Flats fishing offers some great opportunities for technical fishing challenges, but you can catch fish from your backyard or a waterfront park— and what fisherman can resist casting in a line when the jack crevalle are splashing the canal to a boil?
You can board your boat behind your house and head out to grass flats for redfish, show the grandkids how to catch a snapper by Shell Point, or hook up with buddies to charter a trip with a captain who knows the hot spots for snook, tarpon, redfish and grouper in the vast estuarine environment around Cape Coral.
Cape Coral’ s saltwater canals feed into the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf of Mexico— some more directly than others.( Please see The Canals: What You Need to Know, p. 65.) The freshwater system of canals, lakes and waterways also offer plenty of recreation opportunities, and good fishing for bass, tilapia, Oscars and other species.
The Caloosahatchee River is part of the Intracoastal Waterway, a federal navigation route that runs along the country’ s Eastern Seaboard and crosses Florida through Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee.
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Boaters from all over the country cruise through Cape Coral, and many stop for a few days or a few months.
Residents who don’ t dock boats by their homes can choose from private or public marinas or opt for private dockominiums for dry storage. Wet slips are available for lease at two municipal facilities— the Cape Coral( Godman) Yacht Basin at the Yacht Club Community Park and at Rosen Park on Chantry Canal.
The city’ s Marine Services Division maintains five paved public boat ramps with ample parking, the Chiquita Lock and several unpaved ramps with limited parking and no amenities. At each of the paved ramps, boat-trailer parking costs $ 10 per day. A discount program for residents provides 12-month parking for boat trailers for $ 50. A new payment app launched in June 2015 allows users to pay for boat trailer parking from their smartphone, tablet or computer without visiting the meter.
For information about leasing slips, the boat-trailer parking program or other boater assistance, call the city’ s harbormaster or assistant harbormaster at 574-0809 or visit Parks & Recreation Marine Services Division at CapeCoral. net. continued on page 64