by Mike Hammond
If you are looking for a quiet spot to slip your kayak or SUP into the water this busy tourist season, Judd Community Park in North Fort Myers may be the place for you. The park has a playground, picnic shelters, tennis courts, restrooms, a dog park and an underused paddlecraft launch. Paddlers can pull up to the concrete launch to unload or back their kayak trailers and rigs into the water. If you have a fiberglass or epoxy paddlecraft, please remember the launch is concrete and take the necessary steps to protect your equipment.
If you would like a more natural landscape, as you are leaving the park, turn right and head west with a turn north toward Pine Island Road. The mangrove lined creek transitions into a scrub habitat with saw-palmetto and pine trees. Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers reports that freshwater species typically are caught in this section, but species such as jack and snook will also go as far as Pine Island Road when conditions are right. If you paddle far enough, you may even find the entrance to the Jack Tanner Canoe and Kayak Trail.
Heading south from the park has some nice natural areas as well, but most of this section is residential. Anglers seeking canals and docks should head this way. Continuing south will take you under Pondella Road and eventually to the Caloosahatchee River. Paddlers who want quicker access to this section of the Caloosahatchee may prefer launching from the North Shore Park beach. Be warned though that the North Shore Park launch is not protected from the wind like Judd Park and conditions can be rough.
Anyone interested in a guided paddling tour of the area should contact Connie Langmann from Gaea Guides. She is a Florida Master Naturalist and leads paddlers on sunset bat tours in this area. Guests can watch thousands of bats emerge from their colony and fly off into the night. It is an experience you won’t forget.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet launch with access to diverse fishing or an easy relaxing paddle, give Judd Community Park launch a try.
