"Before motels and vacation rentals, there were fish camps. These were rustic camps along the lagoon where you could rent a cabin, launch a boat, buy bait, and fish all day. They were the heart of old Florida — simple, cheap, and close to the water."
What Were Fishing Camps?
Fishing camps were a quintessential Florida institution — rustic waterfront properties where anglers could rent a simple cabin, launch a boat, buy bait and tackle, and fish the lagoon for days at a time. They lined the Indian River Lagoon from the early 1900s through the 1970s. A typical fish camp had a dock with boat rentals, a bait house, a fish cleaning station, and a handful of small cabins — often without air conditioning, just screens and fans. They were affordable, family-oriented, and deeply connected to the fishing culture of the lagoon. For many Floridians and visiting families, a week at a fish camp was the summer vacation — fishing all day, cooking the catch on a grill, and listening to the cicadas at night. Fish camps were places where fishing knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.
