BOAT RAMP DIRECTIONS--The only public boat ramp is located in Antonio Maceo Park. This park is open from dawn to dusk, and is operated by the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department. The two-lane ramp is paved and in excellent condition. The park has picnic tables, grills, a playground, and a paved parking area, but there are no restrooms. Note: Manatees are quite common, so be careful boating and watch for posted regulations. To reach the boat ramp, take the Turnpike Extension or I-95 to Hwy 836 (Dolphin Expressway). Take Hwy 836 east from the Turnpike or west from I-95 to Red Road (NW 57th Avenue). Go south on Red Road about 0.5 miles to NW 7th Street, east (left) 0.6 miles to NW 51st Avenue, and Antonio Maceo Park is on the left side just before NW 51st Avenue. ramp. Note: Anglers, particularly those from outside the metropolitan Miami - West Palm Beach area, should be aware that vandalism occurs at some boat ramps. Therefore, care should be taken to secure your vehicle and keep valuables out of sight or take them with you when you leave the ramp.

GENERAL FISHING INFORMATION--Tamiami Canal offers some of the most exciting and varied canal fishing in all of southeast Florida. Several anglers have reported canal 'trifecta' or 'grand slam' catches of butterfly peacock and largemouth bass topped-off with a snook or even a tarpon. The butterfly peacock is a world renown gamefish that was successfully introduced in the mid-1980s by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to eat undesirable exotic fishes, and to provide more sportfishing for anglers in the metropolitan Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area.

Fallen trees, canal intersections, sharp bends, and dead ends are generally productive areas for catching most species of fish. Sportfishes also congregate in the shade of bridges, culverts, and other structures. Shoreline vegetation, rip-rap, and even some residential seawalls (particularly in lateral canals) also provide good fishing opportunities. If there is a strong current in the main canal, spend more time fishing lateral canals, small lakes, and other areas that offer refuge from the current (e.g., cut-outs, bridge pilings, and the downstream side of spillways).

Tamiami Canal supports excellent populations of butterfly peacock and largemouth bass that average about 14 inches (1.5 pounds), and nearly 50% of the harvestable butterfly peacock and 40% of the largemouth bass are larger than this. The biggest butterfly peacock (10 pounds) ever confirmed in Florida came from this canal. The bag limit for butterfly peacock is two fish per day, only one of which can be greater than 17 inches. Fishing for butterfly peacock is usually best from March through May, but they are caught consistently throughout the year. Butterfly peacock feed only during daylight and normally close to shore, although schooling peacocks will sometimes feed aggressively in open water