FISH SOUTHEAST

FLORIDA

CANALS!

ANGLER'S GUIDE TO

AEROJET CANAL

(C-111)

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

801 NW 40^th Street

Boca Raton, Florida 33431

(561) 391-6409

DESCRIPTION–The Aerojet Canal (C-111) is the southern-most freshwater canal in southeast Florida, and includes 6.4 miles of navigable waters in southern Miami-Dade County near the cities of Florida City and Homestead.  These canals were constructed in the mid-1900s by cutting into the coral rock substrate with large machines.  The canals have near vertical edges, range in width from 30 to more than 80 feet, and average about 12 feet deep (except for C-100B which averages about five feet deep). The C-100A has two five-acre, sand-bottomed lakes that are 10 feet deep.  This canal system has many forks, bends, and is lined with beautiful homes and parks making it an attractive and relaxing place to fish.

Cutler Drain Canal typically has clearer water than most south Florida canals which gives anglers the rare opportunity to do some freshwater sight-fishing (i.e., see and cast to a targeted fish in 6 to 10 feet of water).  Like other area canals, this one contains many fish; what makes it different is that sometimes these fishes can be seen swimming about as if they were in a large aquarium.  One of the “What’s that?” fishes is the bright orange midas cichlid.

The eastern section of the C-111 canal is 6.4 miles long.

BOAT RAMP DIRECTIONS–The boat ramp on this system is a single-lane, concrete ramp in fair condition.  To reach this ramp, take US 1 south through Florida City.  From the intersection of Palm Drive and US 1 it is 10.8 miles to the turn-off on the left (east) side of the road just before the bridge that crosses over Aerojet Canal.  Follow the gravel road left (east) 0.3 miles along the canal to the ramp.  There is adequate parking, but no facilities. 

GENERAL FISHING INFORMATION– Cutler Drain Canal provides excellent fishing for a variety of sportfishes.  In addition to butterfly peacock and largemouth bass, the presence of a few snook moving inland from Biscayne Bay gives anglers an opportunity to complete a canal ‘trifecta’ or ‘grand slam’.  The butterfly peacock is a world renown gamefish from South America that was successfully introduced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 1984 to eat undesirable exotic fishes, and to provide more sportfishing opportunities 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.  Shoreline vegetation, rip-rap areas, residential seawalls, and shady areas associated with bridges and culverts also provide excellent places to fish.  If there is a strong current in the main canal, spend more time fishing lateral canals and other areas that offer refuge from the current (e.g., cut-outs, bridge pilings, and the downstream side of spillways).

Fishing for butterfly peacock is 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 sometimes feed aggressively in open water. Butterfly peacock are abundant, average 13.9 inches (1.6 pounds), 23% of the harvestable fish are greater than 15 inches, and biologists have measured and released peacocks larger than 20 inches in this system.  The bag limit for butterfly peacock is two fish per day, only one of which can be greater than 17 inches.

Most butterfly peacock are caught on live bait or fast moving artificial lures and flies that imitate small fish.  Butterfly peacock are much more likely to be caught using live fish such as small golden shiners for bait than are largemouth bass which makes them an excellent fish for younger anglers, as well as those just learning to bass fish.  It is illegal to use goldfish or any other non-native fish for bait, except those legally caught from and used immediately in the same canal.

Cutler Drain Canal largemouth bass are also  abundant, average 13.5 inches (1.2 pounds), and fish greater than 20 inches are regularly sampled in this canal.  Fishing for largemouth bass tends to be best during the winter when the water temperatures cool and in the evening, night, and morning during the summer.  Plastic worms work well for largemouth bass, but they rarely catch butterfly peacock.  The bag limit for largemouth bass is five fish per day, only one of which can be greater than 14 inches.

The number and quality of panfish over six inches is similar to other area canals.  Live worms and crickets are the choice baits for many panfish anglers, although fresh bread or bread dough works well, is readily available, and it costs less.  Shoreline anglers can access these fisheries along roads paralleling and crossing the canal.  Some exploring is necessary to find the best locations for shoreline fishing, and always be sure to park cars safely on public right of ways.

Cutler Drain Canal anglers can also catch several exotic species including oscars from South America, spotted tilapia from Africa, and midas cichlids from Cental America.  These exotic fishes were illegally released and pose a threat to native species.  Oscars, spotted tilapia, and midas cichlids are all bream-shaped fishes.  Oscars have a red or orange circle at the base of its tail, and they have a thick layer of protective mucus on their bodies.  Spotted tilapia are golden with black vertical bars or spots, and some have red on them.  Midas cichlids vary greatly in color from a bluegill-like pattern to solid orange or red, and everything in between.  These exotic fishes are good to eat and you can keep every one you catch.

Cutler Drain Canal and other area canals receive a great deal of fishing pressure so we encourage anglers to release most, if not all of the butterfly peacock, largemouth bass, and snook they catch.  If anglers don’t release a majority of the sportfish they catch, these high quality fisheries will deteriorate rapidly. 

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.

An Acrobat PDF file of this brochure is available for printing on our fisheries publications site.