Stick Marsh

Stick Marsh fishing puts anglers on a 6,500-acre shallow impoundment near Fellsmere, Florida, where flooded timber, drainage ditches, levees and aquatic vegetation create productive freshwater habitat. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identifies the waterbody as the St. Johns Water Management Area, while anglers commonly call it Stick Marsh or Farm 13. Guided trips help visitors fish this structure safely and efficiently.

Stick Marsh Fishing Trips Near Fellsmere

BassOnline offers a four-hour trip with morning and afternoon sessions and a six-hour morning trip. The verified booking products include rods, reels, tackle, artificial lures, a cooler, ice, bottled water and on-water instruction. A Florida freshwater fishing license, transportation and optional live bait are not included. Use the booking cards on this page to check current dates, session times and pricing.

About Stick Marsh and Farm 13

FWC describes Farm 13/Stick Marsh as a 6,500-acre impoundment in northwest Indian River County. Water depths generally range from 4 to 8 feet. The public access area includes a double-lane concrete boat ramp, an airboat launch, restrooms and paved parking. Fuel, food and bait are not available at the site, so arrive prepared.

Submerged and floating timber, old agricultural features and changing water levels create navigation hazards. Boaters who do not know the impoundment should move cautiously and follow marked access routes. That same structure gives bass and panfish ambush cover throughout the system.

Fish Species and Productive Habitat

Largemouth bass are the primary target. FWC also lists bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie and catfish among the popular sportfish. Vegetated shorelines, underwater levees, drainage ditches, woody cover and areas with moving water can all concentrate fish.

• Largemouth bass: Work weedless soft plastics, topwater lures, crankbaits or live golden shiners around vegetation, submerged berms and current.
• Black crappie: Use small jigs or minnows along deeper ditches, grass edges and drop-offs.
• Bluegill and redear: Focus on perimeter levees, shell or sand bottom and vegetation with crickets, worms, grass shrimp or small jigs.
• Catfish: Traditional natural baits can be effective in open-water drainage features and deeper areas.

When to Fish Stick Marsh

Stick Marsh can be fished throughout the year, but the useful pattern changes with water temperature, vegetation, wind and water movement. In warmer periods, the early and late portions of the day often provide comfortable conditions and active fish. Current flowing through cuts or control structures can group baitfish and predators. In cooler periods, slower presentations and live bait can help when artificial-lure action is limited.

Historic Stick Marsh Guide Field Notes

Cold-period field note: One older Stick Marsh report recorded morning water temperatures in the low 60s that warmed into the mid-60s, with intermittent moving water. Live shiners produced the best action, while smaller artificial presentations worked better when fished slowly. The durable lesson is to slow down when cooler water delays the seasonal peak.

Pre-spawn high-water field note: A late-January report found bass feeding ahead of the spawn despite slightly elevated water. Live shiners and a soft-plastic stick bait both produced quality fish. Modest high water does not always suppress a pre-spawn bite when fish are staging and feeding.

Late-fall high-wind field note: One historical trip in strong wind still produced steady largemouth action, with live bait outperforming artificial presentations and most reported fish in the 1- to 3-pound range. Keeping a natural bait option available can help when wind makes precise presentations difficult. These observations are historical field evidence, not a current fishing forecast.

Stick Marsh Video

Access, License and Bass Regulations

The meeting point is on Fellsmere Grade Road at the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 access area. FWC states that largemouth bass at Stick Marsh/Farm 13 are catch-and-release, so bass must be returned to the water. Anglers age 16 and older generally need a Florida freshwater fishing license unless an exemption applies. Review the linked FWC page before travel because regulations, access details and site conditions can change.

Local Stick Marsh Fishing Guides

Local guides know how to approach the shallow timber, drainage ditches, vegetation and open-water structure that make this fishery distinctive. A guided trip also provides the boat, fuel, fishing equipment and instruction listed in the selected booking product. Beginners can get help with casting and lure presentation, while experienced anglers can spend more time on seasonal patterns and high-percentage water.