Estero Bay

Estero Bay, Florida, is an estuary located on the west coast of the state southeast of Fort Myers Beach.

The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is long and very shallow, and covers about 15 square miles (39 km²). Estero Bay is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands: Estero Island, Long Key, Lovers Key, Black Island, Big Hickory Island, and Little Hickory Island. Four outlets give access to the Gulf of Mexico: (from north to south) Matanzas Pass, Big Carlos Pass, New Pass, and Big Hickory Pass. Incorporated places on the bay include Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach and the unincorporated area of Estero.

In December of 1966, the northern half of Estero Bay was designated as the state's first aquatic preserve, the Estero Bay Preserve State Park. The southern half of the bay was added to the preserve during the 1983 Florida Legislature session.

Estero Bay contains several natural community types. Although overlap between the different communities often occurs, they remain distinct community types.

The dominant community type in the Estero Bay Estuary is the mangrove forest. Four different species of mangrove tree occur in the bay. Moving progressively inward, those species are the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus). The most common variation of the mangrove community within Estero Bay is the fringe mangrove which occurs along the shorelines of the bays, lagoons, and other waterways. All four mangrove species can be found in this variation. There are also significant areas of overwash mangrove areas, where the mangroves are standing in water with little or no associated uplands. This variation is generally dominated by red mangroves. There are a few variations that appear in more in more inland areas which usually have a high degree of mixture between the mangrove species and might include dwarf or scrub varieties.

The seagrass beds are primarily comprised of three seagrasses: turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), and Cuban shoal grass (Halodule wrightii). In areas of low salinity, such as near the mouth of freshwater rivers and creeks, widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) can be found. The denser grassbeds are usually found in shallow water with a fairly constant level of salinity.

Salt marshes are also present in Estero Bay, although they have been generally forced out by mangrove communities in this area of Florida. They form a transitional community between mangroves, freshwater marshes, and salt barrens. This community becomes more dominant in the brackish upper reaches of Henry and Mullock Creeks outside of the aquatic preserve boundaries. The dominant species in this community are cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in the lower zones, needlerush (Juncus roemarianus) in the middle zone, and salt grass (Distichlis spicata) and slender cordgrass (Spartina patens) in the uppermost reaches.

Tidal flats comprise a wide variety of habitats that share the characteristic of having only sporadic vegetation from the three previous habitat types if they have any vascular vegetation at all. They do however contain extensive algal beds and have an important (although poorly understood) role in the estuary. These areas consist of estuarine beaches, spoil areas, shoal areas, mud flats, and areas waterward of mangrove forests.

Oyster bars form a unique substrate in areas where there are no other hard substrates. They serve to decrease turbidity by trapping sediment and stabilizing erosion processes. They provide a hard substrate and habitat for many other species of invertebrates which in turn attracts predators for those species.

Ecological Importance

The combination of subtropical climate, the lagoon configuration, and vegetation make this estuarine complex one of the most productive in the state. Approximately 40% of the state's endangered and threatened species are found within this area. The estuary also indirectly supports a variety of commercial and sport fisheries by providing nursery area, which substantially adds to the local economy. The estuary is also an important home for bird nesting colonies and a valuable stopover area for migrating birds.

Estero Bay is appropriate for many recreation activities, including boating, fishing, bird-watching, kayaking / canoeing, and swimming.

Commercial:

Commercial uses for Estero Bay include tourism and fishing.

The seagrass beds are primarily comprised of three seagrasses: turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), and Cuban shoal grass (Halodule wrightii).

Four different species of mangrove tree occur in the bay. Moving progressively inward, those species are the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus). The most common variation of the mangrove community within Estero Bay is the fringe mangrove which occurs along the shorelines of the bays, lagoons, and other waterways. All four mangrove species can be found in this variation. There are also significant areas of overwash mangrove areas, where the mangroves are standing in water with little or no associated uplands. This variation is generally dominated by red mangroves.

Oyster beds, reefs, submerged vegetation, ledges.

Take time during your first few trips to Estero to learn the waters before charging around the bay on plane, even in the shallowest-draft boat. Bring a pushpole if you own one, and pay attention to the tides. The safest bet is to navigate the bay via the marked channels, then idle, drift, or pole to your fishing spots. The bay is small enough that you won’t get an Olympic workout pushing yourself around, and the scenery is great.

While there are definite signs of development around Estero, the bay remains much the same as it looked hundreds of years ago when the Calusa Indians called the area home. Large groups of mangrove islands in the northern part of the bay can be fished all day without seeing another boat. The variety of habitat found throughout Estero Bay means good fishing for sheepshead, trout, snook and redfish. In fact, the Bay provides a year-round home for redfish, although their behavior changes with the seasons.

Estero Bay redfish are heavily influenced by tide and water temperature. To catch reds all year, anglers must vary their approach based upon the prevailing conditions. As a result, each season brings with it a different approach to redfishing to take advantage of the opportunities nature provides.