Fishing West Palm Beach Felt More Remote Than We Imagined

We decided to include West Palm Beach in our tour for its many opportunities for fishing and outdoor fun. We knew that kind of diversity often comes with increased development, traffic, and crowds, and we accepted that tradeoff. As we headed south from St. Augustine, we prepared for less of a settled-in feeling and more of a navigate-around-it mindset. West Palm Beach surprised us almost immediately.

Our campground was nearly 20 miles inland, tucked into a secluded, forested area where nights were quiet and charging our electric RV was the easiest it would be for the entire trip. The loudest sounds came from nature—well, unless you count the African lions roaring behind a high fence surprisingly close to our campsite. It didn’t feel anything like the urban, city fishing experience we had braced for. That disconnect revealed a very different side of West Palm Beach than we imagined.

Series Note

This article is part of a 30-day, 1,600-mile road trip exploring some of Florida’s most iconic destinations, Along the way, my wife and I lived full-time in a 24-foot, all-electric RV. We knew the trip sounded amazing, but we wondered what effect an electric vehicle might have on our adventure.

Start the series here: Is My Fishing Lifestyle Ready for an All-Electric RV?

Why West Palm Beach Made Sense for Our Road Trip

Point of view setting the hook on a fish on Worth Lake Lagoon. — The Palm Beach area offers an abundance of fishing options. | Kurt Mazurek

As we intended to go all the way to Key West in our tour, West Palm Beach made sense geographically and it provided a chance to experience a different kind of Florida stop. It offered so much access to fishing, food, and outdoor experiences that most days could include all of the above if we wanted. And as it turned out, staying a bit inland gave us flexibility we hadn’t considered—allowing us to choose outings to the coast or quieter days closer to camp. That balance fit our lifestyle and the rhythm of this trip perfectly.

Fishing the West Palm Beach Area

An angler leaning over the side of his boat grabbing a snook he just caught. — Our guide Patrick Smith grabbing a snook we coaxed out of the mangroves on Worth lake Lagoon. | Kurt Mazurek

There’s no shortage of fishing in the West Palm Beach area—both saltwater and freshwater. Lake Worth Lagoon, the intracoastal waterway that separates West Palm Beach from the long narrow strip of land that is Palm Beach, is loaded with classic inshore fishing for species like snook, redfish, pompano, crevalle jack, and even tarpon. While Lake Mangonia and Lake Osborne are freshwater gems loaded with largemouth bass, peacock bass and clown knifefish.

But, in my search for a fishing spot, I reconnected with an old friend. I’ve known Ernie DeBlasi for years, originally through his handmade lure company and we now stay connected mostly through social media. Ernie has always been a guy who wears a lot of different hats—a real modern renaissance man. He’s Executive Chef at Caffé Luna Rosa, a talented pottery maker with an Etsy store called Florida Pottery Shack, and, as it turns out, a great person to call when you want to fish near West Palm Beach.

Ernie texted me the day before, “We are booked with Patrick Smith. Meet at the Lantana boat ramp on Lake Worth at noon. Should be a good time!” Ernie’s friend Patrick owns Swamp to Sea Guide Service. “Cool! I’ll see you tomorrow,” I texted back.

The author holding a snook he caught on Lake Worth. — Good times on Lake Worth Lagoon. | Patrick Smith

The fishing that afternoon was casual and fun. We caught a mix of crevalle jack and snook, along with a surprise ray that made things interesting. The bites didn’t come as easy as the conversation and the laughs, but that was alright with me. The goal was never to grind out a tournament winning pattern—it was to spend a few hours on the water, experience a new location, and soak up the kind of fishing that fits very naturally into a travel vacation.

We were there mid-week, but even considering that, I was surprised how few boats were out. No crowds. No pressure. Just good times, quiet water, and enough fishing action to remind us why making time to fish was such an important part of this trip.

Before moving on, here’s a quick look at some video from that afternoon on the water. This short montage really captures the energy of the day with beautiful scenery, good company, and the kind of fishing that really enhanced our time in the Palm Beach area.

Our Home Base Campground

The front office at the West Palm Beach KOA campground. — The West Palm Beach KOA has a great safari design aesthetic carried over from the neighboring Lion Country Safari. | Kurt Mazurek

Our home base for this stop was the West Palm Beach KOA campground adjacent to Lion Country Safari, located about 20 miles inland from the beach in a quiet, wooded setting well off the beaten path. We pulled in just before dark and spotted an adorable armadillo waddling across the small road leading to our site—much more connected to nature than we thought our West Palm Beach trip would be.

An electric RV parked in its campsite with an EV charging station in the foreground. — For our stay, requesting a campsite with its own private EV charger was a game changer. | Kurt Mazurek

The campground itself was clean, well maintained, tastefully safari themed (just enough to remind us of the safari next door) and surprisingly secluded. It was an ideal place to relax after our nearly 4-hour drive travel day. This KOA also turned out to be the most EV-friendly stop of our entire trip, with a dedicated personal charging station right at our campsite. Having reliable charging on hand, at no additional cost, eliminated EV life anxiety and reinforced how much the right campground can shape a long road trip.

Street view showing two signs—one for Lion Country Safari and one for the KOA. — This is how close our campground was to the animals. Continue straight for the Lion Country Safari, or turn right for the KOA. | Kurt Mazurek

Exploring Beyond the Water

While fishing was always a priority on this trip, many of our favorite memories from the West Palm Beach area happened well away from the water. With our campsite adjacent to Lion Country Safari, we had easy access to an experience that truly surprised us.

Lion Country Safari

My wife and I have visited tourist-y drive-through safaris and small local zoos all around the country and more often than not we’ve left unimpressed and even a little sad occasionally. Honestly, if we hadn’t been booked in that KOA, we probably wouldn’t have decided to drive our 24-foot RV through the safari. But we’re so glad we did. The drive-through experience was impressive and enjoyable. Yes, there were high-fences in our line of sight at times, but that’s understandable. What stood out was that the animals all seemed to be in good health and well cared for. And overall, the feeling of being within feet of those beautiful, and often huge, animals, was pretty amazing.

Two rhinos as seen through the front window of a vehicle. — The variety of the animals seen in the Lion Country Safari is pretty amazing. | Kurt Mazurek

Lion Country Adventure Park

The author and his wife posed in front of the Lion Country Safari sign. — After the driving part of the safari, we really enjoyed walking around the Adventure Park. | Kurt Mazurek

When the driving safari ended, we parked and explored their walk-through zoo (they call it their Adventure Park)—again, we’re really glad we did. It wasn’t the largest zoo we’ve seen, but it was very nicely kept and well decorated, with a good assortment of interesting animals. It was a beautiful place to stroll, take some photos, and spend a relaxing couple of hours.

Closeup of a giant tortoise. — This was a great opportunity to get up close to an amazing variety of animals. | Kurt Mazurek

The authors wife in a spray of water mist. — My wife took advantage of the water misters on this warm Florida afternoon. | Kurt Mazurek

That connection to wild exotic animals didn’t end when the gates closed for the evening. Our first night in the campground, we were jolted awake by the powerful, guttural, almost alien sounds of the lions roaring back and forth at each other in long, echoing bursts. The first time we heard it was startling, but by the end of stay we found it strangely comforting. We genuinely missed it after we left—a very unique and fond memory we never expected.

Following is a quick clip to give you an idea of the sounds we heard from our campground.

Caffé Luna Rosa

Looking across a table of delicious food. — Caffé Luna Rosa had great atmosphere and great food. | Kurt Mazurek

We did make our way back toward the coast a time or two, mostly to try new restaurants. One highlight was a meal at Caffé Luna Rosa in Delray Beach, where, as I mentioned earlier, our friend Ernie DeBlasi is executive chef. We had the sautéed beef tenderloins medallions and the braised boneless short ribs and they were both excellent—fresh, thoughtfully prepared, and exactly what we needed. The restaurant’s open frontage created a great vibrant energy and an enjoyable balance of fancy and upscale, but very welcoming and not at all stuffy. It was the kind of place that reminds you to savor the moments.

In the end, West Palm Beach was more (and less, in a good way) than we expected. We weren’t overwhelmed by options, but there was plenty to see and do when we wanted. We felt the freedom to choose when to explore and when to stay close to camp. That balance made this stop feel warm, surprising, and memorable.

How the RV Fit Into This Stop

A smiling woman, out of focus in the foreground, with focus on the RV in the parking lot visible behind her. — Our Grounded RV got us everywhere we needed to go, including this breakfast stop. | Kurt Mazurek

How did our Grounded all-electric RV serve us in West Palm Beach? From an electric transportation standpoint, it turned out to be one of the easiest stops of the entire trip. Our campground’s location, a good distance from more developed areas, made day-to-day planning simple, but the biggest difference was in the campground itself. This KOA, offering a dedicated EV charging station right at our campsite, completely eliminated the planning and questions about when and where to recharge. Running out of power became something we barely thought about, completely changing the tone of life in the RV, and allowing us to relax and enjoy the comforts of our home on wheels.

Ironically, this part of Florida’s infrastructure was fairly dense with public charging stations. So, even if you don’t end up at a campground with a personal EV charging station, traveling around the West Palm Beach area in an electric vehicle would be very manageable.

What This Stop Taught Us

The author's wife starting into the eyes of a colorful tiger decoration. — West Palm Beach includes lots of experiences we never expected. | Kurt Mazurek

West Palm Beach taught us how much a destination can surprise you when you keep an open mind. While we assumed this area would be fun, we expected bigger crowds and a faster pace. But by simply setting up home base a bit inland and thoughtfully choosing how and where we spent our time, we found a very satisfying experience. A relaxed afternoon of fishing, unexpected wildlife encounters, and the freedom to travel without restrictions were more than enough to make West Palm Beach a memorable part of the journey.

Looking Ahead

West Palm Beach helped us reset expectations for the unknown. Even densely populated destinations can feel very in touch with the outdoors with a few of the right choices. From here, we headed south, in fact to the farthest southern point in the country, Key West. Known for beautiful tropical scenery, eclectic locals, and a reputation for bottomless margaritas, we wondered whether the non-stop beach party image was accurate, and whether we were still young enough to keep up.