Courtesy Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission 801 NW 40th
Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
DESCRIPTION--The Cutler Drain Canal (C-100 series) is made up of four sections (C-100, C-100A, C-100B, and C-100C),
and includes 13.5 miles of navigable waters in southern Miami-Dade County between the cities of Kendall and Cutler Ridge. 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. For help with flights, or
hotels in the area, click here.. From the boat ramp, C-100C runs to Coral Reef Regional Park where
it intersects with C-100A. The C-100A canal is 5.7 miles long, the C-100B is 2.2 miles long, the C-100C is 1.7 miles long, and the C-100 is 2.7 miles long.
BOAT RAMP DIRECTIONS--The boat ramp on this system is a steep, single-lane, gravel/sand ramp in fair to poor condition. This ramp is accessible from the Turnpike Extension by exiting on
Coral Reef Drive (SW 152nd Street), go east about two miles to US-1, turn north (left) to SW 136th Street, turn west (left) to SW 92nd Avenue, go south (left) then east (left) onto a dirt road immediately
after crossing the canal. Drive about 1/4 mile to the flood control structure; the ramp is behind and just south of 'The Falls' shopping mall. This guide is for the boat ramp and area east of the water control
structure (S-119). There is adequate parking, but no facilities. Care should be taken when launching boats because the ramp is in poor condition. 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--Cutler Drain Canal provides excellent fishing for butterfly
peacock. 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. 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.
