Local Waters – Melbourne 

4.8/5 (20 reviews)
 61 East Eau Gallie Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32937, United States
4.8/5 (20 reviews)
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61 East Eau Gallie Boulevard
Melbourne, FL, United States
You may qualify for a Loyalty Program discount with Local Waters – Melbourne. To check if you can use a Loyalty Program discount for your selected dates, please sign in.

Come enjoy a day on the water, exploring Melbourne’s incredible inshore fishing opportunities! Located along the Indian River, this fishery is home to some world-famous species – how does chasing Snook, Tarpon, and Redfish sound? Hop aboard Local Waters charters and come experience this for yourself with Captain Jeffrey Trafton.

Like the name of his charter shows, Capt. Jeffrey grew up in this area and been fishing these waters his whole life. No matter when you visit, he’ll know exactly what’s biting and where to take you for a productive day and get that fish on the end of your line! Thanks to his patience and enthusiasm Capt. Jeffrey is the perfect teacher for less-experienced anglers, too.

You’ll be casting your line from your captain’s 18’ Beavertail Skiffs boat, perfectly built to cruise the inshore flats, mangroves, and shallow grassy waters that Melbourne is home to. She can accommodate up to 2 guests, which means you’ll get plenty of attention and support from your captain. On board, you’ll find top-quality navigational and safety gear.

Local Waters specializes in light tackle fishing, and is also capable of accommodating fly fishing clients. Just be aware that only one angler can fly fish at a time. You’ll be aided in these fishing methods by your vessel’s poling platform, which is is great for sight fishing, as well as her i-Pilot trolling motor. This means you can follow your target fish without scaring them away!

Depending on the amount of time you spend on the water and when you decide to visit, your potential catches will be tasty Redfish, hard-fighting Snook, Spotted Seatrout, and that mighty "Silver King," the Tarpon. Experienced anglers will enjoy the thrill of hooking prestigious fish, whereas newbies will get the perfect introduction to inshore fishing.

All of the necessary tackle and licensing is included, along with a cooler, ice, and water. Hop aboard Local Waters, and get ready for a Floridian fishing adventure you won’t forget!

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Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.8/5
out of 5 stars from 20 reviews
Boat
4.8/5
Crew
4.8/5
Experience
4.8/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (2)

Fishing with Jeffrey
Fishing with Jeffrey

Angler rating

15
2
1
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

100%

Appropriate for children

90%

Friendly captain

100%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

85%

Caught fish

90%

Showing 1 - 5 of 20 reviews
Showing: 5 of 20 reviews
Richard H.
Richard H.
5.0/5

May 25, 2025

Full Day Trip

Great Family Trip

VERIFIED

We had a great time. Capt Jeff was very knowledgeable, had a clean boat, good equipment. My nephew learned a lot and caught the biggest fish of his lift so far. Highly recommend.

We had a great time. Capt Jeff was very knowledgeable, had a clean boat, good equipment. My nephew learned a lot and caught the...  

 Richard H. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
 Richard H. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

Bill M.
Bill M.

Pawling, NY

5.0/5

Jan 10, 2022

Half Day Trip (AM)

Half day

VERIFIED

My son and I had a great time with Captain Jeff. Jeff's boat was in great condition and it was perfect for the shallow water fishing that we were doing. The rods/reels and lures were in great shape and easy to use. Jeff was very personable and he was very knowledgeable about fishing in the Melbourne, FL area. The fishing was tough and the fish weren't biting early in the trip. Jeff kept trying new areas and he was able to put us on a good amount of speckled trout and snapper. I will definitely be looking to book another trip with him next time I'm in the Melbourne area.

My son and I had a great time with Captain Jeff. Jeff's boat was in great condition and it was perfect for the shallow water...  

 Bill M. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
 Bill M. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

Lee F.
Lee F.

Canton, WI

5.0/5

Feb 15, 2021

Half Day Trip (AM)

Half day with Capt. Jeff

VERIFIED

Highly recommend this guide. Good boat and gear, clean and neat. Capt. Jeff personable and worked hard for the fish we caught. The lunar tables were showing a very slow day and the wind was high enough to severely limit areas to fish but Capt. Jeff got us onto some fish. Very enjoyable afternoon. Will absolutely book with him again, if in the area.

Highly recommend this guide. Good boat and gear, clean and neat. Capt. Jeff personable and worked hard for the fish we caught....  

Captain replied
 Lee F. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
 Lee F. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
undefined (The Captain)
Replied on February 28, 2021
Thanks for the kind words. Looking forward to the next trip!

Michael W.
Michael W.

Melbourne, FL

5.0/5

Feb 9, 2023

Half Day Trip (AM)

Fishing trip in February

VERIFIED

Great day

Great day  

Captain replied
 Michael W. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
 Michael W. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
undefined (The Captain)

Melody B.
Melody B.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5.0/5

Jan 2, 2021

Half Day Trip (PM)

Great experience!

VERIFIED

We had a wonderful trip with Captain Jeff! Caught lots of fish and appreciated the casting tips. We had such a great time we even tried to book a second trip with him while we were in town but couldn’t fit it in. Would definitely recommend for couples or parent/child outings.

We had a wonderful trip with Captain Jeff! Caught lots of fish and appreciated the casting tips. We had such a great time we...  

 Melody B. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
 Melody B. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Select date to see availability
August 2025
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
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Number of days
1
Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
Change
Almost there...
3hr special
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
3 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
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US $300 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Half Day Trip (AM)
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
4 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
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US $400 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Half Day Trip (PM)
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
4 Hour Trip, starts at 3:00 PM
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US $400 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Full Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
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US $800 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
There is 1 person looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.8/5
out of 5 stars from 20 reviews
Boat
4.8/5
Crew
4.8/5
Experience
4.8/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (2)

Fishing with Jeffrey
Fishing with Jeffrey

Angler rating

15
2
1
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

100%

Appropriate for children

90%

Friendly captain

100%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

85%

Caught fish

90%

Showing 1 - 5 of 20 reviews
Showing: 5 of 20 reviews
Richard H.
Richard H.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great Family Trip

VERIFIED

Full Day Trip on May 25, 2025

We had a great time. Capt Jeff was very knowledgeable, had a clean boat, good equipment. My nephew learned a lot and caught the biggest fish of his lift so far. Highly recommend.

We had a great time. Capt Jeff was very knowledgeable, had a clean boat, good equipment. My nephew learned a lot and caught the biggest fish of his lift so far. Highly recommend.  

 Richard H. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

Bill M.
Bill M.

Pawling, NY

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Half day

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on January 10, 2022

My son and I had a great time with Captain Jeff. Jeff's boat was in great condition and it was perfect for the shallow water fishing that we were doing. The rods/reels and lures were in great shape and easy to use. Jeff was very personable and he was very knowledgeable about fishing in the Melbourne, FL area. The fishing was tough and the fish weren't biting early in the trip. Jeff kept trying new areas and he was able to put us on a good amount of speckled trout and snapper. I will definitely be looking to book another trip with him next time I'm in the Melbourne area.

My son and I had a great time with Captain Jeff. Jeff's boat was in great condition and it was perfect for the shallow water fishing that we were doing. The rods/reels and lures were in great shape and easy to use. Jeff was very personable and he was very knowledgeable about fishing in the Melbourne, FL area. The fishing was tough and the fish weren't biting early in the trip. Jeff kept trying new areas and he was able to put us on a good amount of speckled trout and snapper. I will definitely...  

 Bill M. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

Lee F.
Lee F.

Canton, WI

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Half day with Capt. Jeff

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on February 15, 2021

Highly recommend this guide. Good boat and gear, clean and neat. Capt. Jeff personable and worked hard for the fish we caught. The lunar tables were showing a very slow day and the wind was high enough to severely limit areas to fish but Capt. Jeff got us onto some fish. Very enjoyable afternoon. Will absolutely book with him again, if in the area.

Highly recommend this guide. Good boat and gear, clean and neat. Capt. Jeff personable and worked hard for the fish we caught. The lunar tables were showing a very slow day and the wind was high enough to severely limit areas to fish but Capt. Jeff got us onto some fish. Very enjoyable afternoon. Will absolutely book with him again, if in the area.  

 Lee F. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
undefined (The Captain)
Replied on February 28, 2021
Thanks for the kind words. Looking forward to the next trip!

Michael W.
Michael W.

Melbourne, FL

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Fishing trip in February

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on February 9, 2023

Great day

Great day  

 Michael W. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne
undefined (The Captain)

Melody B.
Melody B.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great experience!

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (PM) on January 2, 2021

We had a wonderful trip with Captain Jeff! Caught lots of fish and appreciated the casting tips. We had such a great time we even tried to book a second trip with him while we were in town but couldn’t fit it in. Would definitely recommend for couples or parent/child outings.

We had a wonderful trip with Captain Jeff! Caught lots of fish and appreciated the casting tips. We had such a great time we even tried to book a second trip with him while we were in town but couldn’t fit it in. Would definitely recommend for couples or parent/child outings.  

 Melody B. recommends Local Waters – Melbourne

FAQs about Local Waters – Melbourne

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The fish you can target

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What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Skiffs and flats boats
Capacity
4 persons
Boat length
18 ft
Year built
2006
Boat manufacturer
Beavertail Skiffs
Boat type
Flats boat

Engine model
Evinrude
Powered by
1 x 50HP
Max cruising speed
32 knots
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