The Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve lies along the Guana, Tolomato, and Mantanzas rivers and the Atlantic ocean.          This area is home to dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, gopher tortoises,  alligators, indigo snakes, river otters, peregrine falcons and bald eagles.  The upland areas include pine flatwood, maritime hammock, coastal strands, dunes and mangroves.

This 73,256 acre tract was privately owned and open to the public for hunting and fishing  prior to the state acquisition.  During this period the river was dammed in 1957,  to flood the upstream marshes in order to enhance wintering waterfowl habitat resulting in Guana Lake. The lake water is brackish near the Guana Dam and gradually turns into a freshwater reservoir as one travels away from the dam.   Both saltwater and freshwater fish species exist in the same body of water.

Living just up the street from the GTM reserve we always headed straight to the Guana Outpost for everything from bikes, kayaks and paddle board rentals, to fresh bait and tackle.

Fishing is great and flounder gigging is popular in the shallows.

There’s even a 3 hour Eco tour available and this area has some of the best hiking trails around.