Alabama Point East Fishing

Alabama Point East lets you fish an inlet and a surf beach from the same patch of sand. The point sits on the Alabama end of Perdido Key, facing the Orange Beach skyline across the pass.

• The east bank of Perdido Pass, with the east jetty running out into the Gulf
• Bluefish, Spanish mackerel and big redfish in the current off the point
• Pompano and Gulf kingfish along the open beach to the east
• A Gulf State Park access with restrooms, outdoor showers and boardwalks

The access is on Perdido Beach Boulevard (Highway 182) in Orange Beach, just east of the Perdido Pass Bridge, and is part of Gulf State Park.

• Parking: a state park lot beside the bridge, with a daily fee for personal vehicles paid by QR code or at the kiosk (cash or card, no change given)
• One daily pass covers every Gulf State Park beach access; Orange Beach residents and military members park free with proof
• Trailers, buses and large RVs must use the park's lots in Gulf Shores
• Boardwalks run from the lot across the dunes to the beach and toward the point
• Overnight parking is not allowed

The mix changes with the season and with which side of the point you fish.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and Gulf kingfish in the surf, Spanish mackerel and bluefish chasing bait off the point, sheepshead on the jetty
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle on clean water, with redfish and speckled trout at dawn along the pass
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the prime time, when bull redfish push out through the pass and pompano return to the beach
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the rocks, and redfish on calm, clear days

Bring two rods: a medium surf or spinning rod with 15 to 20 lb line for the beach, and a stouter rod for the pass.

• Pompano and Gulf kingfish: a double-drop pompano rig with fresh shrimp, sand fleas or Fishbites, cast just beyond the first sandbar
• Redfish: a fish-finder rig with cut mullet or menhaden on the edge of the channel current, using enough lead to hold bottom
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: silver spoons, Gotcha plugs or small jigs worked fast when bait is showing
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook fished tight to the jetty rocks from the beach end
• Speckled trout: a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head or a live shrimp under a cork along the pass shore

Tides here are small, usually one high and one low a day with a foot or two between them, and some days they almost stall. The pass still runs hard whenever water is moving, and the wind often matters more than the tide.

• Fish the edges of a moving tide; the outgoing pulls bait and redfish out past the point
• A light south breeze and clear green water bring mackerel and pompano close to the beach
• After a strong onshore blow, wait for the surf to settle and the water to clear
• North winds behind winter fronts flatten the surf and leave the water clear for sheepshead
• Dawn and the last hour of daylight beat the middle of a summer day
• Check tide tables for the Perdido Pass and Orange Beach area

This is open, exposed water, and the sand gives no warning of how fast the pass deepens.

• The pass gets deep very quickly and carries strong currents; do not swim or wade off the point
• It is a major boat channel; keep lines short of passing boats
• The jetty rocks are slippery and washed by wakes; fish them from the beach end
• Rip currents form along the Gulf beach; heed the beach warning flags
• Shuffle your feet when wading the surf to avoid stingrays
• Summer storms build fast in the afternoon; leave the beach at the first thunder
• Access: boardwalks to the sand, then a soft walk across the beach to the water

The access has more comforts than most fishing spots in Orange Beach.

• Restrooms and outdoor showers near the parking lot
• Boardwalks across the dunes to the beach
• No bait or tackle shop at the access; buy bait in Orange Beach before you arrive
• No lights on the beach

• When bait is showering off the point, a fast spoon will often catch a Spanish mackerel or bluefish on the first cast
• Fish the beach for pompano on the east side of the point, away from the pass current
• Bull reds move out through the pass on fall evenings, so stay until the light goes
• The lot fills early on summer weekends; arrive soon after dawn
• Keep tackle light enough to carry; it is a long walk across soft sand from the boardwalk to the point

Alabama Point East is part of Gulf State Park, run by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the park lists surf fishing among its saltwater fishing.

• A daily parking fee applies; overnight parking is not allowed
• Follow the beach rules posted at the access
• An Alabama saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Alabama residents who are exempt (and anglers fishing only from a pier that holds a pier license) must still complete the free Saltwater Angler Registration
• Anglers under 16 are exempt from the license
• Check current Marine Resources Division rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything