Boggy Point Boat Launch Fishing

Boggy Point Boat Launch is a working boat ramp that also gives shore anglers a foothold on the back side of Perdido Pass. It is a spot for a short session on the tide rather than a day out.

• Deep channel water just inside the pass, beside Bayou St. John and Bird Island
• Sheepshead, black drum, redfish, speckled trout and flounder
• Restrooms, lights and paved parking
• On the state's list of public saltwater fishing access points

The launch is at 27504 Marina Road in Orange Beach, at the very end of Marina Road off Highway 161, and the Alabama Marine Resources Division runs it.

• Parking: a paved lot of about 30 spaces, shared with trucks and boat trailers
• Two ramps and three courtesy docks; leave the ramps and docks to boaters when they are in use
• Fish from the shoreline around the edge of the lot, away from the ramp lanes and docks
• Weekend mornings are the busiest time for boats
• The launch area is lit after dark

Fish from the pass and from Bayou St. John move past the launch on every tide.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead finishing their spawning run, speckled trout and redfish on the moving tide
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper and sheepshead around hard structure, trout early and late in the day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder moving toward the pass, the best time of year here
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum in the deeper water off the lot, redfish on calm days

A medium spinning rod with 15 to 20 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader is right for the channel.

• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook fished close to the shore edge
• Redfish: a Carolina rig with cut mullet or a live finger mullet cast to the channel edge
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork drifted along the shoreline
• Flounder: a bull minnow or a soft plastic bumped slowly along the bottom
• Mangrove snapper: small live shrimp on a light leader in summer
• Bring enough weight to hold bottom when the tide is running hard

The tide in Orange Beach is small, usually one high and one low a day, but water funnels through this channel toward Perdido Pass, so the current can be strong close to the launch.

• Fish the moving tide; slack water is quiet here
• The outgoing tide carries bait and redfish from the bayou toward the pass
• North winds after a winter front lower the water and push fish into the channel
• Muddy water after heavy rain moves trout toward the cleaner water near the pass
• Early mornings on weekdays are calmest, with fewer boats
• Use tide tables for the Perdido Pass and Orange Beach area

The launch is busy, and the main hazard is boats, not the water.

• The city warns that the launch sits right on the main channel with a lot of marine traffic
• Never cast across the ramp lanes or near boats being launched or loaded
• Watch for trailers backing down the ramp and trucks in the lot
• The channel is deep and the current strong; do not wade
• Leave at the first thunder of a summer storm
• Access: short, level walks from the paved lot to the water's edge

Facilities are set up for boaters but help anglers too.

• Restrooms
• Lights at the launch
• Paved parking for about 30 vehicles
• Two ramps and three courtesy docks
• No bait shop at the launch; buy bait in Orange Beach

• Come on a weekday morning, when the launch is quiet and you can fish without dodging trailers
• Sheepshead and black drum hold close to hard structure, so fish tight to the shore edge rather than casting far out
• The outgoing tide in fall is the time for redfish moving toward the pass
• Robinson and Bird Islands across the channel are a boater's playground in summer, so expect wakes on warm weekends
• If the launch is crowded, the Perdido Pass Seawall is a short drive south

Boggy Point is run by the Alabama Marine Resources Division, which lists it among its public saltwater fishing access points.

• The ramps and courtesy docks are for launching and loading boats; fish away from them
• Obey any signs posted at the launch
• 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