Branyon Beach Fishing

Branyon Beach is the small, easily missed access in the middle of Gulf State Park's shoreline. With only a handful of parking spaces and a single boardwalk, it keeps a stretch of surf fairly quiet even in summer.

• A boardwalk over the dunes straight to the Gulf
• Pompano and Gulf kingfish in the troughs, redfish in fall
• Halfway between the state park pier and the Beach Pavilion
• Little development behind the dunes, so the view is sand and sea oats

The access is on Highway 182 (East Beach Boulevard) at its junction with Campground Road, inside Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. Alabama State Parks manages the park's beaches.

• Parking: a small lot with limited spaces; Branyon is not on the park's list of paid accesses, so check the signs for any fee
• When it is full, the Beach Pavilion lot farther east has far more room
• Access: a traffic light helps you cross the highway, then a boardwalk over the dunes and soft sand to the waterline
• Hours are not posted for this access; plan on daylight

This is classic Alabama surf, and the fish come and go with the seasons.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano move in as the water warms, with Gulf kingfish in the first trough
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Gulf kingfish and ladyfish, with Spanish mackerel and bluefish when bait is close
• Fall (Sep-Nov): pompano return and redfish, some of them big, push along the beach
• Winter (Dec-Feb): quiet; Gulf kingfish and a stray redfish on mild days

Travel light here, because the walk from the lot over the dunes is on sand.

• One surf rod and one spinning rod cover most days
• Bottom fish: a two-hook dropper rig with a 2 to 4 oz sinker and small pieces of shrimp or Fishbites
• Pompano: sand fleas from a tackle shop on a pompano rig with bright floats
• Redfish: a whole or half mullet on a fish-finder rig and a sand spike
• Mackerel: a small spoon or jig on a fast retrieve when you see birds working

Tides here are small and usually come once a day, a single high and a single low, with a few days each fortnight when there is almost no movement.

• A moving tide matters more than the stage; fish through the change
• Look for the gap in the outer bar, where water drains back out
• Calm, clear mornings favor pompano; churned-up surf after a storm favors redfish
• Strong south winds can make the surf too rough to hold bottom
• Check the Gulf Shores area tide before you go

The beach has no lifeguard that we could confirm and no services.

• Watch the warning flags and stay out of rip currents
• Shuffle your feet when wading to avoid stingrays
• Thunderstorms are frequent on summer afternoons; get off the beach early
• Carry water and shade, as there is none on the sand
• Accessibility: the boardwalk helps, but the last stretch is soft sand with no mat confirmed

Facilities are minimal.

• A boardwalk over the dunes
• A small parking lot
• No restrooms or showers that we could confirm at this access
• Restrooms, showers and a seasonal snack bar at the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion, a short drive east
• No bait shop; buy bait in Gulf Shores before you arrive

• If the lot is full, do not park on the highway shoulder; drive on to the Beach Pavilion
• Small spaces fill early on summer weekends, so come at first light
• Pompano bite best on the first sunny days of spring after the water warms
• Keep your leads and hooks out of the dunes; the sea oats are protected
• The Gulf State Park Pier is just west when you want to reach the mackerel out past the bars

Branyon Beach lies on Gulf State Park's shoreline, which Alabama State Parks manages.

• Follow the posted beach rules; the park bans glass on its beaches
• 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
• Check current Marine Resources Division rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything