Meaher State Park Fishing

Meaher State Park is the Causeway's best-equipped shore spot, with a long T-shaped pier, a boardwalk into the delta, a boat ramp and a campground, all on the mixing water at the head of Mobile Bay. Few places let you catch a redfish and a bass on the same evening.

• A 300-foot pier with a 200-foot T built for fishing
• Redfish, speckled trout and flounder, plus delta bass and bream
• A boat ramp onto the Blakeley River
• An RV campground for a weekend on the water

The park is at 5200 Battleship Parkway in Spanish Fort, on the Causeway, directly across the road from the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. Alabama State Parks runs it.

• Gate fee: a small per-person fee to enter, which includes the fishing pier
• Boat launch: an extra fee; the ramp at the park's east end opens onto the Blakeley River from 7 a.m. until sundown
• Hours: the park opens at 7 a.m. and day use ends in the late afternoon or at sunset, so check the closing time at the gate
• Office: open daily, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Pier: toward the park's west end, reaching out into the bay
• After hours: contact the park about access

The head of Mobile Bay is where salt and fresh water meet, and that mix decides what bites from one week to the next.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish move onto points and marsh edges at high tide; bass and bream feed in the fresher water after spring rains
• Summer (Jun-Aug): speckled trout and redfish when the bay is salty; croaker and catfish on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the prime season, with redfish, trout and flounder all feeding hard as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): trout and reds slide into deeper channels after cold fronts; sheepshead around pilings

A medium spinning rod with 12 to 15 lb line and a 20 lb leader covers the pier.

• Redfish: a Carolina rig with live shrimp, or dead shrimp when live is scarce, on the bottom off the T
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or jerk baits and curly-tail grubs at dawn
• Flounder: bull minnows on a Carolina rig, or soft plastics worked slowly on the bottom
• Bass and bream (freshwater, but common here): spinnerbaits, small jigs and crickets
• Throw into moving water; anywhere bait is flicking is worth a cast

The head of the bay has one high and one low tide on most days, with a range of only one to two feet, and a few days each fortnight when it barely moves. Check the tide for the Mobile Bay area, but river flow matters as much.

• High tide pushes redfish up onto shallow points and marsh edges to feed
• After heavy rain upstate the delta runs fresh and muddy; expect bass and bream, and look for salt fish farther down the bay
• In dry spells salt water reaches the Causeway, and trout, reds and flounder stack up
• North winds behind winter fronts drain the shallows and push fish into the channels
• Dawn and dusk are best in summer

The T-pier is a straightforward wooden deck, and the rest of the park is level and easy to walk.

• Lightning: get off the pier at the first thunder and head for shelter
• Boats: give the ramp and the river channel room when casting
• Wildlife: alligators live in the delta; keep children and pets back from the edge and never feed them
• Heat and insects: bring water, sun protection and repellent
• Catfish spines and hooks: handle every catch carefully

The park is set up for families and campers.

• The 300-foot fishing pier with its 200-foot T
• A boardwalk with close-up views of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta
• A boat ramp onto the Blakeley River
• An RV campground with 108 sites with 50-amp hookups, two modern bathhouses and a laundry
• Kids' fishing events now and then, weather permitting
• Bait: ask at the office; otherwise bring your own

• Fish the T on a rising tide; redfish follow the water up onto the nearby points and marsh edges
• Bring both live shrimp and a few freshwater lures; what bites depends on how salty the delta is that week
• After a long dry spell in fall, come for flounder with bull minnows
• Ask at the gate about the park's kids' fishing events, which run when the weather allows
• Visit the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center across the road for exhibits and paddling, but do your fishing here; 5 Rivers does not allow fishing from its docks or banks

Meaher State Park is run by Alabama State Parks, part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

• The gate fee covers the pier; launching a boat costs extra
• License: Alabama State Parks says an Alabama freshwater fishing license is required to fish here, and nonresidents 16 and older need a nonresident Alabama freshwater license
• The park says anglers 15 and younger need no license while a licensed adult supervises them
• The Causeway runs along the edge of Alabama's saltwater and freshwater license areas, so check ADCNR's license boundary map before fishing anywhere else along it
• Follow Alabama's freshwater rules for bass and bream, and check current Marine Resources Division rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything