Mullet Point Park Fishing

Mullet Point Park is a quiet county park on the lower Eastern Shore, where County Road 1 runs along the bay south of Point Clear. It is a small, local place with a short pier and a ramp, best for an unhurried morning on the water.

• A short pier and a public boat ramp on Mobile Bay
• Speckled trout, redfish, flounder, croaker and white trout in the bay
• A raised view over the water, good for winter waterfowl
• Picnic facilities, portable restrooms and plenty of parking

The park is on County Road 1 about 0.4 miles south of its junction with US 98, on the bay side of the road. Baldwin County runs it.

• Parking: ample
• Restrooms: portable
• Fees: none listed
• Planned work: the county has set aside GOMESA money to design a larger pavilion, better pedestrian access and an improved roadway and parking; the timeline waits on Army Corps of Engineers permits
• The county's focus is the grounds: the pier, ramp and aging seawall are still to be assessed, and the money is not expected to cover seawall repairs, so check their condition when you arrive

The bay off Mullet Point is shallow and brackish, typical of the lower Eastern Shore, with saltier water than the upper bay in most years.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish move onto the shallows; croaker arrive on the bottom
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout at dawn, croaker and catfish through the day, flounder in the shallows
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder at their best along the shoreline
• Winter (Dec-Feb): white trout and black drum on calm days in the deeper water

Light tackle is enough: a 7-foot spinning rod with 10 lb line.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a light jighead
• Redfish: a gold spoon or a live shrimp worked along the shoreline
• Flounder: a bull minnow dragged slowly on the bottom
• Croaker and white trout: shrimp pieces on a two-hook bottom rig
• Bring a short-handled net, since the pier is short and fish are landed close in

This shore gets one high and one low tide on most days, with a range of only one to two feet, and a few days each fortnight with almost no tide at all. Check the Mobile Bay area tide, and the wind.

• North winds behind winter fronts drain this shallow shore, leaving fish in the deeper water off the pier
• South winds stack water against the Eastern Shore and bring bait in close
• Heavy rain upstate freshens the bay and pushes trout down toward the mouth of the bay
• Eastern Shore jubilees happen on still summer nights with an east wind, often near dawn on a rising tide
• Low light, early and late, is best through the summer

The park is small and level, with a raised area above the bay.

• Keep lines well clear of the boat ramp
• Look over the pier and seawall before using them; the seawall is aging
• Leave the water at the first thunder
• Bring water and sun protection; shade is limited to the pavilion
• Handle catfish carefully

Facilities are basic, so arrive with everything you need for the morning.

• A short pier and a public boat ramp onto Mobile Bay
• Picnic tables and a pavilion, which the county plans to replace with a larger one
• Portable restrooms
• Ample parking
• No bait or tackle sales on site that we could confirm; stock up in Fairhope or Foley on the way

• Come early on summer weekends, before the ramp traffic builds
• In winter, bring binoculars as well as a rod; surf and black scoters have been seen off the park in cold weather
• After several days of south wind, the water is usually higher and cleaner along this shore
• Watch for diving birds over the bay; they show where trout are feeding under the bait
• If a jubilee is reported on the Eastern Shore in summer, this stretch of shoreline is worth checking at first light

Mullet Point Park is run by Baldwin County. The county does not list fishing at the park, so read and follow the posted signs.

• Follow posted park rules and hours
• Keep the ramp clear for launching boats
• 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