The Launch at CR 6, Bon Secour River Fishing

The Launch at CR 6 opened up the lower Bon Secour River to everyone. Baldwin County bought the land in 2023 and built a launch park with two fishing piers, so shore anglers can reach water that was once only fished from private docks and boats.

• Two free fishing piers on the tidal Bon Secour River
• Speckled trout, redfish and flounder when the river runs salty
• White trout, croakers and black drum on the bottom
• Restrooms, gazebos and a walking trail for a family outing

The park is at 5587 County Road 6, Gulf Shores, on the east bank of the Bon Secour River, a short run upstream from Bon Secour Bay. Baldwin County owns it.

• Fees: none to launch, and no charge for the park
• Hours: launching at any time; other park activities, including the piers, dawn to dusk
• Parking: lighted lots for about 69 trucks with trailers and 26 cars; vehicles may stay 24 hours
• Two boat ramps and a kayak launching station
• The fishing piers are a short walk from the lot

Salinity in the lower river swings with rain, wind and the bay, and the fish come and go with it.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish push upriver as the bay warms; sheepshead on pilings
• Summer (Jun-Aug): white trout, croakers and catfish on the bottom; trout early and late
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best season, with redfish, trout and flounder feeding before moving back toward the bay
• Winter (Dec-Feb): trout and redfish hold in the deeper river bends; black drum on the bottom
• After heavy rain, freshwater fish such as largemouth bass, bream and catfish show up

A light to medium spinning outfit with 10 to 15 lb line covers this water.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic minnow on a 1/4 oz jig head
• Redfish and black drum: shrimp, cut mullet or crab on a Carolina rig with a 1/2 to 1 oz sinker
• Flounder: a bull minnow dragged slowly along the bottom near the piers
• White trout and croakers: small pieces of shrimp on a two-hook bottom rig
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs dropped tight to the pilings

The tide is small here, typically one high and one low a day and a range of a foot or two, but wind and river flow often move the water more than the tide does.

• Fish moving water; the hours after the tide turns are usually best
• After heavy rain upstate the river runs fresh and muddy, and trout and redfish drop back toward Bon Secour Bay
• During dry spells saltier water reaches the piers, bringing trout, reds and flounder
• North winds after winter fronts drain the river and pull fish into the deeper holes
• Check tide tables for the lower Mobile Bay area

The park is new and well built, but it is a busy launch on a working river.

• Keep casts clear of boats launching, loading and running the channel
• Commercial seafood boats use the river; give them room
• Supervise children on the piers
• Summer thunderstorms arrive fast; leave the piers at the first thunder
• Insects are thick at dawn and dusk in warm months
• Accessibility: a new park with parking close to the water; check the pier approaches when you arrive

This is one of the better-equipped public launches in south Baldwin County.

• Two fishing piers
• Two boat ramps and a kayak launch
• Restrooms
• Picnic tables under gazebos
• A walking trail
• Lighted parking
• No bait shop at the park that we could confirm; bring bait

• Try the piers on a falling tide in fall, when bait and redfish drain toward the bay
• After a week of dry weather, expect saltier water and more trout
• After big rains, switch to catfish baits or try the bay instead
• Launch a kayak to reach the marsh edges and creek mouths downstream
• Bon Secour village, across the river, is a working seafood community, so expect shrimp boats along the far bank

The Launch at CR 6 is owned and run by Baldwin County.

• Park activities are dawn to dusk; launching is allowed at any hour
• No charge to 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
• If you head far up the river, check ADCNR's license boundary map for where the freshwater license applies
• Check current Marine Resources Division rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything