Crooked Creek Park, West Bay Fishing

Crooked Creek Park puts a fishing deck on a tidal marsh creek off West Bay, a change of pace from the Gulf piers of Panama City Beach.

• A wooden pier, opened by the county in 2015 and built to be handicapped accessible, zigzags from the parking area to a small deck over the creek
• The county lists its ramp as saltwater; the creek is brackish, saltier on the incoming tide
• Redfish and speckled trout are the draw, with flounder and black drum in season
• Picnic shelters under the trees and a two-lane boat ramp next to the pier

The park is at 6370 Titi Road in West Bay, off County Road 388 near the entrance to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, in the woods north of Panama City Beach.

• Getting there: follow County Road 388 to Titi Road and the park entrance
• Parking: an unpaved lot shared with boat trailers, with handicapped spaces near the pier
• Entry: free, and the FWC lists no ramp fee; Bay County says its parks are open from dawn to dusk
• The walk from the lot to the deck is short, and the deck is roughly 30 by 12 feet
• Launch a kayak from the ramp to explore more of the creek and marsh

Crooked Creek is brackish: the rising tide pushes saltier water up from West Bay and the falling tide brings fresher water down, so the catch changes with the tide and the season.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and trout still in the creek early, with flounder arriving as the water warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish on the moving tide, ladyfish and small jacks after bait, catfish on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish, trout and flounder feeding along the marsh edges as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): the county's parks staff say this is when the saltwater fish come in, speckled trout above all, with redfish and black drum in the deeper bends

Light tackle is plenty in the creek: a 7 foot spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb leader.

• Redfish: cut mullet or a live mud minnow on a light Carolina rig cast to the marsh edge across the creek
• Trout: live shrimp under a popping cork drifted with the current, or a soft plastic on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig head
• Flounder: a finger mullet or mud minnow dragged slowly along the bottom off the deck
• Black drum and croaker: shrimp on a two-hook bottom rig in the cooler months
• A long-handled landing net is handy, because the deck sits above the water

NOAA's West Bay Creek prediction station, the nearest to the park, shows a small tide with one high and one low on most days, usually a foot or a little more of change and up to about two feet.

• County parks staff say saltwater fish are likeliest on the incoming tide from West Bay, and freshwater fish on the falling tide
• Slack water is the time to rest the spot or change baits
• After heavy rain the creek runs darker and fresher; fish nearer the bottom and slow down
• Calm, cool mornings are best in summer, and mild afternoons in winter

The park is quiet and wooded. The county built the pier to be handicapped accessible, with accessible parking spaces near it, though the FWC notes no accessibility features at the ramp itself.

• Boats launch at the ramp near the deck: keep casts and lines out of their path
• Alligators can turn up in brackish creeks; keep a distance and never feed them
• Mosquitoes and biting flies are thick in the marsh in warm weather, so bring repellent
• Summer storms build quickly; leave the deck at the first thunder
• There are no restrooms and no services, so bring water and everything you need

Crooked Creek Park is basic, with little beyond the deck, the shelters and the ramp, so arrive prepared.

• A wooden fishing pier built to be handicapped accessible, ending in a deck about 30 by 12 feet
• Picnic areas and picnic shelters
• A two-lane boat ramp with floating launch docks
• Parking for trailers and cars on an unpaved lot
• No restrooms, no bait and no drinking water listed, so bring your own

• For redfish and trout, plan around the incoming tide, when saltier water pushes up the creek from West Bay
• Watch the far bank for tailing redfish on calm mornings and cast just ahead of them
• Bring a small cast net for finger mullet if you want fresh bait
• On busy boating weekends, fish early before the ramp gets crowded
• Pack out line and bait bags; the marsh edges catch litter easily

Crooked Creek Park and its boat ramp are run by Bay County.

• Bay County parks are open from dawn to dusk; the county posts any further park rules at the site or on its website
• County code bans alcohol in county parks and on county piers, apart from sealed containers carried to and from the boat ramp
• Keep the ramp and its docks clear for launching boats
• The creek is brackish: a Florida saltwater fishing license is required for saltwater fish unless an exemption applies, and a freshwater license covers freshwater fish such as bass
• Take all fishing line and trash home
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything