Fishing spots in Bay County

Bay County covers Panama City Beach, St. Andrews Bay and the small town of Mexico Beach, and it has more public shore-fishing structure than anywhere else in the central Panhandle. Two 1,500-foot Gulf piers in Panama City Beach, the county's M.B. Miller County Pier and the city's Russell-Fields City Pier, are open around the clock and reach king mackerel, cobia and Spanish mackerel. At the east end of the beach, the St. Andrews State Park jetty lines St. Andrews Pass, one of the best inlet spots on the coast for sheepshead, redfish and flounder. Mexico Beach, which lost its pier to Hurricane Michael in 2018, still has its canal and jetties while a new pier is funded. Water is clear, tides are small, and the county is on Central Time.

Panama City Beach piers

• Character: long concrete Gulf piers along Front Beach Road, open 24 hours
• What it suits: kings, cobia, Spanish mackerel, pompano and night fishing for reds
• Access: M.B. Miller County Pier (metered parking, card-only passes) and Russell-Fields City Pier beside Pier Park

St. Andrews State Park and St. Andrews Pass

• Character: state park with a rock jetty, a sheltered lagoon, and Gulf and Grand Lagoon fishing piers
• What it suits: sheepshead, redfish, flounder, black drum, Spanish mackerel and pompano
• Access: end of Thomas Drive; park fee, 8 a.m. to sundown

St. Andrews Bay

• Character: large, clear bay system around Panama City with grass flats and bridges
• What it suits: speckled trout, redfish, flounder and sheepshead
• Access: city and county waterfront parks; check local rules

Mexico Beach

• Character: quiet beach town on the Forgotten Coast; pier being rebuilt after Hurricane Michael
• What it suits: reds, trout and sheepshead at the canal mouth; pompano and whiting in the surf
• Access: Canal Park and the public boat ramp; parking at the south end of Canal Parkway

Season	Likely species (shore)	Notes
Spring (Mar–May)	Cobia, pompano, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, bluefish	Cobia along the beaches in April; sheepshead on the jetty
Summer (Jun–Aug)	King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, little tunny, hardtails, mangrove snapper	Pier kings; night fishing on the 24-hour piers
Fall (Sep–Nov)	Bull redfish, flounder, pompano, kings, trout	Mullet run; flounder through St. Andrews Pass
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Sheepshead, black drum, whiting, trout, redfish	Jetty rocks, canal and bay on mild days

• Piers: spoons and gotcha plugs for Spanish mackerel; live hardtails on stinger rigs for kings; bucktails for cobia
• Jetty: fiddler crabs and shrimp for sheepshead; knocker rigs for reds and drum; Carolina rigs for flounder
• Surf: double-drop rigs with sand fleas or shrimp
• Bay and canal: live shrimp under a popping cork, soft plastics and topwaters
• Bring a pier net or rope gaff on the piers

• Tides are small and often run once a day; currents at St. Andrews Pass are still strong
• The outgoing tide at the pass is best for mackerel and reds; slack water for sheepshead and flounder
• Clean, green water on a light onshore breeze brings kings and cobia to the piers
• South blows dirty the surf; fish the bay or the Mexico Beach canal instead
• Summer: fish dawn, dusk and night on the 24-hour piers

• Rip currents are frequent along Panama City Beach; obey the flags and never swim near a pier
• The St. Andrews jetty rocks are uneven and slick, with strong current at the tip and heavy boat traffic in the pass
• Leave piers and jetties at the first thunder
• Stingrays in the lagoon and surf; shuffle your feet
• Both Panama City Beach piers are level and wheelchair friendly; the jetty is not

• The two Panama City Beach piers never close, so night sessions for reds and sharks are easy
• Russell-Fields' bait shop has been closed; buy bait beforehand
• Arrive at St. Andrews State Park at 8 a.m. on summer weekends
• Catch hardtails on sabikis at dawn for king bait
• Mexico Beach's canal mouth fishes best on the falling tide
• Watch local reports for the April cobia run
• M.B. Miller is card only; have a card ready

• Walton County – Grayton Beach State Park and the South Walton surf
• Gulf County – St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and St. Joseph Bay (Eastern Time)
• Okaloosa County – Okaloosa Island Pier and the Destin East Pass jetty

• Do I need a fishing license in Bay County?
  • A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt. The county describes the M.B. Miller pier pass as covering a license on that pier; confirm at the gate. See FWC (myfwc.com).
• Is the Mexico Beach pier open?
  • Not yet. It was destroyed by Hurricane Michael in 2018; FEMA funding for a new pier was announced in September 2026. Fish Canal Park in the meantime.
• Which pier is open all night?
  • Both M.B. Miller County Pier and Russell-Fields City Pier are open 24 hours.
• Where can I fish on rough days?
  • St. Andrews Bay, the park's Grand Lagoon side and the Mexico Beach canal.
• Can I keep what I catch?
  • Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.

Area	Coast character & access	Best species	Prime season	Go-to methods	Key safety notes	Facilities
M.B. Miller County Pier	1,500 ft Gulf pier, 24 h, metered parking	Kings, cobia, Spanish, pompano	Apr–May, Sep–Oct	Live bait, spoons	Lightning, crowds	Tackle shop, restrooms
Russell-Fields City Pier	1,500 ft Gulf pier by Pier Park, 24 h	Kings, cobia, Spanish, reds	Apr–May, Sep–Oct	Live bait, spoons	Rip currents nearby	Pier Park food and restrooms
St. Andrews State Park Jetty	Rock jetty on St. Andrews Pass, park fee	Sheepshead, reds, flounder	Spring and fall	Crabs, shrimp, jigs	Slick rocks, pass current	Restrooms, showers, camp store
Mexico Beach Canal Park	Canal bulkhead and short jetties	Reds, trout, sheepshead	Fall–spring	Shrimp, soft plastics	Boat channel, no swimming	Boat ramp, parking