Stump Pass Beach State Park Fishing

Stump Pass Beach State Park is about a mile of wild barrier-island beach at the south end of Manasota Key, with Gulf surf on one side, Lemon Bay on the other and moving water at Stump Pass.

• Reopened in September 2025 after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
• Milton's Pass, the cut the 2024 storm opened, had nearly closed by spring 2026.
• Snook, pompano, redfish and trout within a walk of one another.
• A true walk-in spot; pack light.

The park is at 900 Gulf Boulevard on Manasota Key, south of Englewood Beach, in Charlotte County.

• Fee: a small per-car entrance fee, paid online by QR code; there is no ranger station.
• Parking: a single lot, smaller since the 2025 reopening (roughly 50 spaces), so it fills on fine winter and spring weekends.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, every day.
• The walk: soft sand south from the lot. The shoaled mouth of Milton's Pass lies about half a mile down the beach, and Stump Pass is at the far south end, a mile or more from the lot.
• The pavilion has been unavailable since September 2025.

A Gulf beach, a pass and a grassy bay make for a varied list.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and Gulf whiting in the troughs, Spanish mackerel and jacks on bait, and snook arriving on the beach.
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook in the surf at dawn and dusk, tarpon rolling offshore of the beach, mangrove snapper and ladyfish in the pass, blacktip sharks on the bars.
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and trout on the Lemon Bay side, flounder on sandy edges, mackerel runs and snook feeding hard.
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano, whiting and sheepshead; trout in the deeper bay-side holes.

Carry one rod and a small bag, and fish on the move.

• Snook: walk the surf line at dawn and cast white bucktails, small swimbaits or live whitebait parallel to the beach, 30 lb leader.
• Pompano and whiting: pompano jigs through the trough, or sand fleas and shrimp from a bait shop on a double-drop rig with a 2-3 oz pyramid sinker.
• Pass fishing: live shrimp or a jig drifted along the edge of the current at Stump Pass on the tide.
• Redfish and trout: soft plastics or shrimp under a popping cork along the Lemon Bay grass.
• A 7-8 ft spinning rod with 15 lb braid covers the beach and the pass.

Tides here are mixed and small: NOAA's Englewood station usually shows two uneven highs and lows a day, sometimes only one, with a range of about a foot or two, but Stump Pass concentrates them into fast water that holds bait.

• Best: the start of the falling tide at the pass, and the last of the rising tide for the surf troughs.
• Clean water on light east winds is ideal for sight fishing the beach.
• West and southwest winds put surf and weed on the beach; fish the bay side instead.
• The bars around Stump Pass and the old Milton's Pass mouth keep shifting; expect the fishing, and the safe footing, to change after storms.
• Red tide can hit Charlotte County beaches in some years; check FWC's red tide status first.

This is remote beach fishing with real hazards.

• Stump Pass runs strong currents; never try to wade or swim across it, and treat the old Milton's Pass lagoon with care.
• Rip currents form along the Gulf beach in onshore wind; the park has no lifeguards.
• Stingrays: shuffle your feet in the shallows, especially in summer.
• Lightning: there is no shelter on the beach; leave at the first thunder.
• Heat: carry water and sun protection for the long walk.
• Free beach wheelchairs are offered, but the sandy walk makes most of the park hard going with wheels or heavy gear.

Facilities are minimal while the park recovers.

• Paid parking lot.
• The pavilion is out of use; temporary restrooms were set up near the gate at the 2025 reopening.
• Outdoor freshwater rinse showers and free beach wheelchairs are listed by the park.
• No bait shop, food or drinks in the park; buy bait and supplies in Englewood.
• No lighting; the park closes at sunset.
• Bring drinking water and your own shade; there is none on the beach.

Local know-how for Stump Pass:

• Arrive at the 8 a.m. opening to get a parking space and the best of the morning bite.
• Look for the deepest troughs close to shore in winter for pompano.
• Save the long walk to Stump Pass for a falling tide, when bait pours out of Lemon Bay.
• Walk the trough slowly at dawn and look for snook shadows before you cast.
• Use the Lemon Bay side when a west wind makes the surf unfishable.
• Pack out all line and bait bags; nesting shorebirds use the beach.

The park is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Recreation and Parks (Florida State Parks).

• Pay the entrance fee and keep to park hours (8 a.m. to sunset).
• Pets are not allowed on the beach; spearfishing and taking live shells are prohibited.
• Do not dig sand fleas or collect other bait animals in the park; bring bait with you.
• Respect posted shorebird and turtle nesting closures.
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt.
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit.
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.