Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Fishing

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park combines a beautiful, undeveloped Gulf beach with one of Collier County's best-known passes. Most anglers park at the northern lots and walk to Wiggins Pass, where tide from the Cocohatchee River estuary meets the Gulf.

• Snook, redfish and trout at the pass; pompano and whiting in the surf.
• The park names its fishing areas: the northern end past the double red flags, and the dock at the boat launch.
• A maintenance dredge of Wiggins Pass started in late September 2026, so expect equipment and some lot closures.
• Excellent sunsets and wildlife.

The park is at 11135 Gulfshore Drive in North Naples, between Vanderbilt Beach and Bonita Beach.

• Fee: $6 per vehicle.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, every day.
• Parking: several lots along the park road; during the 2026 pass dredge the state warns of periodic closures of parking lot four, so allow for a longer walk.
• The walk: from the northern lots, a sandy walk to the pass at the park's north end.
• A boat launch into Water Turkey Bay on the river side, with a dock where fishing is allowed.
• Obey posted signs and stay out of closed areas; recovery work from the 2024 storms continues.

Pass, river mouth and open beach give a varied list.

• Spring (Mar–May): snook arriving at the pass, pompano and whiting in the surf, Spanish mackerel and jacks.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook in numbers at the pass and along the beach, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and tarpon passing.
• Fall (Sep–Nov): redfish and trout at the pass, snook feeding hard, flounder along the sand.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead, pompano and whiting on the beach, trout in the deeper edges.

Fish the moving water at the pass and walk the beach for surf species.

• Snook: live whitebait, pinfish or shrimp drifted in the pass on a 2/0 circle hook with 30–40 lb fluorocarbon; bucktails and swimbaits along the trough at dawn.
• Redfish and trout: soft plastics on a 1/4 oz jighead or shrimp under a popping cork along the pass edges.
• Pompano and whiting: pompano jigs or sand fleas on a drop rig in the surf.
• Sheepshead and snapper: fiddler crabs or small shrimp near rocks and structure at the pass.
• A 7–8 ft spinning rod with 15 lb braid covers the pass and the beach.

Tides here are mixed, with two uneven highs and lows on almost every day and a daily range of roughly 2 feet at NOAA's Wiggins Pass station, and the pass narrows them into swift current.

• Best: the outgoing tide at the pass, especially at dawn and dusk before the park closes.
• The incoming tide pushes clean Gulf water in and can be better for pompano on the beach.
• A west wind brings surf and weed; fish closer to the pass then.
• The pass is dredged and its shoals move after storms; a maintenance dredge began in September 2026, so expect its shape to change.
• Red tide can affect Collier beaches in some years; check FWC's red tide status first.

A lifeguarded beach with a dangerous pass at one end.

• The current in Wiggins Pass is strong, and boats run through it constantly; never swim or wade into the channel.
• Fish only in the park's fishing areas, north of the double red flags or on the boat-launch dock, away from swimmers.
• During the dredge, keep clear of equipment and pipelines on and near the beach.
• Rip currents can form along the beach in onshore wind.
• Stingrays: shuffle your feet.
• Lightning: summer afternoon storms; leave the beach at the first thunder.
• Boardwalks reach the beach from the lots, but the walk to the pass is soft sand; beach wheelchairs are available first come, first served.

Facilities are still limited after the 2024 storms.

• Temporary restrooms, and no drinking water.
• Paid entry covers parking in the open lots.
• A boat launch into Water Turkey Bay, with a fishing dock.
• Beach wheelchairs, first come, first served.
• No bait shop in the park; bait and tackle are sold in North Naples.
• No lighting; the park closes at sunset.

Local know-how for Wiggins Pass:

• Arrive at opening and head straight for the northern lots and the pass.
• Fish the outgoing tide at the pass for snook, redfish and trout.
• Watch for boat wakes surging up the beach at the pass mouth.
• Work the surf troughs for pompano on clear winter days, north of the red flags.
• Bring everything, including drinking water, while the park has none.
• Check the Florida State Parks alerts for the dredge and closed areas before you go.

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

• Pay the entrance fee, follow park hours and fish only in the designated areas: the north end past the double red flags, and the boat-launch dock.
• Respect any closed areas and 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.
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and release rules; check FWC before keeping or handling one.
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.