Beach Access 36A, Gulf Islands National Seashore Fishing

Beach Access 36A is a free Park Service lot at the eastern end of the Highway 399 seashore, where the paved parking loop comes within about 100 yards of the Gulf. Undeveloped dunes run in both directions, and Navarre Beach's westernmost public walkover is about a mile and a half to the east.

• A short carry from the car to the surf
• A clear trough and outer bar for bait fishing
• Spring and fall pompano, Gulf whiting through the cooler months
• Summer mackerel, ladyfish, jacks and blue runners chasing bait
• No fee, but no restrooms, water or lifeguards either

The lot is on the Gulf side of Highway 399 (J. Earle Bowden Way) in the Santa Rosa Area of the National Seashore, east of Opal Beach and west of Navarre Beach.

• From Navarre: cross the Navarre Beach causeway, turn west on Gulf Boulevard and follow it past the end of Navarre Beach into the seashore
• From Pensacola Beach: drive east on Highway 399 past the Opal Beach complex
• Parking: a paved loop with marked spaces and no entrance fee; parking on the road shoulder is not allowed
• Timing: the highway is open day and night, but loitering in this lot is barred from sunset until 8 a.m.
• The walk: open sand from the lot to the water, with no boardwalk

The fish here are the ones that work the whole Santa Rosa Island shoreline, arriving with the seasons.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano running the beach, Gulf whiting, bluefish and early Spanish mackerel
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, blue runners and roving crevalle jacks on bait schools; small sharks late in the day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish along the beach, a second run of pompano, and flounder feeding close to shore
• Winter (Dec-Feb): Gulf whiting on shrimp during calm spells between fronts

The short walk means you can bring a full bait setup and a casting rod without two trips.

• Bait: bought sand fleas, fresh shrimp or scented strips on a two-hook drop rig, size 1 hooks and a 2- to 4-oz sinker cast into the inner trough
• Lures: a 1/2- to 1-oz silver spoon or casting jig for mackerel, jacks and bluefish, retrieved fast over the bar
• Pompano jigs: a small yellow or pink jig hopped along the bottom when the water is clear
• Redfish: a sliding-sinker rig with cut mullet on a circle hook at the edge of the outer bar
• Flounder: a finger mullet or large shrimp dragged slowly along the bottom in fall

Tidal movement is slight here. NOAA's Navarre Beach station predicts one high and one low on most days, with a range that tops out around 2 feet.

• A moving tide after 8 a.m., when the lot's loitering ban lifts, is a good time to start
• A gentle surf with some wave action puts pompano and whiting in the inner trough
• In clear water the darker band of the trough and the paler outer bar are easy to read from the beach; fish both edges
• Northerly winds after a front flatten and clear the water, good for jigging and sight fishing
• Strong southerly winds build a rough, dirty surf that is hard to fish and dangerous to wade

Help is a long way off at this isolated lot, so take care in and near the water.

• No lifeguards: stay out of the water under red flags and never wade past your knees to cast
• Call 911 in an emergency and tell them you are at Beach Access 36A on Highway 399
• Carry water and shade; there is none at the lot or on the beach
• Get off the sand when thunderstorms approach in summer
• Shuffle your feet against stingrays and keep out of any roped-off shorebird nesting area
• Access is over soft sand with no mat or boardwalk, which is difficult for wheelchairs even over this fairly short distance

Beach Access 36A has parking and a few interpretive signs, and that is all.

• A paved parking loop with marked spaces, free to use
• No restrooms, showers or drinking water
• No food, bait or supplies for sale anywhere in the seashore's Santa Rosa Area
• Navarre Beach, a short drive east, is the nearest town
• Carry out every scrap of trash, line and bait packaging

• On a clear day, read the water before you set up: the darker trough and the pale bar beyond it show where to put a bait
• Plan your day around the lot rules: no loitering from sunset until 8 a.m. and no overnight parking
• Fall is a good time for a redfish rod baited with cut mullet while you fish lighter lines for pompano
• If the Gulf is too rough, the sound side at Navarre Beach, a short drive east, offers calmer water
• Bring a small cart; even a short walk across soft sand is tiring with a full load
• Dogs are not allowed on the seashore's beaches, so leave them at home

The lot and beach are part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service; park rules apply along with Florida law.

• Florida fishing rules apply in seashore waters; you need a saltwater fishing license unless you are exempt
• Commercial fishing, shrimping and crabbing are prohibited in seashore waters
• Digging for bait is prohibited under federal park rules, so bring or buy your bait
• Pets, glass containers and vehicles are not allowed on the beach; camping and overnight parking are not permitted
• Keep off the dunes and out of shorebird enclosures
• Shore-based shark fishing requires the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything