Bob Sikes Fishing Pier

Bob Sikes Fishing Pier is the old bridge that once carried traffic onto Pensacola Beach, kept as a free-standing fishing bridge over Santa Rosa Sound. It puts anglers over deeper channel water and old pilings that most bank spots in the county cannot reach.

• A long, straight walk-on bridge on the Pensacola Beach side of the sound
• Year-round structure fishing for sheepshead, redfish, trout and black drum
• Mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish chasing bait through the warm months
• The incoming tide pushes cleaner Gulf water up the sound from Pensacola Pass

The pier runs out from Pensacola Beach alongside Pensacola Beach Boulevard, just south of the modern Bob Sikes Bridge, at the start of the island.

• Getting there: cross the Bob Sikes Bridge (a toll bridge) from Gulf Breeze onto Pensacola Beach; the old bridge runs beside the road on the sound side
• Parking: a lot at the foot of the pier; the county's plans include parking improvements and a vehicle gate
• Entry: walk-on access; check posted signs for any fee before you go
• The deck is old concrete and a long walk to the far end; bring a cart
• The damaged spans at the end are fenced off and due to be removed: the county plans to rehabilitate 1,650 feet of the roughly 1,750-foot pier
• Construction bids open in October 2026; expect sections to close for safety once work starts

The bridge fishes all year because the pilings hold resident fish and the sound funnels traffic to and from the pass.

• Spring (Mar–May): sheepshead spawning run on the pilings, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish arriving, pompano passing
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Spanish mackerel and ladyfish at dawn, redfish and flounder on the bottom, sharks and big jacks after dark
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best season: bull redfish, flounder moving toward the pass, trout and white trout
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings, trout on warm afternoons

Bring one rod for the bottom and one for casting.

• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook with a short fluorocarbon leader, dropped straight down beside the pilings
• Redfish and black drum: a Carolina rig with cut mullet, crab or live shrimp in the channel
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: silver spoons and gotcha plugs retrieved fast on a short bite leader
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jighead drifting with the tide
• A drop net or long-handled net is needed; the deck sits well above the water

Tides in Pensacola Bay are small and often only one a day, so the strength of the current matters more than the height.

• The incoming tide brings clearer Gulf water through the pass and is usually the better stage
• The last of the outgoing tide concentrates bait along the pilings
• Early morning and evening are best in summer; the water heats up fast by midday
• A hard south wind makes the sound choppy and dirty; a light breeze is ideal
• Winter cold fronts slow the bite, then the days after a front warm up and fish well

The pier is an old bridge, not a purpose-built pier, and it shows its age in places.

• Leave the pier at the first sign of lightning; there is no shelter out on the span
• Respect every closed section and fence; the far spans are closed for structural damage, and more sections will close during the rehabilitation
• The railing is older and not built for wheelchairs; the county's plans include lower fishing sections in new railings and a raised walkway
• Boat traffic passes close by; keep casts clear of the channel markers
• Bring shade, water and sunscreen; the deck has no cover

Facilities are basic, and they are changing with the rehabilitation work.

• Restrooms are listed at the pier by the local visitor bureau; check they are open when you arrive
• No bait shop on the pier: buy bait and ice on Pensacola Beach or in Gulf Breeze before you arrive
• New deck lighting, railings and signs are part of the county's rehabilitation plan
• Bins are provided; carry out line and hooks

• Scrape a few barnacles and drop them as chum for sheepshead in spring
• The outgoing tide pulls bait off the grass flats toward you; be on the rail for it
• Night fishing in summer with a light on the water can bring trout and mackerel close
• Catch pinfish on a small hook first; a live pinfish on the bottom is a top redfish bait here
• Check local news or the county's project page before a trip: sections will close during the rebuild
• Pensacola Beach Boulevard traffic is heavy on summer weekends; arrive early

Escambia County owns the pier and runs the rehabilitation project; posted pier rules apply at the entrance.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Stay out of closed and fenced sections at all times
• Report a hooked sea turtle; do not cut the line, and follow the signs
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything