Perdido Key Beach Access 4 Fishing

Perdido Key Beach Access 4 sits on county-owned land between condominiums toward the west end of Florida's part of Perdido Key. It gives surf anglers a paved lot, toilets and a boardwalk to the Gulf, with a wide beach in front of the county's land.

• The farthest west of the county's four numbered Perdido Key accesses
• A wide beach in front of the access, with a nearshore trough to work
• Pompano and Gulf whiting through spring and fall, redfish in autumn
• Summer Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish when bait is close
• The county keeps parks with water access open to fishing after dark

The access is on the Gulf side of Perdido Key Drive (State Road 292), west of Perdido Key State Park and a short drive from the Alabama line.

• Getting there: cross the bridge onto Perdido Key from the mainland and follow Perdido Key Drive west, past Accesses 1 to 3 and the state park
• Parking: a paved lot of about 35 spaces with accessible spaces; the state's beach access inventory lists no fee
• The walk: a short boardwalk crosses the dunes from the lot, then soft sand runs down to the water
• Hours: other park uses end an hour after sunset, but county code does not close water-access parks to fishing
• Arrive early in summer, when beachgoers fill the lot

This beach sees the usual western Panhandle surf fish, with the best action in spring and again in fall.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano move along the troughs as the water warms, with Gulf whiting and the first bluefish
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and blue runners follow bait schools; Atlantic sharpnose sharks feed near dusk
• Fall (Sep-Nov): big redfish roam the beach, pompano come back, and bluefish schools pass through
• Winter (Dec-Feb): Gulf whiting and black drum on calm days, with fewer anglers on the sand

Bottom rigs with natural bait take most fish here, with a spoon or jig kept ready for surface action.

• A 10- to 12-foot surf rod, 15- to 20-lb line and a double-drop rig with size 1 hooks and a 3- to 4-oz sputnik sinker to hold in the current
• Sand fleas raked from the swash, fresh shrimp or peeled shrimp tails, and scented strips as a backup
• For redfish: cut mullet or crab on a 5/0 circle hook on a sliding-sinker rig, cast to the edge of the bar
• A small pompano jig with a teaser, bounced along the bottom, when the water is clear
• Silver spoons for Spanish mackerel and bluefish; add a short bite leader

The tide barely moves on Perdido Key. NOAA's nearby Alabama Point station predicts one high and one low on most days, rarely more than about a foot and a half apart.

• With so little range, surf, clarity and light decide most days more than the tide chart
• Dawn and the hour before dark fish best, especially in the heat of summer
• A moderate surf with clean green water is ideal for pompano and whiting
• A hard south wind makes the surf rough and murky; give it a day to settle
• Watch for glass minnows and diving birds over the bar in summer and fall

The Gulf off Perdido Key can pull hard even on fine days, and there is no lifeguard listed at this access.

• Read the beach flags and never wade out to cast in red-flag surf
• The access has rescue tubes installed for a swimmer in trouble; call 911 in any emergency
• Lightning builds fast on summer afternoons; leave the beach at the first thunder
• Shuffle your feet in the shallows to avoid stingrays
• The tourism office describes the access as handicap accessible, with a boardwalk from the paved lot, but the final stretch to the water is soft sand

The access covers the basics for a few hours of fishing, and nothing more.

• A paved parking lot of about 35 spaces, with accessible spaces
• Portable toilets, one of them a larger accessible unit
• A boardwalk walkover over the dunes
• Rescue tubes at the access
• No bait, food or drinking water on site; bring everything, including ice

• Stay on the boardwalk: Perdido Key's dunes shelter the endangered Perdido Key beach mouse
• Rake sand fleas right at the water's edge before you set up; they are the best pompano bait here
• The beach is wide, so a cart saves several trips across soft sand with rods and a cooler
• Set up on the county's frontage in front of the access, about 100 yards wide, or on the wet sand below the high-tide line: the dry sand in front of the neighboring condominiums is private, and public use of it is disputed
• In fall, give a cut-mullet rod an hour at dusk for a passing bull redfish
• If this lot is full, the state park's day-use areas are a short drive east (entrance fee)
• Pack out line and hooks; tangled line on the beach can kill shorebirds and sea turtles

The access is Escambia County property, and county park rules apply.

• County code does not close parks with water access to fishing; other activities end one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise
• No dogs or other animals, and no fires except where the county provides for them
• County lifeguards and the water safety supervisor may order anglers to stop fishing too close to bathers
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; shore-based shark fishing also needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything