Bald Point State Park Fishing

Bald Point State Park is a wild corner of the Big Bend coast, where a bay, a river mouth and open Apalachee Bay meet around oyster bars and grass flats. It suits wade anglers chasing redfish and trout.

• Beaches on Apalachee Bay at the North End and Sunrise accesses
• A small fishing pier at the end of Bald Point Road on Ochlockonee Bay
• Oyster bars and grass flats for redfish, trout and flounder
• Quiet, uncrowded and full of birds

The park is on Alligator Point in eastern Franklin County, off US 98 south of the Ochlockonee Bay bridge.

• Getting there: take US 98 across the Ochlockonee Bay bridge, then follow the signs toward Alligator Point and Bald Point Road
• Entry: $4 per vehicle (up to eight people), $2 on foot or by bicycle
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, every day
• The fishing pier is where Bald Point Road ends on Ochlockonee Bay, at the North End entrance, with a mobi-mat for access
• The North End and Sunrise beach accesses have short walks on sand, and both have mobi-mats

The mix of bay, river and Gulf water gives a long season.

• Spring (Mar–May): redfish and trout on the flats, sheepshead on the oyster bars, Spanish mackerel and cobia arriving in Apalachee Bay
• Summer (Jun–Aug): trout at dawn, Spanish mackerel and bluefish, flounder, ladyfish and sharks
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best season: redfish schooling on the bars, flounder moving out, trout feeding
• Winter (Dec–Feb): redfish and sheepshead on sunny days, trout in the deeper creek mouths

Wading with light spinning tackle is the classic approach.

• Redfish: gold spoons, soft plastics or cut mullet around the oyster bars
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic over the grass
• Flounder: a finger mullet or jig worked along sandy edges
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp next to the oyster bars
• Spanish mackerel: spoons when fish are breaking off the beaches

Tides here are bigger than in the western Panhandle: NOAA's Bald Point station shows two uneven highs and lows on most days, with roughly 2 to 4 feet from low to high, enough to expose the bars at low water.

• The rising tide pushes redfish onto the bars and flats
• Low tide shows you where the bars and holes are; come back and fish them on the rise
• A strong north wind in winter drains the flats; a south wind floods them
• Heavy rain up the Ochlockonee River stains the bay
• Dawn and dusk are best in summer

This is a natural shoreline with few facilities.

• Oyster bars cut; wear sturdy wading boots
• Shuffle your feet to avoid stingrays, and watch for soft mud
• Watch the tide when wading: bars that are dry at low tide flood fast
• Leave the water at the first sign of lightning
• Lifeguards are not provided
• The fishing pier and both beaches have mobi-mat access; beyond them the sand is soft

Facilities are simple.

• A small fishing pier on Ochlockonee Bay at the North End entrance
• Accessible picnic pavilions with tables and grills at the Sunrise, North End and Maritime Hammock beaches, with restrooms nearby
• Outdoor showers at Sunrise Beach, and a beach wheelchair you can reserve through the park office
• No bait is sold in the park; bring bait, water, bug spray, shade and wading boots
• A stringer or floating bucket helps when wading far from the car

• Walk the bars at low tide to learn them, then fish the rising tide
• Fall is the time for schooling reds on the oyster bars
• A kayak lets you reach bars out of wading range
• The park also lists fishing from the bridge over Chaires Creek on Range Road, where trout, redfish, flounder and sheepshead are common
• Bring bug spray; the marshes breed biting insects
• Birders share the beaches; keep out of posted nesting areas

The Florida Park Service manages the park; park rules are posted.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shorebirds and sea turtles nest here; stay out of posted areas
• Pets are not allowed on the beach
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Take all line and hooks home
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything