Carrabelle Beach Fishing

Carrabelle Beach is a quiet roadside beach park on St. George Sound, where the gently sloping bottom and nearby grass flats make easy wade fishing for inshore species.

• Shallow, calm water on St. George Sound
• Speckled trout, redfish and flounder on the grass edges
• Pompano, Spanish mackerel and whiting in the warm months
• Free parking, restrooms, an outdoor shower and pavilions

The park is on US 98 just west of Carrabelle, between the highway and St. George Sound.

• Getting there: follow US 98 west from Carrabelle; the park is on the water side
• Parking: free, about 40 spaces, with room for RVs
• Entry: free
• The beach is a short walk from the lot across sand
• Old Carrabelle Beach, about half a mile away, has no facilities or formal parking

The sound's grass flats keep inshore fish close to the beach.

• Spring (Mar–May): trout and redfish on the flats, pompano and Spanish mackerel arriving, sheepshead on the bars
• Summer (Jun–Aug): trout at dawn, flounder, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and whiting, ladyfish
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best season: redfish, flounder and trout feeding, pompano passing
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum; trout on warm, calm afternoons

Light spinning tackle and wading shoes are all you need.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a light jighead over the grass
• Redfish: gold spoons or cut mullet along the grass edges
• Flounder: finger mullet or a jig bounced slowly on sand patches
• Pompano and whiting: small pompano jigs or shrimp on a double-drop rig in the troughs
• Spanish mackerel: spoons when fish break

NOAA's stations near Carrabelle show two uneven highs and lows on most days, with roughly 1.5 to 3.5 feet from low to high, more than in the western Panhandle, so the flats drain and flood.

• The rising tide floods the grass and pulls fish shallow; it is the best stage
• Low tide shows where the troughs and bars are
• A south wind raises the water and can muddy it; a north wind in winter drains the flats
• Calm, clear mornings are best
• Heavy rain from the rivers can stain the sound

The beach is gentle, but it is a natural shore.

• No lifeguards; swim and wade at your own risk
• Shuffle your feet for stingrays and wear shoes for oysters and shells
• Watch the tide on the flats; channels fill quickly
• Leave the water at the first sign of lightning
• US 98 runs right behind the park; watch children in the lot
• Visit Florida lists no accessible features here, but the county's tourist council has recently added Mobi-Mat walkways at eight Carrabelle Beach access points; check what reaches the sand at the park

Franklin County lists these facilities at Carrabelle Beach Park.

• Restrooms and an outdoor shower
• Ten picnic pavilions with tables and grills
• Free parking, including RV spaces
• No concessions or bait shop; bring water, food and bait with you
• Bring shade for the beach itself
• Grills at the pavilions make it easy to cook the catch on the spot

• Old Carrabelle Beach nearby is quieter and closer to the best grass flats
• Fish the first hours of the rising tide
• Summer and fall bring the best flats fishing
• Pompano show along the sand in spring and fall; bring a few jigs
• Take everything with you: Franklin County has a leave-no-trace beach ordinance
• Bring bait with you; the park sells nothing

Franklin County manages the beach park; posted rules apply.

• Franklin County's leave-no-trace ordinance applies: remove personal property from the beach
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Take old line and hooks home; birds feed along this shore
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything