St. George Island Public Beach Fishing

St. George Island Public Beach is an easy place on the island to wet a line in the Gulf surf, with parking and facilities a few steps from the sand.

• Open Gulf surf in the middle of St. George Island
• Whiting, flounder and redfish all year; pompano and Spanish mackerel in the warm months
• A bathhouse, covered pavilions, a playground and a ball court
• Lighthouse Park and the Cape St. George Light next door

The public beach is in the center of St. George Island, where the bridge road meets Gulf Beach Drive.

• Getting there: from US 98 in Eastpoint cross the long bridge to the island; at the island stop sign turn right, then left into the beach parking
• Parking: lots on either side of Lighthouse Park
• Entry: the county lists no fee for this beach park
• The walk: a short hop over the dunes onto soft sand
• Stay on the marked paths; the county has been rebuilding and replanting the dunes

Franklin County's tourism office says whiting, flounder and redfish bite in the surf all year, with trout, pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and sharks once the water reaches about 70°F.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting feed in the troughs as Spanish mackerel and bluefish arrive, and cobia travel the beach
• Summer (Jun-Aug): sharks, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel, plus pompano and whiting in the early and late hours
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the island's best surf season, with pompano and bull reds on the move
• Winter (Dec-Feb): calm, sunny days bring whiting and redfish

Use a 9 to 11 foot surf rod to reach the sandbars and a lighter spinning rod in the first trough.

• Pompano and whiting: shrimp or sand fleas on a double-drop rig, size 1 to 1/0 hooks, with a 2 to 4 oz pyramid sinker below
• Redfish: blue crab or cut mullet on a fish-finder rig, using a 5/0 circle hook
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: gotcha plugs or small spoons, tied to a short wire leader
• Pompano jigs bounced along the floor of the first trough
• A small cart and a sand spike take the work out of the day

The tides on this coast have a small range, and many days bring only one high and one low, so wind and surf count for as much as the tide.

• Food gets stirred up in the troughs by a moving tide and a bit of surf
• Pompano like a light onshore breeze; in flat, clear water, go to lighter line
• In summer, the early morning and evening are best, with fewer people on the beach
• Once a cold front passes the water clears, and whiting and reds bite on sunny afternoons
• Very rough surf is tough to fish and risky to wade

The beach is easy to reach, but the surf can be dangerous.

• Rip currents form along the sandbars; check the beach flags, and in rough surf keep your wading shallow
• Stingrays are common in the shallows, so shuffle your feet
• Leave the beach when you hear the first thunder
• Keep lines and hooks well away from swimmers
• Parking and facilities are close to the beach, but the last stretch is soft sand

The tourism office lists a bathhouse, covered picnic pavilions, a playground and a ball court at the public beach.

• Bathhouse with restrooms
• Covered picnic pavilions
• Parking lots on either side of Lighthouse Park
• The Cape St. George Light and Keeper's House in Lighthouse Park
• Shops and restaurants near the lighthouse; the tourism office points anglers to Eastpoint's bait and tackle shops, across the bridge

• Fish early; by midmorning in summer the beach fills with swimmers
• Look for the darker water of a trough just beyond the first break; pompano feed there
• Bring sand fleas if you can dig them at the waterline; pompano love them
• Franklin County's leave no trace ordinance covers belongings left on public beaches, so take everything home each day
• Bring a cart: the last stretch from the lot to the water is soft sand

The public beach and Lighthouse Park are managed by Franklin County.

• Unless exempt, you need a Florida saltwater fishing license
• Shark fishing from the beach calls for the free FWC shore-based permit
• The county's leave no trace ordinance applies to belongings left on public beaches
• Keep off the dunes and clear of posted sea turtle nesting areas
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything