Fishing spots in Franklin County

Franklin County is the eastern end of the Forgotten Coast: Apalachicola, Eastpoint and Carrabelle on the mainland, and St. George Island and its neighbors facing the Gulf. Apalachicola Bay, fed by the Apalachicola River, is one of the most productive estuaries in the Gulf, and its channels and oyster bars hold redfish, speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead and flounder. The old Bryant Patton Bridge survives as two public fishing piers, one at the St. George Island end and one at Eastpoint, and St. George Island State Park protects miles of undeveloped beach for surf fishing. Summer adds Spanish mackerel and tripletail. The county is on Eastern Time, and its fishing is famously uncrowded.

St. George Island

• Character: long barrier island with public beaches, the island-end fishing pier and a state park at its eastern end
• What it suits: surf fishing for pompano, whiting and reds; bay fishing for trout and reds from the old-bridge pier
• Access: St. George Island Bridge from Eastpoint; state park fee, 8 a.m. to sundown

Eastpoint and Apalachicola Bay

• Character: working waterfront on the bay with the mainland end of the old bridge as a second fishing pier
• What it suits: redfish, trout, black drum, sheepshead and tripletail
• Access: US 98 in Eastpoint; waterfront parks and boat ramps

Apalachicola and Carrabelle

• Character: historic river towns with seawalls, docks and river mouths
• What it suits: redfish, trout and sheepshead along the waterfront; flounder at the river mouths
• Access: town parks and ramps; check local rules

Season	Likely species (shore)	Notes
Spring (Mar–May)	Sheepshead, black drum, pompano, whiting, trout, redfish	Sheepshead peak on the bridge pilings; pompano in the surf
Summer (Jun–Aug)	Spanish mackerel, tripletail, trout, redfish, sharks	Tripletail near pilings and markers; night fishing
Fall (Sep–Nov)	Redfish, trout, flounder, pompano	The best all-round season
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Sheepshead, black drum, trout, whiting	Deeper channels and bridge pilings

• Bridge piers: fiddler crabs and shrimp for sheepshead and drum; live shrimp under a cork for trout and tripletail; spoons for mackerel
• A drop net or bridge gaff for the high deck
• Surf: double-drop rigs with sand fleas or shrimp, 2–4 oz pyramid sinkers
• Bay shore: soft plastics and topwaters for trout and reds
• Flounder: live mud minnows on a Carolina rig

• Tides are small, often once or twice a day, but channels in Apalachicola Bay carry strong current past the bridge pilings
• Fish the moving tide; slack water suits sheepshead and drum
• Heavy rain upriver turns the bay brown and fresh; fish nearer the Gulf and the island's surf
• A strong north wind blows water out of the bay and muddies it
• Light onshore breezes bring pompano into the island's troughs

• Lightning over the open bay is the main summer hazard on the bridge piers
• Rip currents occur along the St. George Island surf
• Shuffle your feet when wading; stingrays are common
• The island and state park are remote; carry water, shade and supplies
• The old-bridge deck is level and wheelchair friendly, but long and exposed

• Sheepshead fishing on the old-bridge piers peaks from February to April
• Look for tripletail lying near pilings in summer and drift a shrimp past them
• Buy bait and ice in Eastpoint or on the island before you start
• If the bay is muddy after rain, fish the St. George Island surf instead
• The state park's farther beach accesses are the emptiest
• Night sessions on the bridge piers are productive in summer
• Franklin County is on Eastern Time, an hour ahead of Panama City

• Gulf County – Cape San Blas surf and St. Joseph Bay flats
• Wakulla County – St. Marks, Shell Point and the Big Bend flats to the east

• Do I need a fishing license in Franklin County?
  • Yes, a Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt. See FWC (myfwc.com).
• Where are the St. George Island fishing piers?
  • At each end of the old Bryant Patton Bridge, one on St. George Island and one in Eastpoint, beside the modern bridge.
• What is the best shore fishing here?
  • The old-bridge piers for reds, trout, drum and sheepshead, and St. George Island State Park for surf pompano and whiting.
• Is shark fishing allowed from the piers?
  • Shore-based shark fishing, including from piers, requires the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit; follow posted rules.
• Can I keep what I catch?
  • Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.

Area	Coast character & access	Best species	Prime season	Go-to methods	Key safety notes	Facilities
St. George Island Fishing Pier	Old-bridge pier over Apalachicola Bay	Reds, sheepshead, trout, drum, tripletail	Spring and fall	Crabs, shrimp, cork rigs	Lightning, current	Parking; bait in town
St. George Island State Park	Undeveloped surf and bay shore, park fee	Pompano, whiting, reds, trout	Apr–May, Oct	Double-drop rigs, soft plastics	Rip currents, stingrays	Restrooms, boardwalks
Eastpoint and Apalachicola	Bay waterfront and river towns	Reds, trout, sheepshead	Fall–spring	Shrimp, crabs, soft plastics	Boat traffic	Varies by park