Frank Pate Park Fishing

Frank Pate Park is Port St. Joe's town-center park on St. Joseph Bay, with an iconic pier over some of the clearest inshore water on the Gulf Coast.

• A photogenic fishing pier over clear, grassy St. Joseph Bay
• Speckled trout, redfish and flounder most of the year
• Restrooms, a covered pavilion, playground and fish cleaning station
• The town's four-lane boat launch next door

The park is in the heart of Port St. Joe at the junction of US 98 and US 71, between the highway and the bay.

• Getting there: follow US 98 into Port St. Joe; the park is on the bay side at the US 71 intersection
• Parking: at the park and the boat ramp; out-of-county boaters need a daily launch pass from the pay station (card only), and county residents need the city's free annual pass
• Entry: free city park
• The pier: a paved path runs out along the rock jetty beside the boat basin to the pier and its covered platform
• Check posted park hours

St. Joseph Bay's seagrass meadows hold inshore fish all year.

• Spring (Mar–May): speckled trout and redfish on the grass, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and bluefish arriving
• Summer (Jun–Aug): trout at dawn, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish, flounder and the occasional cobia in the bay
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best season: redfish schooling, flounder, trout feeding hard
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum; trout in the deeper holes on warm afternoons

The water is clear, so go light: 10 lb braid with a 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead over the grass
• Redfish: gold spoons and soft plastics cast along the grass edges
• Flounder: finger mullet or a jig worked on the sand patches
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: small spoons retrieved fast
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs on the pier pilings in winter and spring

St. Joseph Bay has small tides, usually under 2 feet, and NOAA's Port St. Joe station often shows just one high and one low a day; the water is very clear.

• A moving tide over the grass is key; slack water is slow
• Low light fishes best because of the clear water: dawn, dusk and cloudy days
• A strong wind clouds the shallows; calm days are best
• Summer heat pushes fish off the flats by late morning
• Winter cold snaps send trout to deeper holes; fish the warm afternoons

The park is flat, open and easy to get around.

• A paved path leads out along the jetty to the pier, with restrooms and parking close by
• Leave the pier when thunderstorms build over the bay
• Keep casts clear of boats using the launch and the basin
• Shuffle your feet if you wade the grass; stingrays are common
• Bring water and sunscreen; shade is under the pavilion and the pier's roof

The city and the county tourist office list a good set of facilities.

• Public restrooms
• A covered pavilion with picnic tables and benches under the oaks
• A fish cleaning station
• A pirate-ship playground, a lighted tennis court and a pickleball court
• A four-lane boat launch with a center dock
• No bait shop in the park; bring bait with you
• Bring ice and water; downtown Port St. Joe is a short walk away for food

• Clear water spooks fish: long casts and light leaders help
• Dawn with a topwater plug can bring big trout in summer
• Launch a kayak to reach the grass flats along the bay's east shore
• Sunsets over the bay from the pier are some of the best on the coast
• Scallop season brings crowds to the bay in summer; expect a busy ramp
• Red tide has reached St. Joseph Bay in some recent falls; check the FWC's weekly red tide status before a trip
• Clean fish at the station, not on the pier

The City of Port St. Joe manages the park and the launch; posted rules apply.

• Boat launch users need a city launch permit (daily passes at the pay station, annual passes from City Hall)
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• St. Joseph Bay is an aquatic preserve; protect the seagrass and take all line home
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything