Veterans Memorial Park at Beacon Hill Fishing

Veterans Memorial Park at Beacon Hill is a well-equipped county park with a short walk to open Gulf surf on the St. Joe Beach shore.

• Gulf surf for pompano, whiting, redfish and Spanish mackerel
• Restrooms, covered pavilions, playgrounds and a large dog park
• An amphitheater and the Honor Walk memorial to local veterans
• Eastern Time, an hour ahead of Mexico Beach a short drive west

The park is on US 98 at Beacon Hill, on Gulf County's St. Joe Beach shore a short drive east of Mexico Beach.

• Getting there: follow US 98 east from Mexico Beach or west from Port St. Joe
• Parking: in the park itself, with bus parking too
• Entry: no fee is listed for this county park
• The walk: a short path from the park crosses US 98 to the beach; cross with care
• The tourism office lists the park as ADA accessible

This stretch of Gulf beach fishes much like Mexico Beach just to the west, where a Port St. Joe tackle shop reported surf redfish, pompano and some speckled trout through 2026.

• Spring (Mar-May): whiting and pompano hold in the troughs, bluefish and Spanish mackerel move in, and cobia swim the length of the beach
• Summer (Jun-Aug): sharks, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish, with whiting feeding early and late
• Fall (Sep-Nov): pompano on the move and redfish working the surf
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting and reds when the day is calm and sunny

Pair a 9 to 11 foot surf rod for the bars with a lighter rod for the first trough.

• Pompano and whiting: bait size 1 to 1/0 hooks with shrimp or sand fleas on a double-drop rig weighted with a 2 to 4 oz pyramid sinker
• Redfish: a 5/0 circle hook on a fish-finder rig, with blue crab or cut mullet
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: small spoons or gotcha plugs, with a short wire leader in front
• Surf trout: at first light, live shrimp or a soft plastic
• A cart and a sand spike make for an easier day

On this coast the tides are small, often with only one high and one low a day, so surf and wind count as much as the tide.

• A little surf and a moving tide churn up food in the troughs
• A north wind flattens the surf and clears the water
• Summer fishing is best at dawn and dusk, while the beach is quiet
• Redfish and pompano work along the beach after fall cold fronts
• Big surf is both hard to fish and dangerous to wade into

The park is easy to use, but the Gulf beach is unguarded.

• Gulf County beaches have no lifeguards, and the county's volunteer beach-flag system covers Cape San Blas and Indian Pass, not St. Joe Beach, so judge the surf yourself
• Rip currents form along the bars; do not wade out deep when the surf is rough
• Stingrays are common in the shallows; shuffle as you go
• At the first thunder, leave the beach
• The beach path crosses busy US 98; watch for traffic, especially with a loaded cart

Gulf County's tourism office lists restrooms, covered picnic pavilions, playgrounds, pickleball courts, a large dog park and beach access, and the park is listed as ADA accessible.

• Restrooms and covered pavilions
• Playgrounds and pickleball courts
• A large dog park
• An amphitheater and the lighted flag of the Honor Walk
• No bait shop at the park; buy bait and tackle before you arrive

• Remember the time change: Mexico Beach, a short drive west, is on Central Time
• Surf redfish often come close in a light chop on a rising tide
• Fish early; summer afternoons bring swimmers and storms
• The Honor Walk's lighted flag makes an easy landmark from the beach at night
• Bring your own shade; there is none on the sand

Veterans Memorial Park is a Gulf County park; follow the rules posted there.

• Anglers need a Florida saltwater fishing license unless they are exempt
• Shark fishing from shore needs the free FWC permit
• Do not walk on the dunes, and stay out of posted sea turtle nesting areas
• Gulf County beaches are pet friendly, but leash laws and waste pickup apply
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything