Jenkins Creek Park Fishing

Jenkins Creek Park gives shore anglers a fishing pier on a spring-fed tidal creek, with the springs, canals and salt marsh of the park running out to the Gulf and a bigger park with fishing banks across the road.

• Fishing pier on Jenkins Creek, repaired and reopened in November 2024 after the hurricanes
• Redfish, trout and sheepshead, with snapper and jacks in summer
• Linked by a boardwalk to Linda Pedersen Park across the road, where the bank is open for fishing
• Manatees often use the creek, so bring the camera as well as the rod

The park is at 6401 Shoal Line Boulevard (County Road 595) in Spring Hill, on the coast road through the Hernando Beach area, with Linda Pedersen Park directly across the road.

• Getting there: follow Shoal Line Boulevard along the coast; the park is on the west side of the road, opposite Linda Pedersen Park
• Parking: Jenkins Creek Park charges a parking fee; Hernando County sells annual parking passes, and handicapped placard holders and disabled veterans are exempt at all county parks
• The pier is close to the parking lot
• Hours: Jenkins Creek Park is open 24 hours; Linda Pedersen Park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset

The creek mixes cool spring water with the Gulf tide, so it holds fish right through the year.

• Spring (Mar-May): spotted seatrout and redfish on the marsh edges, sheepshead finishing their run, snook moving back toward the Gulf
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook, mangrove snapper, crevalle jack and ladyfish, best at dawn and dusk
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish and trout of the year, plus black drum and flounder
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pier; snook and trout may shelter in the spring-warmed creek during cold snaps

Light spinning gear with 10-15 lb braid and a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader is plenty for the creek.

• Live shrimp under a popping cork drifted along the marsh edge for trout and redfish
• A shrimp or small soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jighead bounced along the creek channel
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader dropped beside the pier pilings for sheepshead
• Cut mullet or blue crab on the bottom for redfish and black drum
• A weedless gold spoon or a soft jerk bait cast to the grass edges at first light
• Bring a long-handled landing net for the pier

The Hernando coast gets two high and two low tides most days, usually one bigger than the other, with a range of a few feet, and the flats off the creek are very shallow.

• The falling tide pulls bait out of the marsh and down the creek past the pier
• The top of the rising tide floods the grass and brings redfish in close
• Dead low leaves the creek thin; fish the deepest channel water you can reach
• The spring-fed water is often very clear, so low light, a little chop and light leaders help
• Strong north winds after winter fronts blow water out and make extra-low tides

This is a calm, sheltered spot, and the pier is close to the parking lot.

• Afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer; leave the pier at the first thunder
• Wet boards get slippery; wear shoes with grip
• Keep casts clear of small boats and canoes at the launch
• Manatees use the creek; never cast at them and give them room
• There are no lifeguards at either park
• Bring insect repellent, sun protection and water in summer

Between the two parks there is plenty for a day out.

• Jenkins Creek Park: fishing pier, a floating dock and launch for small boats and canoes, grills and picnic tables; the county lists restrooms, though portable toilets stood in for them after the 2024 storms
• Linda Pedersen Park: restrooms, showers, pavilions (three can be rented), a playground and a swimming area
• Linda Pedersen's boardwalk reopened in August 2026 after a rebuild, with a new accessible sidewalk
• No bait shop in either park, so bring bait with you
• No lighting confirmed on the pier for night fishing

• Look for manatees in the creek in the cooler months; they are a big part of the draw here
• Linda Pedersen Park's 40-foot lookout tower is closed while the county replaces it
• Fish the falling tide at dawn from Jenkins Creek Park, which is open around the clock and quietest then
• Sheepshead gather around the pier pilings in winter; drop a fiddler crab straight down
• Kayak anglers can follow the marked Bayport to Linda Pedersen paddling trail, about 1.7 miles through the needlerush marsh
• Linda Pedersen Park closes to regular visitors during the annual Weeki Wachee Swamp Fest, so check the dates

Jenkins Creek Park and Linda Pedersen Park are Hernando County parks; posted park rules apply.

• Jenkins Creek Park has a parking fee; Linda Pedersen Park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset
• No lifeguards: swimming is at your own risk
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and redfish have FWC rules and seasons for this region
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything