Davis Islands Beach Fishing

Davis Islands Beach is the city's sandy beach on the Seaplane Basin at the southern tip of Davis Islands, minutes from downtown Tampa, with small planes landing at Peter O. Knight Airport next door. It suits a quick session from the sand.

• A City of Tampa beach where the city's own parks data list fishing
• Sheltered basin water with snook, redfish and trout
• A city boat ramp, a dog beach and a dog park alongside
• Open from sunrise to sunset

The beach is on Severn Avenue at the south end of Davis Islands, beside Peter O. Knight Airport and across the road from the dog park.

• Getting there: from downtown Tampa cross the Davis Islands bridge, follow Davis Boulevard south, then Severn Avenue to the basin
• Parking: the city boat ramp across from the basin has standard and trailer parking; leave the trailer spaces to boaters, and expect weekend spaces to go fast
• Hours: the beach is open sunrise to sunset; the boat ramp is open 24 hours for launching
• The walk: short and level from the road to the sand
• Where to fish: from the beach only; the ramp lanes, docks and basin walls are not fishing areas

The sheltered basin and its deeper edges hold fish all year.

• Spring (Mar–May): seatrout and redfish along the edges, ladyfish and jacks arriving, sheepshead finishing their run
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook along the drop-off early and late in the day, mangrove snapper in the deeper water, the odd tarpon rolling in the basin
• Fall (Sep–Nov): redfish and trout, with jacks chasing bait
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum in the deeper water, and snook sheltering in the basin during cold snaps

Medium-light spinning tackle covers most of it.

• Snook: live pilchards or shrimp free-lined along the drop-off, or a white jig or swimbait early in the day, on a 30 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Redfish and seatrout: shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/8–1/4 oz jig head
• Mangrove snapper: small live baits on light fluorocarbon, cast well clear of moored boats and their lines
• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on the bottom
• A landing net helps you release fish quickly

Tides here are mixed: most days bring two highs and two lows of unequal size, and some days only one of each. The range between high and low is typically about 2 to 3 feet, so current through the basin is gentle, but moving water is still what switches the fish on.

• A moving tide is the best window; slack water is slow
• Early morning and evening, within beach hours, are best for snook in summer
• An east wind keeps this shore calm; a strong south wind stirs up the bay
• In cold snaps fish move into the deeper, more sheltered water of the basin

Easy access with a few cautions.

• Keep casts clear of swimmers, paddleboarders and the boats anchored in the basin
• Stay off the ramp lanes and docks, which are for launching boats
• Leave when thunderstorms build; lightning is common on summer afternoons
• There is little shade, so bring water and sun protection
• The sand is a short, level walk from the road, but soft sand limits wheelchair access; the city lists the ramp as ADA accessible

Facilities are limited.

• City boat ramp across from the basin: one ramp with two lanes and a dock, open 24 hours
• Standard and trailer parking at the ramp
• The city says there are no restrooms at the ramp, so plan accordingly
• A dog beach and a dog park across Severn Avenue
• Buy bait before you cross to the island

• Early-morning sessions beat the weekend crowds on the sand and at the ramp
• Snook cruise the drop-off along the beach in the first and last hours of daylight
• Winter sheepshead and drum sit in the deeper water off the sand on a slack tide
• Low-flying planes on the airport approach are part of the show
• Check the Florida Healthy Beaches results for Davis Islands after heavy rain
• Keep your backcast clear of dog walkers and beachgoers

Davis Islands Beach is run by the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department.

• The beach is open sunrise to sunset
• City code allows fishing next to city park land only where the department designates it; the city's parks data list fishing at Davis Islands Beach but not at the Seaplane Basin marina and ramps, so fish from the beach and never from the ramp lanes, docks or walls
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Snook and tarpon have their own rules; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything