E.G. Simmons Park Fishing

E.G. Simmons Park (E.G. Simmons Conservation Park) is a Hillsborough County park on Tampa Bay north of Ruskin, where mangrove islands and tidal channels meet the open bay.

• The county lists it among its best saltwater fishing parks, with fishing from the piers and the banks.
• Snook, redfish and trout along the mangroves, sheepshead and drum in winter.
• Its park map shows several small fishing piers, including one in the day-use area where a pass links the bay and the inner waters.
• Campground, boat ramp and kayak rentals on site, so it works as a weekend base.

The park is at 2401 19th Avenue NW, about three miles north of Ruskin, at the west end of 19th Avenue NW off US 41.

• Getting there: follow 19th Avenue NW west from US 41 to the entry station.
• Fees: $2 per vehicle for up to eight people, and $5 to launch a boat; camping and rentals cost extra.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in spring and summer, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in fall and winter.
• The piers: the county's park map shows several; the one in the day-use area is a short walk from the parking loop.
• The county's online park map shows where the others are.

Classic eastern Tampa Bay flats and mangrove fishing.

• Spring (Mar–May): trout and reds along the grass and mangrove edges, sheepshead finishing, snook moving out of the backwaters.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper; juvenile tarpon in the channels.
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best redfish months, with trout feeding hard as the water cools.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum; trout in the deeper channels on cold days.

Light spinning gear with 10–15 lb braid and a 20–25 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a 1/4 oz jighead with a paddle-tail soft plastic.
• Reds: cut mullet or shrimp on a 1/0 circle hook with a light sinker, or a weedless gold spoon along the mangroves.
• Snook: live whitebait or a small swimbait cast toward the mangrove edges from the piers or banks.
• Sheepshead and drum: shrimp or fiddler crab on a short leader near structure.
• Keep tackle light; the water is shallow and the fish spooky.

Tampa Bay has two uneven highs and lows on most days and only one on some; at the nearest NOAA station the daily range runs about 2 to 3 feet.

• Best: the incoming tide, which floods the flats and pushes fish to the mangrove edges.
• Current runs through the passes between the bay and the inner waters on a moving tide.
• Very low tides leave the flats bare; fish the channels then.
• Wind: calm mornings are best; a strong west wind muddies the shallows.
• Light: the first hours after the 8 a.m. opening in summer, before the heat.

Sheltered water and level paths make it a comfortable, family-friendly park.

• Wading: county code allows wading only in designated swimming areas, so fish from the piers and banks.
• Lightning and heat: summer afternoon storms are frequent; leave early when one builds.
• Stingrays and catfish: handle catches with care.
• Insects: mosquitoes and no-see-ums, worst early and late in the day.
• Access: parking is close to the water, but the banks are uneven in places and the small piers are reached on short paths.

Well equipped for a county park.

• Restrooms and shower houses.
• Campground: 110 sites with electricity and water, bookable online.
• Boat ramp (separate fee), kayak rentals at the entry station, and a paddling trail.
• Picnic shelters, two playgrounds and a 700-foot beach with a swimming area.
• Bait: the county lists no bait sales in the park, so bring live shrimp with you.
• Lighting: none is listed for fishing.

• Arrive at the 8 a.m. opening on an incoming tide for the best trout bite.
• The passes where water moves between the bay and the inner lagoons hold bait and predators on a running tide.
• A kayak from the park's rental opens up the mangrove channels.
• Bring insect repellent for early starts.
• Check the closing time before you set up; it changes with the season.
• Annual pass holders can buy the county's after-hours fishing permit, which is valid here.

E.G. Simmons Conservation Park is run by Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management department.

• County code allows fishing in county parks only in designated places; the county lists this park's piers and banks for fishing.
• No swimming or wading outside designated swimming areas, and keep docks and ramps clear of gear.
• No alcohol; pets on a 6-foot or shorter, non-retractable leash.
• After-hours fishing needs the county's site-specific permit, whose rules ban trotlines, set hooks, nets, traps, gigs and spears; ask the park about cast nets.
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit.
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.