Cemetery Point Park Fishing

Cemetery Point Park is a quiet corner of Cedar Key: a point beside the island's cemetery with channel water on the north, east and south sides, a boardwalk through the mangroves and a couple of small beaches where you can wet a line.

• Shore fishing on a tidal channel, away from the busier downtown pier
• Redfish, trout, sheepshead and black drum over oyster bars and grass
• A covered pavilion, a playground, a fitness trail and a waterfront overlook
• Herons, egrets, dolphins and manatees are regular visitors

The park is on East Point Road on the island of Cedar Key in Levy County, at the point of land joined to the Cedar Key Cemetery, a short drive from downtown.

• The park belongs to the City of Cedar Key
• Parking: the city does not describe it, so park only where signs allow and keep the cemetery entrance clear
• Hours and fees: none published; follow the signs at the park
• The walk: the city describes the park, boardwalk included, as fully accessible
• The fishing is from the small beaches at the water's edge

The back channels around Cedar Key hold inshore fish all year, and the point sits right on one.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and speckled trout on the moving tide; sheepshead on the oyster bars early in the season
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish at dawn, mangrove snapper around any hard bottom, crevalle jack and ladyfish chasing bait, catfish on bottom baits
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish and trout of the year, with flounder moving through the channel
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the oyster bars; trout in the deeper channel on warmer days

Light spinning tackle is all you need, but bring a leader that can take a scrape on oyster shell.

• A 7-foot medium-light rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Live shrimp on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead, bounced along the channel edge, for trout and redfish
• Live or fresh dead shrimp under a popping cork over grass
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader close to the oyster bars for sheepshead and black drum
• Cut mullet or blue crab on a Carolina rig for redfish in the deeper water
• A small gold spoon for redfish pushing along the shoreline on a rising tide

Cedar Key tides are mixed: usually two highs and two lows a day of unequal size, roughly 2.5 to 5 feet from low to high, so the channel beside the point runs well and the oyster bars change the picture completely between high and low water.

• The start of the flood is the best time, as fish move up the channel onto the bars
• At low water the bars show; use it to see where the channel edges are, then fish them as the tide comes back
• Winter north winds after a cold front pull the water very low; fish the deepest edge you can reach
• Summer mornings are calm and clear; afternoons bring storms
• Clear water on a sunny day makes fish spooky: fish lighter leaders and cast farther

The park itself is easy going, but the water's edge needs some care.

• Oyster shell is razor sharp: wear shoes at the water's edge and handle fish away from the bars
• Mud at low tide can be soft enough to trap a foot; do not wade out toward the channel
• Shuffle your feet in shallow water to warn stingrays
• Summer thunderstorms build quickly; leave the point at the first thunder
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums can be fierce at dawn and dusk near the mangroves
• The city describes the park as fully accessible; the little beaches at the water's edge may be harder going

The park has more than most small fishing spots, though nothing for anglers in particular.

• A shaded, covered picnic pavilion
• A children's playground and a fitness trail
• Older descriptions list a restroom and a water fountain, but the city's current list does not, so do not count on them
• A boardwalk through the mangroves and a waterfront overlook
• No bait, tackle or food; downtown Cedar Key has shops and restaurants a short drive away

• Bring live shrimp and fiddler crabs with you; nothing is sold at the park
• Walk the boardwalk at low tide first: you will see the channel edges and oyster bars you want to fish later
• Leave the boardwalk and overlook to walkers and wildlife watchers and fish from the beaches
• Watch for dolphins herding bait in the channel: redfish and jacks are often close behind
• Bring bug spray for dawn and dusk sessions near the mangroves

Cemetery Point Park belongs to the City of Cedar Key; follow the rules posted at the park.

• The park adjoins the city cemetery: be respectful and keep noise down
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Take your line and hooks home: tangled line in mangroves traps birds
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything