De Soto National Memorial Fishing

De Soto National Memorial commemorates Hernando de Soto's 1539 expedition, and its quiet beaches on the Manatee River mouth are open to anglers with rod and reel. You fish moving river water with Tampa Bay on the horizon, in a free national park site.

• Fishing allowed from the park's shores, sunrise to sunset
• Two small beaches: an exposed point and a sheltered cove
• Snook, redfish and trout, with sheepshead in the cooler months
• Free entry and a nature trail; the visitor center has been closed since the 2024 hurricanes

The memorial is at the end of De Soto Memorial Highway in northwest Bradenton, on the point where the Manatee River opens into Tampa Bay.

• Hours: the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset; the park road and parking area are open to vehicles only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Entry: free; no pass is needed
• The walk: a nature trail follows the shoreline to De Soto Point Beach, northwest of the visitor center, and the Cove Beach on the south side of the point
• Stay on the trails and walkways; the mangrove areas are closed to protect them
• Bicycles are allowed in the parking lot only, not on the trails

Moving river water, grass and the open bay give a good inshore mix.

• Spring (Mar-May): snook moving out of the river, spotted seatrout on the grass, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish arriving at the river mouth
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook along the beaches at dawn and dusk, mangrove snapper, jacks and ladyfish
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and trout at their best, Spanish mackerel with the bait schools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum, and snook sheltering in the river on cold days

Medium spinning gear with 15-20 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader covers most of it.

• Snook: live shrimp or pilchards, or a paddle-tail soft plastic worked along the shoreline; 30-40 lb leader
• Redfish and spotted seatrout: a gold spoon, a jig, or a shrimp under a popping cork over the grass
• Spanish mackerel and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs when birds show bait in the river mouth
• Sheepshead and black drum: shrimp or fiddler crabs on the bottom, cast from the beach
• Cast from the beaches and open shoreline; do not stand on the riprap or push into the brush

Tampa Bay has mixed tides, usually two highs and two lows a day of unequal size, with a small range, but the current runs hard around the point where the river meets the bay.

• Moving water is the key: the falling tide carries bait out of the river past the point
• De Soto Point Beach is exposed to the current and to waves off Tampa Bay; the Cove Beach is sheltered from most of both
• Pick the Cove on a windy day and the Point when the water is calm
• Early morning and the last hours before sunset fish best in summer
• Winter cold fronts clear the water and bring sheepshead

A calm park, but the point is open water.

• There are no lifeguards, and the current off De Soto Point runs strong; do not wade far
• If you wade, shuffle your feet for stingrays
• Swimmers use the beaches, boats anchor in the Cove and kayaks launch from the sand; cast with care
• Summer thunderstorms bring lightning; leave the beach when they build
• The beaches are sand and the trail is a walk from the lot; motorized wheelchairs are permitted in public areas for eligible visitors

The park is set up for visitors rather than for anglers.

• The visitor center and its restrooms have been closed since the 2024 hurricanes damaged them; the park has put portable restrooms at the front of the park
• A picnic area beside the parking lot, first come, first served
• A nature trail with interpretive signs
• Pets are welcome on a leash, with waste stations along the trails
• Grills and alcohol are not allowed, and there is no camping
• No bait or tackle is listed; bring everything you need

• Driving in? Plan around the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. vehicle hours; the grounds themselves open at sunrise
• The Cove Beach is the calmer, more sheltered place to fish when the wind is up
• Fish the point on a falling tide, when bait washes out of the river
• Keep off the riprap and out of the mangroves; the park prohibits both
• The park closes on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and may close when a hurricane is on the way
• Leave by sunset, when the grounds close

The National Park Service manages the memorial, and federal park rules apply alongside state fishing law.

• Fishing is permitted from park shores and surrounding waters from sunrise to sunset
• Do not stand on riprap or clear brush to reach the water; the mangrove areas are closed
• Digging for bait and dumping bait or bait buckets are prohibited
• Release unwanted fish carefully and at once; alcohol is prohibited in the park
• A Florida fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything