Fishing spots in Manatee County

Manatee County covers the south shore of Tampa Bay, the Manatee River and Anna Maria Island, so it offers everything from Gulf passes to river piers and grass flats. Snook, tarpon, Spanish mackerel and pompano work the passes and beaches of Anna Maria Island, trout and redfish the flats of Palma Sola Bay and Terra Ceia Bay, and sheepshead and drum the pilings of the Green Bridge pier. The 2024 hurricanes hit its piers hard: the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach are being rebuilt with reopenings targeted for late 2026, the Rod & Reel Pier was destroyed, and the south Skyway pier has been closed beyond its bait shop since October 2025. For now, shore anglers use the passes, beaches, causeways and the Green Bridge pier.

Anna Maria Island and Longboat Pass

• Character: Gulf beaches with strong passes at each end (Passage Key Inlet at Bean Point, Longboat Pass at Coquina Beach).
• What it suits: snook in summer, pompano and mackerel in spring and fall, sheepshead and snapper on the rocks.
• Access: Manatee Avenue or Cortez Road bridges; big lots at Coquina Beach, scarce parking at Bean Point.

Palma Sola Bay and Perico

• Character: shallow grass flats beside the Manatee Avenue causeway.
• What it suits: wading for trout and reds, snook along the edges.
• Access: free causeway parking, sunrise to sunset.

Manatee River and Terra Ceia

• Character: tidal river and mangrove bays, with the Green Bridge pier in Palmetto and Emerson Point Preserve at the river mouth.
• What it suits: snook, reds, sheepshead, drum and trout.
• Access: Riverside Park in Palmetto; Emerson Point Preserve open sunrise to sunset.

Season	Likely species (shore)	Notes
Spring (Mar–May)	Spanish mackerel, pompano, spotted seatrout, redfish, sheepshead	Mackerel and pompano along the island beaches and passes
Summer (Jun–Aug)	Snook, tarpon, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, jacks	Dawn snook at the passes; tarpon off the beaches May–July
Fall (Sep–Nov)	Redfish, trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano, flounder	Reds on the flats and in the river; second mackerel run
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Sheepshead, black drum, trout, whiting	Pilings, rocks and deeper river channels

• Medium spinning gear with 15–20 lb braid and 30–40 lb leader for the passes; lighter 10 lb gear for the flats.
• Snook: live whitebait or pinfish on a 1/0–2/0 circle hook, or a white bucktail swung in the current.
• Pompano: sand fleas or shrimp on a two-hook rig with 2–3 oz of pyramid lead, or pompano jigs.
• Trout and reds: popping cork and live shrimp, soft plastics on 1/4 oz jigheads, or a weedless gold spoon.
• Sheepshead and drum: fiddler crabs on a 1/0 hook and 1/2–1 oz egg sinker beside pilings.
• A drop net for the Green Bridge pier; a long-handled net for the rocks.

• Tides are small and mixed on both the Gulf and bay sides; the passes and the river mouth run much harder than the numbers suggest.
• Passes: the outgoing tide at dawn and dusk is prime for snook; slack water suits fishing the rocks.
• Flats: the incoming tide floods the grass and brings trout and reds in.
• River: heavy summer rain freshens and muddies the Manatee River; move to the Gulf passes then.
• Winter fronts bring strong north winds and very low tides; red tide occasionally affects the Gulf beaches, so check FWC's status map.

• Currents: Passage Key Inlet at Bean Point and Longboat Pass run dangerously hard; Anna Maria posted no-swimming signs at Bean Point in 2025.
• Rocks: the Coquina Beach groin is uneven and slippery.
• Construction: beach repairs at Coquina Beach through fall 2026 fence off the south end; closed piers are fenced, so stay out.
• Lightning and heat: summer afternoon storms, little shade on beaches.
• Stingrays: shuffle your feet when wading the flats and beaches.
• Accessibility: the Green Bridge pier is wide, level and railed.

• Fish Longboat Pass or Bean Point at first light on an outgoing tide in summer for snook.
• Wade Palma Sola flats on an incoming tide for trout and reds.
• Use the island trolley on Anna Maria Island; parking near the north end is scarce and strictly enforced.
• Evenings on the lit Green Bridge pier are good for snook and drum.
• Check Manatee County's construction updates before visiting Coquina Beach in fall 2026.
• Follow news of the Anna Maria City Pier and Bridge Street Pier; both were targeting reopening in late 2026.
• Dig sand fleas at the waterline for pompano.
• After heavy rain, leave the river and fish the Gulf side.

• Pinellas County – across the Skyway: the open north Skyway pier, Fort De Soto piers and Gulf passes.
• Hillsborough County – to the north: Tampa Bay causeways, seawalls and mangrove parks.
• Sarasota County – to the south: Longboat Key, Lido and Siesta beaches and passes.

• Do I need a fishing license in Manatee County?
  • Yes: a Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt. Check current licensing and rules with FWC (myfwc.com).
• Are the Anna Maria Island piers open?
  • Not yet. The Anna Maria City Pier and the Bridge Street Pier were being rebuilt after the 2024 hurricanes, with reopenings targeted for late 2026, and the Rod & Reel Pier was destroyed.
• Can I fish the south Skyway pier?
  • The south pier has been closed beyond its bait shop since October 2025 and is to be replaced; fish the north (Pinellas) pier instead.
• Where can I fish from shore right now?
  • Longboat Pass at Coquina Beach, Bean Point, the Palma Sola Causeway flats, Emerson Point Preserve and the Green Bridge Fishing Pier in Palmetto.

Area	Coast character & access	Best species	Prime season	Go-to methods	Key safety notes	Facilities
Longboat Pass (Coquina Beach)	Rock groin and pass beach; big lots	Snook, sheepshead, pompano, mackerel	Summer, spring and fall	Live whitebait, bucktails, sand fleas	Fierce current, slippery rocks, 2026 works	Restrooms, café, boat ramp
Bean Point	Wild beach at Passage Key Inlet; walk-in	Snook, mackerel, pompano, tarpon	Summer, spring and fall	Bucktails, spoons, bottom rigs	No swimming, rips, no facilities	None
Palma Sola Causeway	Grass flats beside SR 64; free parking	Trout, reds, snook	Spring and fall	Popping cork, spoons, soft plastics	Stingrays, road traffic	Restrooms, cabanas, boat ramp
Green Bridge Fishing Pier	Old bridge pier over the Manatee River	Snook, reds, sheepshead, drum	Fall to spring, summer nights	Live shrimp, fiddler crabs	Lightning, heat	Restrooms, cleaning table, lights
Emerson Point Preserve	Mangrove shoreline at the river mouth	Trout, reds, snook	Fall and spring	Weedless spoons, soft plastics	Oysters, mud, insects	Parking, trails