Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Seawall Fishing

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Seawall is the stretch of bayside wall at the bottom of Key Biscayne, with the historic lighthouse behind you and Stiltsville out across the water. While the park's fishing platforms are closed, it is the one place in the park to fish from shore.

• Fishing is allowed only on the eight platforms (closed for repairs since September 2023) and a section of the seawall at the southern tip
• Deep water and tidal flow close to the wall off the tip of the key
• Reliable snapper and jacks, plus snook, barracuda and sheepshead in season
• Restrooms, food and scenery make it an easy day out with a family

The park is at the southern end of Crandon Boulevard on Key Biscayne, reached over the Rickenbacker Causeway from Miami.

• Getting there: the Rickenbacker Causeway has a toll plaza; carry on through Key Biscayne village to the park gate.
• Entrance: a per-vehicle fee, with lower rates for single-occupant vehicles, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians.
• Parking: lots throughout the park, including one just behind the south shore, a short walk from the fishing section of the wall near the lighthouse.
• Busy days: on weekends and holidays the park closes to all entry once it is full and does not reopen for at least two hours, so arrive early.
• Hours: 8 a.m. until sundown every day, so no night fishing.

Clear bay water off the tip of the key holds a mix of reef and bay fish.

• Spring (Mar–May): mangrove snapper, jacks, blue runners, snook starting to move
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snapper at their best, barracuda, grunts, the odd tarpon rolling in the channel
• Fall (Sep–Nov): mullet schools draw snook and jacks along the wall
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead around structure, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on cold fronts, clear-water yellowtail

Light to medium tackle handles most of it.

• Snapper and grunts: a 1/0 circle hook on 20 lb fluorocarbon, 1/2–2 oz sliding sinker, shrimp or cut pilchard
• Yellowtail: light leader, small hook and a drift of bread-and-sand chum when the water is clear
• Snook and jacks: bucktails, soft plastic jerkbaits and live shrimp free-lined along the wall
• Barracuda: tube lures or live bait on a short wire leader
• A long-handled net helps you land fish off the wall rather than lifting them by the line.

Tides here are two a day (semidiurnal), with a range of about two feet at the nearest NOAA gauge on Virginia Key.

• A moving tide is key; the start of the incoming brings clean, clear water in from the ocean
• Early morning from opening time is usually the best window before the heat and boat traffic build
• Clear water favors yellowtail and grunts; murky water after storms favors snook and jacks
• Light winds from the east are ideal; strong south winds push chop straight at the south-facing wall

The fishing section is level and close to parking, but it is an open edge above deep, moving water.

• The accessible fishing platforms are closed for now, so the wall at the tip is the only fishing access
• Keep children back from the edge of the wall
• Wakes from boats running through the channel off the tip slap the wall
• Lightning and heat in summer; bring water and shade
• Stingrays and sharks are around; you have no reason to enter the water here
• The state has contracted repairs to the platforms and bulkheads, so work areas may be fenced off; follow the signs

The state park is well equipped, though there is nowhere inside to buy tackle.

• Restrooms and outdoor showers in the park, including a restroom near the lighthouse, the fishing area and the trails, with a water-bottle refill station
• Food at the Lighthouse Café by the beach and Boater's Grill at No Name Harbor
• Covered picnic pavilions, tables and grills, and bike rentals from the concession by the Lighthouse Café
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait before you cross the causeway
• Carry ice and a cooler from home

• Get there when the gate opens; mornings are cooler, the snapper bite better and the park can fill and close to entry on weekends.
• Fish only the section of the seawall at the southern tip while the platforms are closed; fishing from the beach or in the mangroves is not allowed.
• Bring a small chum bag to pull snapper and yellowtail up from the rocks.
• The Rickenbacker Causeway has a toll; allow time for weekend traffic.
• Combine fishing with a lighthouse tour for non-anglers; tours need no extra fee or reservation.
• Keep an eye on the weather over the Everglades in summer; afternoon storms build to the west.

The park is managed by Florida State Parks (Florida Department of Environmental Protection), and fishing is allowed in designated areas only.

• Designated areas: the eight fishing platforms (closed for repairs since September 11, 2023, with no reopening date announced) and a section of the seawall at the southern tip; no fishing from the beach or in the mangroves
• Park hours are 8 a.m. until sundown, with an entrance fee
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• All fishing in the park must follow state rules on size, number, method of capture and season; check current FWC rules before keeping anything
• Goliath grouper and tarpon have release rules; check FWC before you handle one