Bow Channel Bridge Fishing

Bow Channel Bridge is a free fishing bridge on the old railroad alignment beside the Overseas Highway, and one of the better Lower Keys spans still open to anglers.

• A historic concrete span kept for walkers, cyclists and anglers on the Heritage Trail
• Strong tidal flow between the Atlantic side and the backcountry
• Snapper, grunts and jacks all year, with tarpon passing through in the warmer months
• Free to fish, with the trail-wide hours of 8 a.m. to sunset

The bridge sits at mile marker 20 on US 1 in the Lower Keys, roughly 20 miles from Key West, alongside the modern highway bridge.

• Directions: take the Overseas Highway to mile marker 20; the old span is right beside the road
• Parking: gravel on the road shoulder where the bridge ends; get fully off the highway
• Admission: free
• Hours: daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, year-round, the schedule Florida State Parks lists for the whole trail, this bridge among them
• Walking surface: level concrete, shared with bikes and walkers, a short walk from the car

Snapper and grunts live in the channel year-round, and seasonal visitors join them.

• Spring (Mar–May): tarpon moving through, mangrove snapper waking up, jacks on the tide change
• Summer (Jun–Aug): lane and mangrove snapper while the tide runs, tarpon passing, nurse and bonnethead sharks
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snapper with grunts mixed in, jacks and blue runners, a few snook in the bridge shade
• Winter (Dec–Feb): great barracuda, Spanish mackerel on cold fronts, grunts and small groupers on the bottom

Pack two rods: a light one for bait and snapper, and a heavy one for barracuda, jacks and any big fish that shows up.

• Snapper and grunts: a knocker rig with a 1/0 or 2/0 hook and a small sinker, with live shrimp or cut ballyhoo, dropped to the pilings
• Tarpon: live mullet, pinfish or a crab drifted in the current on 50 lb leader and a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook when fish are showing
• Barracuda and jacks: a tube lure or a silver spoon retrieved fast along the shadow line
• A bridge gaff is no use on released fish; bring a long-handled net or plan to lead fish to the bank

The Keys get two tides a day, and the current through the channel matters far more than the height of the tide.

• Moving water is essential; slack tide is the time to re-rig
• The first half of the outgoing tide in the late afternoon is the best window for snapper
• The trail's day starts at 8 a.m., so a strong tide in the morning is worth fishing too
• A strong wind against the tide makes the channel choppy and fishing harder
• Winter cold fronts bring clearer water and barracuda

The deck is level and railed, but you park on the shoulder of a busy highway.

• Take care pulling on and off US 1 and watch for traffic while unloading
• Share the deck with cyclists: keep rods, buckets and lines out of the path
• Leave the bridge when thunderstorms build; summer lightning is common
• With no shade at all, carry water, a hat and sunscreen
• Leave by sunset, which is when the trail closes
• According to the state's 2010 angling survey the deck is wheelchair accessible, but the shoulder parking is gravel

This is a bare bridge with no services.

• No restrooms, fresh water, bait or tackle at the bridge
• At the ends of the trail's fishing bridges, Florida State Parks keeps bins for recycling old fishing line
• Shops on US 1 on the neighboring keys sell bait, ice and food
• Without shade, benches or shelter, pack a folding chair, a cooler and a rain jacket for summer squalls
• A bucket with an aerator keeps shrimp alive through a long session

• Buy live shrimp and frozen ballyhoo before you leave the larger keys; nothing is sold at the bridge
• Any no-fishing sign you see is meant for the highway span, not for the old fishing bridge
• Tarpon usually show on the downtide side where the current pulls away from the pilings
• Chum lightly with frozen chum or bread crumbs to bring snapper up to the pilings
• Keep a spare leader rigged; the pilings and barnacles cut line fast
• Weekdays are quieter than weekends in the Lower Keys
• The flats and mangroves near the bridge have small openings where a kayak can be launched

Bow Channel's old span belongs to the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail and is managed by Florida State Parks, known formally as the Division of Recreation and Parks within Florida's Department of Environmental Protection. There is no charge, and it is open from 8 a.m. to sunset; fishing is allowed from the old span only.

• The modern highway bridge beside it is not for fishing
• Hold a Florida saltwater fishing license, unless an exemption applies to you
• Before fishing for sharks from shore, get FWC's free shore-based shark fishing permit
• Goliath grouper and tarpon are covered by their own release rules, so check FWC before fishing for either
• Everything here is inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; obey its rules
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything