Channel Five Bridge Fishing

Channel Five Bridge is a compact, easy-to-reach piece of the old Flagler bridge over one of the main passes between Florida Bay and the Atlantic. It is short, so the walk is easy, but the water under it moves hard and carries plenty of fish.

• Quick to fish: park at the end and you are over deep, moving water within minutes
• Good year-round snapper, yellowtail and barracuda fishing
• Tarpon, sharks and rays often pass under the span
• Handy stop between Islamorada and Marathon

The old span sits beside the modern US-1 bridge at mile marker 71, between Fiesta Key and Craig Key.

• Parking: a free lot at the south (Fiesta Key) end, where the fishing section begins
• Hours: Florida State Parks lists the trail, this bridge included, as open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year
• Surface: flat concrete deck, listed as wheelchair accessible in the state's 2010 angling survey
• Walk: short; the old section is only a small part of the full channel width
• Closure: Florida State Parks has closed the trail from mile marker 71 to 71.5 for repairs, but the Channel 5 bridge and its parking lot are open; check signs on arrival

Channel Five carries a lot of water and fish through a narrow gap.

• Spring (Mar–May): tarpon passing; mangrove snapper wake up; Spanish mackerel and jacks after fronts
• Summer (Jun–Aug): mangrove, lane and yellowtail snapper; barracuda on every tide; nurse sharks and bonnetheads on the grass edges
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snapper remain strong; jacks and blue runners harass bait; an occasional snook in the bridge shade
• Winter (Dec–Feb): jacks, runners and mackerel after cold fronts; snapper bite on warm afternoons

Medium-heavy tackle with enough weight to hold in the current works best.

• Bottom: a fish-finder rig with 2 to 3 oz of lead, 30 lb fluorocarbon and a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook with live pinfish, shrimp or cut ballyhoo
• Yellowtail: chum at slack water and drift a silverside on 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon
• Barracuda: a tube lure or live runner on a wire leader
• Tarpon: heavy spinning or conventional gear, 60 lb leader and a live mullet or crab if fish are rolling
• A bridge gaff or drop net helps land keepers from the deck

Channel Five links Florida Bay, with small and often mixed tides, to the Atlantic, with two tides a day, so the flow through it is strong and changes direction with each tide.

• The middle hours of each tide fish best for snapper
• Slack water is when lighter rigs and chum work for yellowtail
• The late afternoon, up to sunset, is the best window; the trail opens at 8 a.m.
• A strong wind against the tide makes casting and holding bottom awkward; pick calmer days

A short, flat deck makes this one of the more accessible Keys bridges.

• Listed as wheelchair accessible from the south-end parking lot
• Exposed to sun and lightning with no shelter; carry water and leave when storms build
• Deep, fast current under the span: never go in after a fish or gear
• Watch for cyclists and walkers, and for repair crews on the closed trail section nearby
• Do not fish from the modern US-1 bridge; the no-fishing signs refer to it
• Be off the bridge by sunset, when the trail closes

Facilities are basic.

• Parking: free lot at the south end
• Florida State Parks keeps fishing-line recycling bins at the ends of the trail's fishing bridges
• Restrooms: none
• Bait and tackle: none on site; marinas and bait shops in Islamorada and Layton
• No fresh water or cleaning table
• Fuel and food are a short drive either way along US-1

• The fishing section is short, so arrive early on weekends to claim the deeper end
• Live pinfish caught on the spot out-fish frozen bait for mangroves
• A cast net thrown along the rocks by the parking lot can produce live bait on a rising tide
• If the current is ripping, move to the end of the span and fish the eddy behind the footings
• Keep a knife handy for cutting off big sharks and goliath grouper
• Plan to be off the bridge by sunset, when the trail closes

The fishing bridge is part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, managed by Florida State Parks (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Recreation and Parks), and is open 8 a.m. to sunset with no fee. Fishing is allowed on the old span only, not from the US-1 traffic bridge.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Tarpon and goliath grouper have strict release rules; check FWC
• The area is within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; check sanctuary rules too
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything