Fort Zachary Taylor Fishing

Fort Zachary Taylor is Key West's state park, known for its Civil War-era fort and rocky beach, and it offers some of the deepest water you can reach from shore in Key West. Anglers fish the rock jetty that lines the main shipping channel.

• Deep, clear, fast-moving channel water within a short cast
• Snapper, grouper, jacks, barracuda and tarpon, the fish the park itself names
• A café, beach and shaded picnic area nearby, so it suits a mixed family day
• Great views across the channel

The park is at the southwest end of Key West; the entrance is on Howard England Way.

• Entry: a state park entrance fee is charged per vehicle, with a lower rate for walk-in and bicycle visitors, plus a small Monroe County surcharge
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year; the fort itself closes at 5 p.m.
• Parking: inside the park
• Fishing: off the rock jetty beside the Key West shipping channel, well away from swimmers and snorkelers on the beach
• The walk from parking to the jetty is short, but the last part is over rocks

The shipping channel brings deep-water fish close to shore.

• Spring (Mar–May): tarpon moving along the channel; jacks and Spanish mackerel; snapper waking up
• Summer (Jun–Aug): mangrove, lane and yellowtail snapper; small grouper in the rocks; barracuda
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snapper remain good; jacks and blue runners chase bait along the channel edge
• Winter (Dec–Feb): jacks, runners and mackerel after cold fronts; snapper on warm afternoons

Medium spinning tackle and a few rigs cover it.

• Bottom: a fish-finder rig with 1 to 3 oz of lead, 20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon and a 1/0 to 3/0 circle hook with live shrimp, pinfish or cut bait, cast to the channel edge
• Yellowtail: a chum bag in the current and a free-lined silverside
• Jacks and barracuda: bucktail jigs, spoons and tube lures
• Tarpon: heavy tackle and live bait; landing one from the rocks is difficult, so plan to release at the water
• Expect to lose rigs in the rocks; bring spares and use a lighter line to your sinker so it breaks off first

Key West has small, twice-daily tides of unequal size, but the shipping channel concentrates the flow, so current along the jetty can be strong.

• The middle of either tide fishes best; slack water is the time to chum for yellowtail
• The morning after the 8 a.m. opening and the last hours before sundown are the prime windows
• A light easterly breeze is comfortable; a strong westerly pushes swell and wake onto the rocks
• Cruise-ship and ferry wakes stir the edge briefly, then the bite often picks up

The park is well kept, but the fishing itself is on rocks.

• The jetty rocks are uneven and slippery when wet; wear grippy water shoes and never fish from the rocks in heavy wake or swell
• Strong current and big ship wakes in the channel: do not wade or swim from the fishing area
• Keep casts well clear of snorkelers and swimmers along the beach; there are no lifeguards
• Shade and water are available in the park, but the jetty is exposed; leave at the first thunder
• Paths and the café area are easy going; the rock jetty is not wheelchair-friendly

Better equipped than any Key West pier.

• The Cayo Hueso Café serves food and drinks, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• A chickee hut rents chairs, umbrellas and snorkel gear
• A shaded picnic area with tables and charcoal grills
• Restrooms, rinse showers and a bottle-filling station
• Bait and tackle: none in the park; buy bait in Key West before you come
• The park is pack in, pack out, so take your trash and old line home

• Arrive at the 8 a.m. opening; the water is calmest and the park quietest early
• Cast to the drop-off where the rocks meet the deep blue of the channel
• A small chum bag in the current pulls yellowtail right up to the rocks
• Pack water shoes: the whole shoreline is rocky
• The park closes at sundown; for an evening session, White Street Pier across town stays open until 11 p.m.
• The late-afternoon light over the channel is superb, but pack up in time to leave by sundown

The park is managed by Florida State Parks and is open 8 a.m. to sundown with an entrance fee. The park invites fishing from its rock jetty beside the main shipping channel; follow park staff directions and posted signs.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Tarpon and goliath grouper have strict release rules; check FWC
• State parks do not allow collecting tropical fish or other marine life; check park rules on spearfishing and collecting
• The water is inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; check sanctuary rules
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything