Kemp Channel Bridge Fishing

Kemp Channel Bridge is a free Heritage Trail fishing bridge between Summerland Key and Cudjoe Key, with moving water under it on both tides.

• An old concrete span next to the highway, open from 8 a.m. to sunset like every other part of the trail
• Snapper, grunts and jacks all year; barracuda in winter; tarpon passing in spring and summer
• Easy walk-on access, and the state's trail guide calls it popular with anglers
• No fees and no facilities

You will find the bridge at mile marker 23.5 on US 1, where the trail crosses Kemp Channel next to the highway bridge.

• Finding it: head down the Overseas Highway to mile marker 23.5 and look for the old span beside the modern one
• Parking: listed at the bridge in the state's 2010 angling survey; leave plenty of room between your car and passing traffic
• Cost: nothing to fish
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset daily, all year round, as Florida State Parks lists the trail and its fishing bridges
• Deck: flat concrete that walkers and cyclists use as well

The pilings hold fish all year, and the channel brings visitors with the seasons.

• Spring (Mar–May): tarpon rolling through, mangrove snapper, jacks and blue runners
• Summer (Jun–Aug): mangrove and lane snapper whenever the tide moves, plus nurse sharks and a few snook in the bridge shade
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snapper and grunts, jacks and the odd permit on the channel edges
• Winter (Dec–Feb): great barracuda, Spanish mackerel after fronts, grunts and triggerfish on the bottom

Use a light rod for bottom fishing and a heavier rod for barracuda, jacks and the odd big fish.

• Snapper: live shrimp or strips of ballyhoo on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook with just enough weight to hold near the pilings; a little chum brings them up in daylight
• Grunts and triggerfish: small hooks and cut squid on a two-hook bottom rig
• Barracuda and jacks: tube lures, spoons and fast plugs
• Tarpon: a live mullet or crab on a circle hook, drifted down the current, if you see them rolling
• A long-handled net or drop net helps with any fish you mean to keep

The tide turns twice a day here, and how hard the current runs decides how well the bridge fishes.

• For snapper, the best legal window is a moving tide from late afternoon until sunset
• Clear Atlantic water arrives on the incoming tide, which suits barracuda
• Fishing slows at slack tide, so spend it catching bait
• Because the trail opens at 8 a.m., a strong morning tide gives you a second good window
• The most productive days are warm, calm ones between April and September

The deck is level, but getting to it means dealing with the highway.

• Watch for traffic while you park and cross
• Cyclists come through fast, so keep tackle out of the trail lane
• At the first thunder, leave the bridge
• There is no shade: bring water, a hat and sunscreen
• Sunset is closing time on the trail, so pack up before then
• Wheelchair users: the state's 2010 angling survey rates the deck accessible, and Florida State Parks says the finished sections of the trail are too

Expect nothing at the bridge beyond the deck itself.

• There are no restrooms, and no fresh water, bait or tackle
• The trail's fishing bridges have line-recycling bins at their ends, courtesy of Florida State Parks
• You will find bait, ice and food in shops along US 1 on the nearby keys
• With no shade, seating or shelter, a folding chair and a rain jacket earn their place
• Pack drinking water and ice, and an aerated bucket to keep shrimp alive
• Bring a bag for trash and old line

• Bring a small cast net or a sabiki rig to catch pilchards and pinfish for bait
• A little chum on a moving tide brings snapper up to the pilings in daylight
• Keep the drag light on snapper; they run straight for the pilings
• Watch for tarpon rolling on the tide in spring, and keep a heavier rod rigged in case
• Finish up before sunset; that is when the trail closes
• Pack everything out, including old line

Florida State Parks, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Recreation and Parks, manages Kemp Channel's fishing bridge as part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. Fishing is free between 8 a.m. and sunset, the trail's hours, and only from the old span.

• The highway bridge is off-limits to fishing
• Florida requires a saltwater fishing license here unless you are exempt
• To fish for sharks from shore you need FWC's shore-based shark fishing permit, which costs nothing
• Before targeting tarpon or goliath grouper, read FWC's release rules for each
• Follow Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary rules, since these waters lie inside it
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything