Old Seven Mile Bridge Fishing

Old Seven Mile Bridge is one of the most famous names in Keys bridge fishing: the original railroad span beside the modern Seven Mile Bridge, over deep channels where the Gulf side and the Atlantic swap water on every tide. Only the west end at Little Duck Key is open to fishing today.

• A long, car-free concrete deck high above strong, clear current
• The state's trail guide calls it one of the best places to fish from land in the Middle Keys
• Snapper, grunts, barracuda, jacks and goliath grouper, with tarpon passing in spring
• The restored Marathon end to Pigeon Key is a walking and cycling route only; fishing is not allowed there

The fishing section starts at the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge on Little Duck Key, at mile marker 40 on US-1, across the highway from Veterans Memorial Park.

• Parking: a free lot shared with the Little Duck Key wayside boat ramp at the foot of the old bridge
• The section runs out from Little Duck Key for roughly two-thirds of a mile, to where the old bridge ends
• Surface: flat concrete, but a long walk to the deeper water, so bring a cart
• Hours: Florida State Parks lists the trail, this span included, as open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year, with no fee
• The east end: the restored stretch from Knights Key in Marathon to Pigeon Key reopened to walkers and cyclists in 2022, but fishing from it is not allowed

The channels under the old bridge are among the busiest fish highways in the Keys.

• Spring (Mar–May): tarpon migrate through the channels; big mangrove and mutton snapper start to feed hard; Spanish mackerel and jacks follow the bait
• Summer (Jun–Aug): peak snapper season for mangroves and yellowtail; goliath grouper and nurse sharks around the footings; barracuda everywhere
• Fall (Sep–Nov): snapper stay strong; jacks and blue runners chase bait; tarpon thin out
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Spanish mackerel and jacks after cold fronts; grunts and snapper on warm afternoons

Think heavy: the current is strong and the deck is high.

• Bottom fishing: 2 to 4 oz sinkers on a fish-finder rig, 30 to 40 lb fluorocarbon leader and 3/0 to 5/0 circle hooks with live pinfish, pilchards or cut bait for mutton and mangrove snapper
• Grunts: small hooks and cut shrimp or squid near the footings
• Yellowtail: a light chum bag and a free-lined silverside or shrimp on 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon
• Barracuda and jacks: tube lures, bucktail jigs or live runners on wire
• Tarpon: stout tackle and a live mullet or crab drifted with the tide when fish are rolling
• A bridge gaff or drop net is essential for any snapper you intend to keep; release big fish at the waterline

The bridge sits between the Gulf side and the Atlantic, which has two tides a day, and the difference between them drives powerful currents through the channels.

• The state's trail guide notes that anglers report the most bites when the tide is flowing; the middle two hours of either tide run hardest
• Slack water is the time to fish lighter weights and chum for yellowtail
• The late afternoon, before the trail closes at sunset, is the best window for snapper; mornings from 8 a.m. suit barracuda and jacks
• A light wind against the tide can make casting hard; strong east winds push extra water through

The deck is flat concrete but high above deep, fast water.

• Railings are old; never lean or climb on them, and keep children close
• Currents here can sweep away a strong swimmer; never go in after a fish or dropped gear
• No shade and no water on the bridge: carry plenty of both and leave when afternoon thunderstorms build
• Share the deck with walkers and cyclists; keep rods and lines out of the path
• The state's 2010 angling survey lists the fishing section as wheelchair accessible, but the walk to the deeper water is long
• Be off the bridge by sunset, when the trail closes

There is almost nothing on the bridge itself.

• Parking: a free lot shared with the boat ramp
• Florida State Parks keeps fishing-line recycling bins at the ends of the trail's fishing bridges
• Restrooms: none at the fishing bridge; Veterans Memorial Park across the highway has portable toilets and is open 7:30 a.m. to sunset
• Bait and tackle: none on site; buy bait in Marathon or on Big Pine Key
• No water or fish cleaning station

• Walk well out along the open section; the deeper channel water is where the bigger snapper hold
• Catch pinfish or runners on a sabiki first; live bait out-fishes frozen here
• If you hook a goliath grouper, cut the line quickly; you cannot land one legally or safely from this height
• Bring a cart with a rod holder; the walk is long and the concrete gets hot
• Time your session for a strong tide in the late afternoon and be off the bridge by sunset
• Leave the sanctuary cleaner than you found it: cut and bag old line

The fishing section is one of the historic bridges 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 not allowed on the restored span from Knights Key to Pigeon Key, and never from the modern US-1 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
• Goliath grouper and tarpon have strict release rules; check FWC
• These waters are inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; check sanctuary rules too
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything