Pigeon Key Fishing

Pigeon Key is a 5-acre National Historic Landmark island under the Old Seven Mile Bridge, and a rare chance to cast from a dock over open Keys water on a car-free outing.

• Catch-and-release fishing off the island's dock is allowed by the Pigeon Key Foundation; the bridge that leads there is closed to fishing
• Reached on foot or by bike over the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge, or by the foundation's train
• Snapper, grunts, jacks and barracuda around the dock and the nearby channels
• History tours, snorkeling and shady picnic spots for the rest of the family

The island sits under the Old Seven Mile Bridge west of Marathon, and admission is required to go onto it.

• Tickets: the Pigeon Key Visitors Center is at 1090 Overseas Highway, mile marker 47.5 in Marathon; book there on the day or online
• Prices: walk-or-bike admission is $15 for adults 13 and up ($13 veterans, $12 children 4-12); the train fare is $30 for adults
• On foot or by bike: the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge is open to walkers, runners and cyclists, 2 miles each way from its Marathon end; no motor vehicles
• Parking: at the Knight's Key end of the bridge (mile marker 48) or at the visitors center, both on the ocean side
• By train: four departures a day from the visitors center, with the last return at 4:15 p.m.
• Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting, except major holidays
• By boat: you may tie up at the dock, but admission still applies

The dock stands over the grass and hard bottom of Florida Bay close to channels where Keys tides pour between the bay and the Atlantic.

• Spring (Mar-May): mangrove and lane snapper waking up, grunts, jacks on the tide changes, tarpon moving through the channels
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snapper at their busiest, blue runners, barracuda and nurse sharks
• Fall (Sep-Nov): snapper and grunts on the bottom, jacks chasing bait on the current
• Winter (Dec-Feb): barracuda in the clear water, grunts, and the odd yellowtail snapper; permit sometimes cruise the shallower water near the island

Keep tackle light and simple: every fish goes back, so land it and free it fast.

• Snapper and grunts: a small knocker rig or jig head with a 1/0 hook and a piece of shrimp, dropped beside the dock pilings
• Jacks and blue runners: a small spoon or bucktail cast across the current
• Barracuda: a tube lure retrieved fast along the edge of the grass, with a short wire or heavy leader
• Use circle hooks and pinch the barbs; keep fish in the water while you unhook them
• Short spinning rods of 6-7 ft carry easily on a bike or the train
• Bring bait from Marathon; no bait sales are confirmed on the island

NOAA predicts two highs and two lows on most days at Pigeon Key, but the range is small: well under a foot on the Florida Bay side and about a foot on the Hawk Channel side.

• The island's own guidance warns that the currents around it can be swift, so time your visit for moving water rather than a big tide
• The flood tide pushes clear water through the channels from the Atlantic side
• Calm, sunny days let you see fish under the dock
• A strong wind makes the bridge walk tiring and the water rough
• Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms; head back before they build

Once you are on the island it is an easy, flat place to fish, but getting there takes some effort.

• The bridge walk is about 2 miles each way with no shade: carry water, a hat and sunscreen
• The train is the easier way out for anyone who cannot walk or ride that far
• The currents around the island can be swift; do not swim off the dock
• Snorkelers use the water near the dock, so cast away from swimmers
• Lightning comes quickly over the open water in summer; leave the dock when storms approach
• Pets are not allowed on the island (service dogs are)

Pigeon Key is a museum island, so the facilities suit a day out rather than a fishing trip.

• Shady spots, picnic tables and a beach-front area; bring a cooler, but no alcohol
• Guided historical tours and a self-guided route around the island's historic buildings
• Snorkeling off the dock and the beach: bring your own gear and a dive flag
• No bait, tackle or equipment rentals confirmed on the island
• The train departures at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. include a shark feeding

• Catch-and-release only: bring pliers and a dehooker and keep fish wet
• Keep your rods packed on the way out: the bridge itself is closed to fishing
• Go early in the day, before the heat builds on the bridge walk
• The train fare includes the ride; walking or biking out is cheaper
• Do not fish or swim in the saltwater pool on the south side
• Pair a morning of fishing with the guided history tour or the self-guided route around the island

Pigeon Key is one of Monroe County's historic sites and has been run by the nonprofit Pigeon Key Foundation since the 1990s; its rules apply on the island.

• Fishing is catch-and-release only, and only from the island's dock; fishing from the Old Seven Mile Bridge is not allowed
• No swimming or fishing in the saltwater pool
• Admission is required to go onto the island; no pets and no alcohol
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt, and shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Tarpon and goliath grouper have their own release rules; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits even when you release everything