Sunset Park, Key Colony Beach Fishing

Sunset Park, Key Colony Beach is a small city park where fishing has been allowed since September 2025, when the city opened a designated area of its short pier to anglers. It suits a relaxed family session on the pier, with the rods put away an hour before the sunset the park is named for.

• Fishing allowed only in the designated area of the pier, under a 2025 city ordinance
• A short pier over clear water at the edge of a channel
• The city's rules keep it small: one rod or handline each and no more than five people fishing
• A sunset view the city itself recommends

The park is on the corner of West Ocean Drive and 12th Street at the southwest end of Key Colony Beach, a small city just off US 1 in the Middle Keys.

• Parking: in the park's city parking area; parking there is prohibited from sunset to sunrise
• The city prohibits parking on its streets except as state law allows, and keeps right-of-way parking for property owners, their guests and renters, so use the park lot
• Entry: the city's pages list no fee
• Park hours: from 6 a.m. until sunset or shortly after; fishing stops an hour before sunset
• The fishing: only from the designated area of the short pier, never from the beach or the water's edge
• The walk from the car to the pier is short

The water off the pier is clear and quick-moving, so this is light-tackle inshore fishing.

• Spring (Mar-May): barracuda and jacks cruise past the pier; snapper start to bite in the afternoons
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove and lane snapper around the pier; needlefish and pinfish everywhere
• Fall (Sep-Nov): jacks and blue runners chasing bait; snapper still good
• Winter (Dec-Feb): the odd Spanish mackerel may pass after a front; barracuda on sunny days

Light tackle is all you need on this small pier, and the city's rules allow one rod or handline each.

• Snapper: a split shot or light knocker rig with a live or fresh shrimp on a 1/0 hook, dropped beside the pier
• Barracuda and jacks: small spoons, tube lures or plugs on a short wire leader
• Needlefish and runners: a small silver spoon or a sabiki rig
• Pinfish: a sabiki or a tiny hook with shrimp, kept alive for snapper bait
• No chumming and no fish cleaning on the pier: take your catch home to clean it

Tides on this Atlantic side of the Keys come twice a day, and moving water brings bait and fish past the pier.

• The last of the rising tide and the start of the fall are usually best
• Fishing runs from 6 a.m. until an hour before sunset, so plan a morning or afternoon session
• The city warns of swift currents around the park, so expect a strong run of water on big tides
• Calm, clear days let you spot barracuda and snapper around the pier
• A strong wind off the water makes the shallows murky and the pier choppy

The pier is short and the walk from the car is easy, but the water around the park is not for swimming.

• No swimming, snorkeling or jumping off the pier: the city bans all three at the park
• The city warns that crocodiles live in these coastal waters and that swift currents run just off the park, so stay out of the water
• Keep hooks and lines clear of families and sunset watchers
• Summer thunderstorms build fast in the afternoons; leave at the first thunder
• Access: a short walk from the parking area; check the pier and paths on arrival if you use a wheelchair

The park is small and simple, so bring what you need.

• A city parking area, closed to parking from sunset to sunrise
• A short pier with a designated fishing area
• A 2025 Tourist Development Council grant is paying for pier improvements, and the city has discussed fresh water and a small bait table at the deck; check on arrival what is in place
• Restrooms and bait: none listed by the city at the park
• The park hosts free Sunday concerts in winter and can be reserved for private events

• Read any signs at the pier: the city planned signs showing the fishing area and the rules
• Arrive early: the rules allow no more than five people fishing at once
• Put the rods away an hour before sunset, then stay to watch it go down
• Bring live or fresh shrimp; it catches almost everything here
• Leave chairs, umbrellas and glass bottles in the car: none are allowed on the pier
• On concert and event days expect the park to be busy and fishing space limited

The park belongs to the City of Key Colony Beach. Ordinance 2025-503, adopted on September 18, 2025, allows fishing only in the designated areas of the pier, and the city approved these rules for it the same day.

• Fishing hours: 6 a.m. until an hour before sunset
• One rod or handline per person, and no more than five people fishing at once
• No chumming, no fish cleaning on the pier, and no chairs, umbrellas or glass containers on the pier; clean up after yourself
• No shrimp, crab or lobster trapping or netting from the water's edge or the deck; no swimming, snorkeling or jumping off the pier
• Parking at the park is prohibited from sunset to sunrise, and the city has strict rules on dumping fish remains in its canals
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies; check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything