Fort Walton Beach Landing Fishing

Fort Walton Beach Landing is the main waterfront park in downtown Fort Walton Beach, and its fishing pier and boardwalk put Santa Rosa Sound within easy reach in the middle of town.

• A city fishing pier, plus a boardwalk running along about 700 feet of the sound
• Speckled trout, redfish and flounder working the grass beds and sandy patches
• Sheepshead on the pilings from late winter through spring
• Restrooms, picnic tables, benches and a playground in a recently renovated park
• The city lists fishing among the park's uses

You will find the Landing on Brooks Street SE in downtown Fort Walton Beach, beside Santa Rosa Sound and just west of the Brooks Bridge.

• Route: take US 98 (Miracle Strip Parkway) downtown, then head for the water near the Brooks Bridge
• Parking: signed public parking downtown, which gets busy during events
• Hours: sunrise to 9 p.m.
• Underfoot: a level boardwalk, walking path and pier, all easy going with a cart
• Brooks Bridge Park next door is listed by the city as temporarily closed

This end of Santa Rosa Sound is close to where it opens into Choctawhatchee Bay, so the water is brackish and grassy with bridge structure nearby.

• Spring (Mar–May): redfish and speckled trout, sheepshead on the pilings, and the season's first Spanish mackerel
• Summer (Jun–Aug): trout around sunrise, plus Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, and flounder over sand
• Fall (Sep–Nov): peak season for redfish and flounder, with trout feeding hard
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and white trout, plus trout on the warm afternoons

A light spinning outfit spooled with 10 to 15 lb braid and finished with a fluorocarbon leader is the right tool here.

• Speckled trout: suspend a live shrimp under a popping cork, or bounce a soft plastic rigged on a light jighead
• Redfish: work a gold spoon along the grass edges, or soak cut bait there
• Flounder: drag a finger mullet or a jig slowly across the sand
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader beside the pilings
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: crank a small spoon back quickly
• A simple rig lets you follow the fish along the pier

The sound's tides are small, and often there is only one a day, but the rise and fall still pushes water past the pier.

• A moving tide is what you want, and the incoming usually brings the cleanest water
• In summer the best times are early morning and evening
• A strong wind whips the sound into a chop and clouds the shallows
• Heavy rain may stain the water for a day or two
• In winter, aim for the warmest part of the afternoon

The park is flat, busy and family-friendly, with level surfaces from the path to the pier.

• Leave the pier when thunderstorms build; summer lightning is frequent
• Keep casts clear of kayaks and small boats close to the shore
• Keep hooks clear of walkers on the boardwalk, especially during events
• Bridge construction next door means trucks and changed traffic on US 98
• Pack water and sun protection

For a downtown park the city's facility list is generous, and everything on it is a short walk from the pier.

• A fishing pier and a boardwalk along the waterfront
• Public restrooms
• Picnic tables, park benches and a walking path
• A playground for young children
• A stage that hosts free Friday evening concerts in the fall
• No bait shop or food is listed in the park, so bring bait, ice and drinks

• Get there early; the park fills for events such as the fall Friday night concerts
• From late winter into spring, sheepshead gather on the pilings
• More trout hold on the grass edges than over open sand
• Evenings here are pleasant right up to the 9 p.m. closing
• US 98 has lane changes while the Brooks Bridge is being rebuilt
• Take your line and bait scraps home with you

The City of Fort Walton Beach runs the Landing, and the rules posted in the park apply.

• Hours: sunrise to 9 p.m.
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is needed unless you are exempt
• FWC's free permit is required for shore-based shark fishing
• Stay clear of event crowds, and take old line and hooks away when you leave
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything