T-Pier, Valparaiso Fishing

T-Pier, Valparaiso is a city fishing pier on Boggy Bayou that locals use all year, with cleaning stations and restrooms right at hand.

• A T-shaped city pier built for fishing on North Bayshore Drive
• Speckled trout, redfish and white trout in the bayou
• Croaker, flounder and sheepshead around the pilings
• Two fish cleaning stations, running water and 24-hour restrooms
• Sheltered water that stays fishable when the open bay is rough

The pier is on North Bayshore Drive in Valparaiso, on the Boggy Bayou waterfront close to the city's other bayside parks.

• Getting there: follow North Bayshore Drive along the bayou; the pier is on the water side
• Parking: no fee is listed; park only where signs allow
• Entry: no fee is listed to fish the pier
• Hours: the city lists 24-hour restrooms; follow any hours posted at the pier
• Surface: a level pier deck, easy to walk with a cart

Boggy Bayou is brackish and sheltered, so the fishing is classic northern Gulf bayou fishing.

• Spring (Mar–May): speckled trout, redfish, croaker and sheepshead on the pilings
• Summer (Jun–Aug): trout at dawn, croaker, ladyfish and big schools of mullet
• Fall (Sep–Nov): redfish and flounder at their best, white trout arriving, mullet still thick
• Winter (Dec–Feb): trout move into the deeper bayou water; white trout and sheepshead bite on warm days

Light spinning tackle with 8 to 15 lb line is plenty on this sheltered bayou.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jighead
• Redfish and black drum: cut mullet or shrimp on a Carolina rig
• White trout and croaker: small jigs or bits of shrimp on a two-hook bottom rig
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp tight to the pilings
• Mullet: tiny hooks with bread or dough balls under a small float
• A long-handled landing net helps with bigger redfish

Tides in Choctawhatchee Bay and its bayous are small, often one high and one low a day, and a strong wind can move the water level more than the tide.

• Fish when the water is moving, rising or falling
• Early morning and dusk are best in summer
• North winds in winter can push water out of the bayou and slow the bite
• Heavy rain freshens and stains the bayou for a few days
• Cold snaps push trout into the deeper bayou water

This is one of the calmer places to fish in the county, with a level deck and restrooms close by.

• Leave the pier when thunderstorms build; summer lightning is frequent
• Keep hooks and swinging rigs clear of other anglers and children
• The deck around the cleaning stations gets slippery
• Bring water and sun protection; there is little shade on the pier
• Watch for boats working the bayou close to the pier

The city lists the basics that matter to anglers.

• Two fish cleaning stations with running water
• 24-hour restrooms
• Plenty of room along the pier and its T-head
• No bait shop is listed at the pier, so bring bait and ice
• Lincoln Park, also on North Bayshore Drive, has a 24-hour boat ramp, restrooms and showers

• Clean your catch at the stations and take the scraps home or dispose of them properly
• Winter trout often hold in the deeper water off the end of the pier
• Mullet schools are thick in late summer and fall; small hooks and dough work
• A falling tide on a calm evening is a good time for reds
• Weekday mornings are the quietest time on the pier

The City of Valparaiso maintains the pier; posted city rules apply.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Keep the cleaning stations clean for the next angler
• Take old line and hooks home
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything