Loggerhead Park Fishing

Loggerhead Park is a small county beach park in Juno Beach, known above all for the Loggerhead Marinelife Center on its grounds. It is an easy, free way for anglers to surf fish the Juno coast a short walk down the sand from the Juno Beach Pier.

• Entry and parking are free, with restrooms and outdoor showers
• Pompano, whiting and bluefish through the cool season; snook, jacks and mackerel wherever the bait goes
• A quieter option than the pier on days when its rails are packed
• No fishing inside the guarded swimming area

The entrance is at 14200 U.S. Highway 1 in Juno Beach, on the ocean side of the road. The park belongs to Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation; the Marinelife Center is run separately.

• Getting there: drive U.S. 1 through Juno Beach and turn in at number 14200
• Parking: free, like entry; the county collects beach parking fees at just two other parks
• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• The walk: not far, from the lot to the beach
• Next door: the oceanfront part of the Juno Dunes Natural Area shares this park's lot and restrooms, and its sandy trails lead to the ocean

The fish that pass the Juno Beach Pier to the north run this sand too, following the same seasons.

• Spring (Mar-May): late pompano and bluefish, Spanish mackerel on the move, and snook settling back along the beach
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook hunting the wash at daybreak, jacks and blue runners, and whiting in the troughs
• Fall (Sep-Nov): snook, tarpon, jacks and bluefish crowd in close behind the migrating mullet
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting and pompano in the troughs; bluefish and Spanish mackerel once each cold front has passed

Bring a 10 to 12 foot surf rod loaded with 15 to 20 lb line, and a lighter rod for working the wash.

• Pompano and whiting: a pair of 1/0 hooks on a double-drop rig, a 3 to 5 oz pyramid sinker, and sand fleas, clam or shrimp for bait
• Snook: along the edge of the wash at first light, throw a white bucktail or a swimbait, or fish a live mullet or pilchard
• Bluefish and Spanish mackerel: aim silver spoons and small plugs at the bait sprays
• When sand fleas are hard to find, scented synthetic baits make a good stand-in for pompano
• Stand your rods in a sand spike, clear of the walkways used by beachgoers and turtle watchers

Like the rest of the Atlantic coast, Juno Beach gets two tides a day, but water clarity decides more than the tide does.

• Pompano and whiting usually feed best on the rise toward high tide
• Snook are at their best at dawn and dusk, particularly with the tide falling
• Hope for a light swell and clear, green water; a heavy swell or churned-up brown water fishes poorly
• In fall, northeast winds push the mullet down the beach, and the predators follow close behind
• After a winter cold front, the water clears over a day or two; fish it then

Lifeguards watch the swimming area by day, yet the surf can turn quickly.

• Rip currents form off this beach; fish from the dry sand and do not wade in
• Set up well clear of the flagged swimming area and any surfers
• A summer storm with lightning is your cue to get off the beach
• Stingrays rest in the wash, so slide a hooked fish up the sand instead of wading out to it, and keep an eye out for Portuguese man o' war lying on the sand
• Sea turtles nest along this coast; never disturb a marked nest or a hatchling
• Access: a short walk ends on soft sand, and we could confirm no beach mat or ramp onto the beach

The park has the basics for a morning on the beach.

• Restrooms and outdoor showers
• Picnic areas with grills and six family picnic shelters (four were closed for improvements until about September 28, 2026)
• A playground and a nature trail
• The Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a separately run sea turtle center, is on site
• We could confirm no bait shop in the park, so arrive with all the bait you need

• Walk away from the lifeguard tower before you set up; the beach either side is usually quiet early
• See what the pier anglers are catching; the same fish often travel along the beach past the park
• Pick up sand fleas or clams on the way; gathering bait on the beach is not allowed in county parks
• In summer, fish the first hours of light, before the sand gets busy
• Visit the Marinelife Center after fishing; it is a good stop for anglers with children
• Handle and release any sea turtle you accidentally hook with care, and report it to the FWC

Loggerhead Park is a Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation park.

• Hours run from sunrise to sunset
• Fishing and surfing are banned inside the guarded swimming area
• County code permits swimming and wading only in designated areas, and fishing is barred from the guarded one, so stay on the sand to fish
• Only service animals may go on county beaches, so leave dogs at home; balloons are prohibited in the park
• Carry a Florida saltwater fishing license unless you are exempt from needing one
• Shark fishing and chumming are prohibited by county code on county beaches that have guarded swim areas, which includes the beach at Loggerhead Park
• The county's park code also forbids collecting any animal in the park other than fish caught where fishing is allowed, so do not dig sand fleas here
• FWC has separate seasons and release rules for snook and tarpon; check them before a snook goes home with you
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything