Eagle Point Park, New Port Richey Fishing

Eagle Point Park is one of Pasco County's newer passive parks: a small developed area of trails, pavilions and fishing piers set inside a large block of protected coastal wetland, with calm water and far fewer people than the Gulf beaches.

• Three fishing piers: two near the picnic pavilions and one facing Trouble Creek on the north side
• Redfish, snook, trout and sheepshead in a marsh-and-mangrove setting
• A kayak launch for paddling out through Trouble Creek and the mangroves to the Gulf
• Next door to the Pasco Palms Preserve, with a short trail to a mangrove observation deck

The park is at 4499 Strauber Memorial Highway in New Port Richey, west of US 19, with its entrance, parking and restrooms at the west end of Trouble Creek Road.

• Getting there: head west from US 19 to where Trouble Creek Road meets Strauber Memorial Highway
• Parking: on-site lot by the entrance; the county page lists no parking fee, but check the posted signs
• The piers near the pavilions are a short walk from the lot, and a fitness trail leads to the north pier on Trouble Creek
• Hours: not listed on the county page, so plan on daylight hours and check the gate signs
• Picnic shelters are first come, first served; the county does not take reservations here

The canals, creek and marsh hold the classic Pasco inshore mix, with the most fish on the move in spring and fall.

• Spring (Mar-May): spotted seatrout and redfish on the marsh edges, sheepshead finishing up around the pilings, snook moving out of the backwaters
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook, mangrove snapper, crevalle jack and ladyfish, best early and late in the day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish and trout of the year, plus black drum and flounder as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings; trout and snook settle into the deeper canal water after cold fronts

Keep it light: a 7-foot spinning rod with 10-15 lb braid and a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader handles almost everything here.

• Live shrimp under a popping cork drifted along the mangrove edge for trout and redfish
• A shrimp or soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jighead bounced along the canal bottom
• Fiddler crabs or small pieces of shrimp on a short leader dropped beside the pilings for sheepshead
• Cut mullet or blue crab on a fish-finder rig for redfish and black drum
• Small live pilchards or pinfish at dusk in summer for snook and snapper
• Bring a long-handled landing net; swinging fish up onto a pier by the line loses them

This part of the Gulf coast gets two high and two low tides most days, usually one bigger than the other, with a range of only a few feet.

• Trouble Creek gets very shallow at low tide, so the higher half of the tide fishes best
• The first of the falling tide pulls bait and shrimp out of the marsh and past the piers
• The last of the rising tide lets redfish push up into the flooded grass
• Strong north winds after winter cold fronts blow water out and make extra-low tides
• In summer, dawn and dusk beat the middle of the day, when the water is warm and the light is harsh

The park is small and mostly level, but the piers are narrow and the marsh offers little shade.

• Afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer; leave the piers at the first thunder
• Wet pier boards and algae get slippery near the waterline
• Bring insect repellent, water and sun protection
• Keep casts clear of paddlers using the kayak launch
• Manatees and dolphins use these waters; never cast at them
• Check the path and pier surfaces first if you use a wheelchair

Eagle Point is well equipped for a small nature park.

• Restrooms at the park entrance
• Two picnic shelters, first come, first served, plus picnic benches and charcoal grills around the park
• Playground and a shell-lined fitness trail with five exercise stations
• Kayak launch beside the parking area; motorboats cannot launch here
• No bait shop or food on site, so bring bait, ice and drinks
• No lighting confirmed on the piers

• Walk the short trail at the neighboring Pasco Palms Preserve to its observation deck in the mangroves and read the water before you fish
• The north pier on Trouble Creek sees the most tidal flow; the canal piers are calmer on a windy day
• On calm winter days, polarized glasses show sheepshead nosing around the pilings
• Pack light: the north pier is a walk out along the fitness trail from the parking area
• A kayak opens up Fillman's Bayou and the creeks between the park and the Gulf
• Check the FWC red tide status in late summer and fall before a long drive

Eagle Point Park is run by Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; posted park rules apply.

• Picnic shelters are first come, first served, with no reservations
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Snook, redfish and spotted seatrout all have FWC rules for this region
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything