Robert K. Rees Memorial Park Fishing

Robert K. Rees Memorial Park is Green Key Beach to everyone in New Port Richey: a beach, boardwalk and picnic park on a small key, surrounded by the shallow grass flats and mangrove creeks that make this coast so good for trout and redfish.

• Fishing access from the shore and the flats around the key
• Spotted seatrout, redfish and snook, with mackerel runs in spring and fall
• A mangrove boardwalk to a lookout on the key's northwest shore
• Restrooms, an outdoor shower and shelters, so it suits a family day with a rod

The park is at 3503 Green Key Road in New Port Richey, at the end of a causeway that crosses the salt marsh west of town.

• Getting there: follow Green Key Road west across the causeway to the park
• Parking: on-site lots; the county page lists no parking fee, but check the posted signs
• The beach and the boardwalk are close to the parking area
• Hours: open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset
• Kayaks can launch from the beach, and the causeway has paddle launch sites on both sides

The flats around Green Key hold fish all year, and the mix shifts with water temperature.

• Spring (Mar-May): spotted seatrout and redfish on the grass, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish chasing bait, snook returning from the backcountry
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook along the beach and mangrove edges early in the morning, trout early, jacks and ladyfish all day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish and trout of the year, mackerel again and Gulf flounder on the sand edges
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum near oysters and any hard edges; trout slide into the deeper creek mouths on cold fronts

Light spinning tackle is the tool here: a 7-foot rod, 10-15 lb braid and a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Live shrimp under a popping cork over the grass for trout, redfish and ladyfish
• Soft plastic jerk baits or paddle-tails on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead, worked across sandy potholes
• A gold weedless spoon or a topwater walking bait early in the morning for redfish and snook
• Small silver spoons or jigs thrown into feeding mackerel and ladyfish
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader near oyster bars for sheepshead and black drum
• Wear wading boots and carry a small net if you wade the flats

This stretch 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, and the water is shallow a long way out.

• The higher half of the tide covers the grass and brings fish within casting range of the shore
• A very low tide can leave even the swimming area dry; wade out to the edges of the flats then
• The first of the falling tide pulls bait out of the mangrove creeks along the causeway
• Light winds and clear water favor lures; a stiff west wind stirs up the flats
• Winter north winds blow water out and make extra-low tides

Green Key is one of the easier spots on this coast to reach, but the flats need some care.

• Keep lines well away from swimmers and the swim area
• Oyster bars are razor sharp; wear wading boots, never bare feet
• Shuffle your feet when wading; stingrays sit on the sand
• Afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer; get off the flats at the first thunder
• Watch the tide when wading: the water comes back quickly over flat ground
• The beach and boardwalk are close to the parking, but check the surfaces if you have limited mobility

The county lists a good set of facilities, and the park reopened in July 2025 after repairs.

• Restrooms and an outdoor shower
• Picnic shelters, grills, benches and swings, and a playground
• A boardwalk through the mangroves to an observation deck
• A sandy beach with a swimming area, and canoe and kayak access
• No bait shop confirmed at the park, so bring bait with you
• No lighting confirmed, and the park closes at sunset

• Walk the boardwalk to the lookout first; from there you can see bait, birds and the edges of the flats
• The causeway's creek mouths hold trout and redfish on the falling tide
• Summer evenings bring a sunset crowd to the beach, so fish the edges away from swimmers
• Kayakers can explore the Robert Crown Wilderness Area on the south side of the causeway
• North of the causeway, creeks lead toward the mouth of the Pithlachascotee River
• Check the FWC red tide status in late summer and fall before a long drive

Robert K. Rees Memorial Park is run by Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; posted park rules apply.

• Open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset
• Motorboats cannot launch at the park or along the causeway; paddle craft only
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything