Archibald Memorial Beach Park, Madeira Beach Fishing

Archibald Memorial Beach Park is Madeira Beach's main Gulf beach park, with parking beside the sand and every comfort within a short walk. It is a swimming beach first, so fishing here is an early-morning and evening affair.

• Gulf surf fishing from a wide white-sand beach
• Whiting, pompano and occasional snook or black drum
• Metered parking, restrooms, showers and walkovers
• Best when swimmers are few

The park is at 15100 Gulf Boulevard, Madeira Beach, on the Gulf side of the road. The City of Madeira Beach runs it.

• Parking: metered spaces directly beside the beach
• Access: four wooden walkovers lead over the dunes to the sand
• Hours: listings give 8 a.m. to sunset, so check the signs
• Amenities: public restrooms, two outdoor showers, a covered picnic area and two sand volleyball courts

Surf anglers on this coast look for a handful of reliable beach fish.

• Spring (Mar-May): whiting and the first pompano, Spanish mackerel as the Gulf warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting, pompano, jacks and the odd snook near first light
• Fall (Sep-Nov): pompano, whiting and black drum, with mackerel on bait schools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting and black drum on calmer days

Medium spinning gear in the 8 to 12 lb range handles the surf.

• Pompano and whiting: sand fleas, small shrimp or sand-flea rigs on a pompano rig, cast just past the first trough
• Black drum: shrimp or crab on a bottom rig
• Snook: a live shrimp or small pilchard under a float near first light
• Mackerel and jacks: a small spoon or jig retrieved fast through a bait school
• Buy bait locally and bring a sand spike

The Gulf here sees two uneven highs and lows on most days.

• The two hours around a tide change fish best
• Early morning and the last hour before sunset are quiet and productive
• Clear green water with a gentle onshore breeze brings pompano into the trough
• Rough surf and wind-blown weed make fishing hard
• A day or two after a calm spell often fishes better than after a blow

This is a busy swimming beach, so safety applies to everyone.

• Rip currents can form on windy days; stay out of the water if flags warn of them
• Keep well clear of swimmers and any buoyed or guarded swim area
• Shuffle your feet to avoid stingrays
• Summer afternoon lightning arrives quickly
• Access is easy: parking by the sand and wooden walkovers

Everything an angler needs for a day at the beach is close at hand.

• Public restrooms and two outdoor showers
• Covered picnic area and two sand volleyball courts
• Metered parking by the beach
• A snack stand is reported on site; confirm hours
• Bait and tackle are not sold in the park; buy bait nearby before you arrive

• Fish at first light before swimmers arrive
• Cast to the trough just beyond the first sandbar for pompano
• Bring a sand spike and a short rod for easier handling in crowds
• Pay the meter for a long session, as tickets are enforced
• Move down the beach if the swim area is busy
• Read the beach signs, since the park is mainly a swimming beach

The City of Madeira Beach manages the park. We did not find a city rule on surf fishing at this park, so read posted signs and stay out of any swim area.

• The city's page lists metered parking, walkovers and restrooms but does not mention fishing here
• Do not fish in or near swimmers or lifeguarded water
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit and chumming may be restricted; do not target sharks here
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything