Dunedin Causeway Fishing

Dunedin Causeway links Dunedin with Honeymoon Island State Park across St. Joseph Sound, and its beaches, rock edges and two bridges make it one of north Pinellas's favorite drive-up fishing spots.

• Park beside the water and fish within a few steps of the car.
• Grass flats for trout and reds, bridge channels for snook, mackerel and sheepshead.
• Honeymoon Island State Park at the west end for beach and pass fishing on the same trip.
• Pinellas County plans to replace both causeway bridges one day, but the design is on hold and no construction date is set.

The causeway runs west from Bayshore Boulevard in Dunedin to the entrance of Honeymoon Island State Park.

• Getting there: take Curlew Road (SR 586) west from US 19 or Alt. US 19; it becomes the causeway.
• Parking: free along the causeway's pull-offs and beaches; overnight vehicle parking after 11 p.m. needs a paid permit.
• Hours: the causeway is open for recreation 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; fishing after 11 p.m. needs a permit from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office North District station.
• Surface: sand and rock shoreline; the drawbridge channel at the east end and the smaller bridge further west are the main structure.
• Honeymoon Island State Park charges its own entry fee at the west end.

A flats-and-channels spot that fishes all year.

• Spring (Mar–May): trout on the flats, Spanish mackerel and pompano, snook returning.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook around the bridges, mangrove snapper, ladyfish.
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best snook and redfish months, plus mackerel again.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum at the bridges, trout on warm afternoons, bluefish in the channels.

Light to medium spinning gear with 10–20 lb braid and a 20–30 lb leader.

• Trout and reds: live shrimp under a popping cork, 1/4 oz jigs with soft plastics, or a gold spoon over the grass.
• Snook: live whitebait on a 1/0 circle hook near the bridge fenders and rocks, or a bucktail swung in the current.
• Sheepshead and drum: a 1/0 hook and 1/2–1 oz egg sinker with fiddler crab or shrimp beside the pilings.
• Mackerel and blues: small spoons with a short length of light wire or heavy leader.
• Wading the flats: wear shoes and shuffle your feet.

Tides here are mixed, usually two uneven highs and lows a day with a typical range of 2 to 3 feet, and the bridge channels concentrate the flow.

• Best: the moving tide either way; the incoming for trout on the flats, the outgoing for snook at the bridges.
• Low water exposes the flats and makes reds easier to spot on calm mornings.
• Wind: calm mornings are best; a strong wind puts a chop on the sound and muddies the flats.
• Light: dawn and dusk; bright midday is slow in summer.

Easy to reach, but it is a busy road.

• Traffic: park fully off the road and watch children and dogs near the traffic lanes.
• Bridges: do not fish from the roadway itself; stay on the shoreline and posted access areas.
• Boats: the drawbridge channel carries boat traffic and wakes.
• Stingrays: shuffle your feet when wading.
• Lightning and heat: summer storms and limited shade.
• Access: several beaches are close to parking, making the shoreline fairly accessible.

Basic but useful.

• Restrooms and a concession (the High & Dry Grill, with kayak and sailboat rentals) are on the western part of the causeway, just before the second bridge.
• Parking: free along the causeway.
• Bait: shops in Dunedin on the way in; bring live bait.
• Lights: none dedicated to fishing.
• Honeymoon Island State Park has further facilities for its entry fee.
• Shade: little along the causeway, so bring an umbrella or canopy in summer.

• Fish the drawbridge channel on the outgoing tide at dawn for snook.
• Check the flats at low water on a calm morning for tailing redfish.
• Get a sheriff's permit in advance if you plan to fish after 11 p.m.
• Arrive early on weekends; the beach pull-offs fill with families and paddlers.
• Carry a cast net for whitebait along the causeway beaches where permitted.
• Pair a morning on the causeway with the beach at Honeymoon Island later.

The causeway is maintained jointly by the City of Dunedin and Pinellas County, and the city sets its hours and beach rules.

• Open for recreation 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; fishing past 11 p.m. needs a permit from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office North District station.
• No alcohol, camping or ground fires, and no dogs on the beaches; motorized watercraft may not launch from either side west of the drawbridge.
• City code bans fishing wherever 'No Fishing' signs are posted.
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; dispose of hooks, line and bait properly.
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit.
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.