Honeymoon Island State Park Fishing

Honeymoon Island State Park gives shore anglers a Gulf beach, a tidal pass and sound-side flats on one island, a short drive from Dunedin. The park lists surf and pass fishing for snook, trout, redfish, pompano, whiting, Spanish mackerel and more.

• Gulf beach for snook, pompano, whiting and Spanish mackerel
• The south end faces Hurricane Pass, where the current concentrates fish
• Grass flats along St. Joseph Sound for seatrout and redfish
• A state park with a vehicle entry fee, restrooms, showers and a concession

The park fills most of Honeymoon Island at the west end of the Dunedin Causeway (State Road 586) from Dunedin.

• Getting there: drive west across the Dunedin Causeway to the park entrance gate
• Entry: $8 per vehicle
• Parking: paved lots behind the main beach; the pin is on the south beach facing Hurricane Pass, a walk from the southern lots
• The walk: sandy paths and boardwalks from the lots to the beach; wading the flats means soft bottom in places
• Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, every day

The island fishes all year, with the beach best in summer and the flats in the cooler months.

• Spring (Mar–May): Spanish mackerel and pompano along the beach, cobia passing, seatrout on the flats
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook cruising the swash zone on the Gulf beach, tarpon off the beach in the early morning, mangrove snapper around the pass
• Fall (Sep–Nov): redfish on the sound side, pompano returning, flounder in the pass, big jacks and bluefish chasing bait
• Winter (Dec–Feb): seatrout and sheepshead on warm days, whiting in the surf

Travel light: one spinning rod, a small tackle bag and a bait bucket.

• Beach snook: walk the edge early in the morning and cast a white bucktail, a small swimbait or a live pilchard parallel to the shore; 30 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Pompano and whiting: a double-drop rig with sand fleas or shrimp, or a pompano jig bounced along the first trough
• Spanish mackerel: small spoons or jigs thrown to breaking fish
• Flats trout and redfish: a popping cork with live shrimp, or a soft plastic on a light jig head
• Wade shoes help on shell and rock

The Gulf here has mixed tides, usually two a day of unequal size, with a typical range of 2 to 3 feet; the pass and the flats are where tide matters most.

• Moving water in Hurricane Pass is the best window at the south end
• On the flats, fish the first of the incoming tide as it floods the grass
• Calm, clear mornings with a light east wind are ideal for sight-fishing snook on the beach
• A west wind brings surf and murky water; switch to the sound side
• Winter fronts clear the water and slow the fish for a day or two

Beach and wading fishing need some care here.

• Shuffle your feet when wading; stingrays bury in the sand
• Currents in Hurricane Pass are strong; do not wade into the channel
• Since 2024 a cut has separated the northern mile of the sand spit from the island; the park warns of deep water and strong currents there, so do not wade or swim through it
• Leave the beach when summer thunderstorms build; lightning is the main hazard, and there are no lifeguards
• Bring water and sun protection; there is little shade on the beach
• Boardwalks lead to the beach, and the park lends beach wheelchairs free from the ranger station

The park has good day-use facilities.

• Restrooms, several of them accessible, and rinse showers by the boardwalks to the main beach
• A concession by the ferry dock with casual food, a gift shop and kayak, umbrella and chair rentals
• Picnic areas, a playground and the Rotary Centennial Nature Center (open Wednesday to Sunday)
• A ferry to Caladesi Island leaves from a dock on the island
• No bait shop in the park; buy bait in Dunedin on the way

• Snook on the beach peak in summer; be there when the gate opens and walk slowly, looking into the trough
• The south end near Hurricane Pass is worth a cast on every tide change
• Arrive early on summer weekends; the entry line and lots fill quickly
• Bring sand fleas or shrimp with you; digging or collecting bait is not allowed in a state park
• The south end is the park's pet beach, so expect leashed dogs there
• The causeway beaches on the way in are an alternative when the park is full
• Respect roped-off bird nesting areas; the island is an important shorebird site

Honeymoon Island State Park is run by the Florida Park Service (Florida Department of Environmental Protection).

• Pay the park entry fee and follow posted park rules and closures
• State park rules allow fishing in park waters except where posted otherwise, and protect all other wildlife, so do not dig sand fleas or collect bait
• Dogs are allowed only on the pet beach and the nature trail, on a leash
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit; snook and tarpon have their own rules and closed periods, so check FWC
• Keep out of posted wildlife and nesting areas
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything