Pop Stansell Park Fishing

Pop Stansell Park is a quiet neighborhood park where you can fish a sheltered bayou from a pier, with shade, restrooms and a playground a few steps away. It is a good choice for families and for a relaxed session on light tackle.

• A fishing pier on Sutherland Bayou, which opens to St. Joseph Sound
• Redfish, trout and snook cruising the bayou edges, with sheepshead and drum around the pier pilings
• A launch for kayaks and other non-motorized boats
• Picnic pavilions, a covered band shell and restrooms

The park is at 797 Florida Avenue in Palm Harbor, on the shore of Sutherland Bayou.

• Getting there: follow Florida Avenue to the bayou; the park sits at the water's edge
• Parking: the park has its own parking area; the county boat ramp on Sutherland Bayou is separate and charges for parking
• The walk: the pier and the launch are a short walk from the parking area
• Hours: posted at the park; check the signs before planning an early or late session
• The launch at the park is for kayaks and other non-motorized craft only

Shallow and sheltered, Sutherland Bayou is at its best for inshore species.

• Spring (Mar–May): the last sheepshead finish on the pilings, and redfish and spotted seatrout move onto the edges as the water warms
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook and mangrove snapper bite early and late in the day, and ladyfish and small jacks chase bait
• Fall (Sep–Nov): prime time for redfish, trout and snook
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum stay close to the pier, and trout feed on the warmest afternoons

A light spinning setup is all it takes: a 7-foot rod, braid of 10–15 lb and a fluorocarbon leader of 20–25 lb.

• Redfish and trout: fish the shoreline edge with a live shrimp beneath a popping cork, or rig a soft plastic on a jig head of 1/8–1/4 oz
• Snook: early in the morning try a small topwater, or send out a live pilchard or shrimp rigged on a 1/0 circle hook
• Sheepshead and black drum: keep fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook tight against the pilings
• Mangrove snapper: light fluorocarbon and small live shrimp
• Lifting a good fish is easier with a long-handled landing net

Here on the Gulf coast the tides are mixed, generally two a day of unequal size with only a small range, yet in a bayou this shallow the height of the water still counts for a lot.

• The upper half of the tide is the time, when water floods up to the shoreline edges
• Fish while the water is moving: on the fall, bait gets pulled out of the bayou past the pier
• On a very low tide the edges get too skinny, so look at a tide table before you go
• Summer fishing is best on calm mornings and evenings
• After a winter front, a hard east wind empties the bayou and slows the bite

This is a gentle, family-friendly place to fish.

• The pier is close to the parking area and the launch
• Watch out for paddlers launching and landing nearby; cast away from them
• Summer afternoons bring lightning; get off the pier when you hear thunder
• For early mornings and evenings, pack insect repellent along with water and sun protection
• Keep children close on the pier, especially when the deck is wet

Palm Harbor Parks & Recreation lists a good set of park amenities.

• A fishing pier and a kayak launch for non-motorized boats
• Three picnic pavilions and open space for a break between tides
• A playground and a covered band shell used as an entertainment stage
• Restrooms
• No bait shop is listed at the park, so bring bait with you

• Fish the rising tide early in the morning, before the park fills with families
• Sheepshead gather on the pilings in late winter; fiddler crabs work best
• The band shell and pavilions host gatherings, so weekday mornings are the quietest time to fish
• Paddle out from the launch to reach more of the bayou, then come back to the pier on the tide
• Keep noise down and pack out your line and bait; this is a quiet neighborhood park

Pop Stansell Park is operated by Palm Harbor Parks & Recreation.

• Follow the posted park rules and hours
• The launch is for non-motorized boats only
• You need a Florida saltwater fishing license unless an exemption applies
• Snook and tarpon come with their own rules and closed periods; FWC has them
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything