R.E. Olds Park Fishing

R.E. Olds Park is Oldsmar's park on the bay, and its 400-foot pier lets you fish the far upper end of Old Tampa Bay from a deck. The city calls it a community destination for fishing and sunsets.

• A wooden pier reaching out over shallow, warm bay water
• Snook, redfish, trout and black drum, with summer tarpon
• Free parking, restrooms and picnic areas, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking
• Repaired after the 2024 hurricanes; the whole pier reopened in April 2026

The park is on Shore Drive West along the Oldsmar waterfront, at the northern tip of Old Tampa Bay.

• Getting there: head for Shore Drive West on the Oldsmar waterfront; the Oldsmar Trail also runs through the park
• Parking: a free lot in the park
• Fee: no entry or fishing fee is listed
• Hours: the county tourism listing gives 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; the city posts each park's hours at the park
• Access: the county tourism listing notes a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking, and the pier starts from the park's shoreline

This end of Tampa Bay is shallow and warm, so it suits inshore fish that like soft bottom, grass and shell.

• Spring (Mar–May): sheepshead finishing on the pilings, trout and redfish as the water warms, snook moving back out of the creeks
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook at dawn and dusk, tarpon rolling off the end, jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snapper
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best redfish and snook months, with big trout and black drum
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the pilings, trout on warm afternoons

Medium spinning gear with 15–20 lb braid and a 20–30 lb fluorocarbon leader covers most of what bites here.

• Snook: free-lined live pilchards or shrimp on a 1/0–2/0 circle hook, or a white jig along the pier shadows at dawn
• Redfish and black drum: cut mullet, crab or shrimp on a fish-finder rig with a 1/2–1 oz sinker
• Trout: shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook dropped beside the pilings
• Tarpon: heavier tackle and a big live bait; bring a pier net for anything large

Tampa Bay has mixed tides, usually two a day of unequal size, and the range is small, often only a couple of feet from low to high.

• Fish the moving tide; the first hours of the incoming and outgoing are best
• At low water the shallows near shore thin out, so fish from the outer half of the pier
• Calm summer mornings are best for snook and rolling tarpon
• A strong east wind after a front drains the upper bay and slows the fishing
• When the water is stained, natural baits usually outfish lures

The pier is level and wheelchair accessible, with parking close by.

• Lightning builds on summer afternoons; get off the open pier at the first thunder
• City park rules allow wading only where posted and bar fishing near any area set aside for swimming or wading
• Decks get slippery with bait and rain; wear grippy shoes
• Bring water and sun protection; there is little shade on the deck
• Handle catfish with care, as their spines cause painful wounds

The park is well equipped for a family day by the water.

• The fishing pier and a kayak launch
• Restrooms and four picnic shelters that can be reserved through the city
• Playgrounds, including the large Friendship Playground, and sand volleyball
• The Elizabeth J. Smith Amphitheater and nature trails, with the Oldsmar Trail running through
• A free parking lot
• No bait shop is listed at the park, so bring bait with you

• The pier is a favorite local sunset spot, so expect company in the evenings
• Summer tarpon roll off the end at first light; have a heavy rod rigged
• Sheepshead stack on the pilings from January to March; fiddler crabs are the bait
• Check the city's event calendar; big events such as Oldsmar Days and Nights in April draw crowds
• Launch a kayak at the park to reach water the pier cannot

R.E. Olds Park and its pier are run by the City of Oldsmar.

• Follow posted park rules and hours (listed as 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
• City code allows fishing in city parks unless signs say otherwise, but not in or near swimming or wading areas, and no trotlines
• 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; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything