Safety Harbor Pier Fishing

Safety Harbor Pier, officially the Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier, is back in business after two years out of action and open again for fishing on Old Tampa Bay.

• Rebuilt after the 2024 hurricanes and reopened in late August 2026
• Wider and sturdier than the pier it replaced, with improved accessibility
• Snook, redfish and trout over the grass; sheepshead and drum on the pilings
• Reached through Waterfront Park in downtown Safety Harbor

The pier sits beside Waterfront Park on the Old Tampa Bay shore of downtown Safety Harbor, next to the marina that is still being rebuilt.

• Getting there: while construction continues, enter Waterfront Park by its north entry near Jefferson Street
• Parking: the Veterans Memorial Lane lot, the Veterans Memorial Park shelters, the boat ramp and the marina are closed during construction; the city points visitors to alternative parking at Jefferson Street
• The walk: through the park to the pier; the boardwalk over Mullet Creek reopened in March 2026
• Hours: check the posted pier hours at the entrance
• The city expects the rest of the waterfront work, including the marina, to be finished by the end of December 2026

Upper Old Tampa Bay is shallow, warm and fairly calm, so the pier fishes best for inshore species.

• Spring (Mar–May): sheepshead finishing on the pilings, trout and redfish over the grass, snook returning as the water warms
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook and mangrove snapper around the pier, ladyfish and jacks chasing bait, the odd rolling tarpon at dawn
• Fall (Sep–Nov): redfish and snook at their best, with big trout and schools of jacks
• 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 handles most fish here.

• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook, dropped tight to the pilings with a small egg sinker
• Snook: live pilchards or shrimp free-lined on a 1/0–2/0 circle hook along the shadow line, or a white jig at dawn and dusk
• Trout and redfish: shrimp under a popping cork cast over the grass, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head
• Mangrove snapper: small live shrimp on light fluorocarbon
• Bring a pier net for anything big

Tampa Bay has mixed tides, usually two a day of unequal size, and the range is small, so the timing of the flow matters more than the height.

• Fish the moving tide; the first hours of the incoming and outgoing are best
• Slack water is the time to fish tight to the pilings for sheepshead
• Dawn and dusk are best in summer, when the bay is warm and calm
• A cold front clears the water and stirs up sheepshead and drum a day or two later
• Strong east winds after a front lower the water and slow the fishing

The new deck is wider, and the rebuilt pier has improved accessibility for wheelchair users.

• Leave at the first thunder; summer afternoon lightning is the biggest hazard on an open pier
• Keep clear of the marina construction zone and any fenced areas
• Boats come and go near the pier; cast well away from them
• Decks get slick with bait and rain; wear grippy shoes
• Bring water and sun protection, as there is little shade on the deck

Facilities are those of Waterfront Park and the downtown next to it.

• The city says Waterfront Park and its restrooms stay open during the construction
• Open green space in Waterfront Park beside the pier
• No bait shop has been reported at the pier, so bring bait with you
• The Waterfront Park boardwalk over Mullet Creek is open again
• The marina and boat ramp stay closed until the construction ends; check the city's updates before bringing a boat

• Weekday mornings are usually quieter than weekends on the newly reopened pier
• Fish the pilings on a slack tide for sheepshead from January to March
• Watch for tarpon rolling off the end at first light in summer
• Snook feed along the shadow line in the evening; keep a live bait ready
• Bring a pier net rather than lifting good fish by the line
• Check the city's hurricane recovery page for marina and parking updates

The pier is owned and run by the City of Safety Harbor.

• Follow the posted pier rules and hours, and keep out of fenced construction areas
• City code bans fishing, swimming and cast netting from the marina's docks and seawall and inside the yacht basin, so fish from the pier
• City pier rules: no open alcohol, no animals, no bikes, and no swimming or diving from the pier
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Snook, tarpon and goliath grouper have their own rules; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything