Mariners Landing, Gulf Breeze Fishing

Mariners Landing is the City of Gulf Breeze's waterfront park at the foot of the Pensacola Bay Bridge, back open since June 2025 with a rebuilt boardwalk and fishing pier.

• A fishing pier on Pensacola Bay, the one place in the park where the city allows fishing
• Sheepshead, speckled trout, redfish and white trout in the bay around the bridge
• Picnic pavilions, swings, benches and waterside gazebos on a landscaped lawn
• A new boat ramp on the west side of the bridge, so expect boat traffic

The park sits beside U.S. 98 at the Gulf Breeze end of the Pensacola Bay Bridge, officially the General Chappie James Memorial Bridge, facing Pensacola Bay.

• Getting there: follow U.S. 98 to the Gulf Breeze foot of the bridge
• Parking: non-residents pay; the city lists the first 30 minutes free, then $1 an hour up to $10 a day, and $10 a day for a vehicle with a trailer
• Gulf Breeze residents park free with an annual city pass, and vehicles registered to a disabled driver or a disabled veteran are exempt
• Park in the zone signed for your vehicle; the boat ramp zone is for vehicles with trailers
• The city lists parking and the boat launch as sunrise to sunset, every day

The bay near the bridge is a classic Pensacola Bay mix, strongest in spring and fall.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead around pilings early, then speckled trout, white trout and redfish, with Spanish mackerel arriving late
• Summer (Jun-Aug): speckled trout at first light, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel on bait, mangrove snapper and croaker around structure
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish and flounder of the year, trout and white trout feeding hard
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the pilings, trout on calm afternoons

A 7 foot medium spinning rod with 10 to 20 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader handles almost everything here.

• Speckled and white trout: live or fresh 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 with a short leader, dropped tight to the pier pilings
• Redfish and black drum: a Carolina rig with shrimp, crab or cut mullet
• Flounder: a finger mullet or mud minnow dragged slowly along the bottom in the fall
• Spanish mackerel and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs
• Bring a pier net for bigger fish

Tides in Pensacola Bay are small, usually one high and one low a day, so fish while the water is moving.

• A rising tide often brings cleaner water up the bay to the pier
• Dawn and dusk fish best in summer
• Winter cold fronts slow the bite, but sheepshead stay on the pilings
• Heavy rain upstream can stain the bay for days
• A stiff north wind blows straight into your face on this pier and makes casting hard

Walkways lead from the parking to the boardwalk and pier, but the ramp keeps the park busy.

• Watch for boats and trailers around the ramp, and never cast toward boats
• Boats may not tie up or gather near the fishing pier
• Skateboards, bicycles, scooters and rollerblades are not allowed on the piers, seawalls or sidewalks
• No lifeguard is on duty; the city says anyone who swims does so at their own risk
• Carry water and shade in summer, and leave at the first lightning

The city rebuilt the park and reopened it in 2025 with new amenities along the water.

• A fishing pier and a reconstructed boardwalk
• Covered picnic pavilions, wooden swings and benches
• Waterside gazebos on a first-come, first-served basis
• A new boat ramp with launch docks
• The city lists no restrooms, bait or tackle, and the FWC's ramp record shows no toilet, so bring what you need
• Grills are not allowed in the park

• Fish from the fishing pier: the boat-launch docks are off limits to anglers
• Go early in the morning before the ramp gets busy
• Late winter is sheepshead time; fish fiddler crabs right against the pilings
• Take bait and fish scraps home: dumping them in the park is not allowed
• Non-residents pay through the city's parking app, in the zone signed for the vehicle
• Shoreline Park, across Gulf Breeze on Santa Rosa Sound, is another city fishing pier nearby

Mariners Landing is run by the City of Gulf Breeze Parks and Recreation Department, and its posted park rules apply.

• Fishing is allowed from the fishing pier only; fishing from the boat-launch docks is not
• No dumping of fish or bait waste, no grills, and no smoking or vaping
• Dogs must be leashed; no overnight camping, RVs or campers
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything