Crescent Beachfront Park Fishing

Crescent Beachfront Park is a drive-on beach access at Crescent Beach, so you can park on the sand within a short walk of the surf, with showers and pavilions back at the park for a long day.

• County beach driving access, four-wheel drive only at this ramp
• Whiting, pompano, bluefish, redfish and black drum
• Restrooms, showers and two pavilions
• Open dawn to dusk
• Matanzas Inlet and Fort Matanzas lie a few miles south

The park is on A1A South at Cubbedge Road in Crescent Beach, next to the State Road 206 intersection.

• Parking: the park lot (104 spaces, 4 ADA, per the county's beach guide), or on the beach itself with a driving pass
• Driving: the Cubbedge Road ramp is listed for four-wheel-drive vehicles only, and pedestrians share it
• Driving pass: required from March 1 through September 30, sold at the county toll booths; from October through February no pass is needed
• Pass prices: $10 a day for residents and visitors alike, or $50 a year for county residents and $100 for non-residents
• Park hours: dawn to dusk
• Beach gates: county gates close at 7:30 p.m. and reopen at 8 a.m. during sea turtle nesting season (May 1 to October 31)
• Boardwalks: the north one is ADA accessible with a viewing area but ends in soft sand; the south one has stairs

A long, open stretch of Atlantic sand, with the seasons set by the water temperature.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and bluefish passing, whiting and black drum
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting at dawn, Spanish mackerel over bait, flounder in the cuts, stingrays on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and bluefish following the mullet run, and pompano as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting, black drum and redfish, best on the calmest days

Driving on lets you bring more rods, so set out a small spread.

• A long rod with a double-drop rig and sand fleas or clam for pompano and whiting, set in a sand spike
• A second rod with a fish-finder rig and a chunk of cut mullet for reds and drum
• A lighter rod with a small spoon, ready for blues and Spanish mackerel
• No shark rigs or chum: the county beach code bans fishing for sharks here
• Keep rods, lines and coolers out of the driving lane

Two high and two low tides a day, several feet apart, and here they matter for driving as well as fishing.

• High tide narrows the beach, and the county warns that tides and soft sand can close ramps or restrict them to four-wheel drive
• The flood into high water is the prime fishing window
• Low tide shows the troughs to fish later
• A northeast blow roughs it up; the calmer days after often fish well
• In summer, go at first light, ahead of the heat and the crowd

Vehicles, swimmers and surf are the hazards on this beach.

• The beach speed limit is 10 mph, and pedestrians always have the right of way
• Park only on the west side of the coned driving lane, by the conservation zone, and set up chairs and tents on the ocean side of the cones
• A lifeguard tower is staffed from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; fish well away from the swimmers
• Rip currents run through gaps in the bar
• In a summer storm, a hard-topped vehicle is safer than the open beach
• Stingrays: shuffle your feet when wading

St. Johns County lists these at the park, which covers the basics for a day spent between the vehicle and the surf.

• ADA-accessible restrooms and four outdoor showers
• Two pavilions with electricity, which can be reserved, and picnic tables
• A parking lot for anyone not driving onto the sand
• Beach driving access
• Toll booths sell daily and annual driving passes in season
• No bait shop is listed at the park, so bring bait and ice with you

• An annual driving pass pays off if you drive on the beach often from March to September
• Check the county's daily beach-driving conditions before you set out
• Park west of the cones and walk across the driving lane to fish
• Take everything home each day: items left on the beach overnight are removed
• In fall, watch for mullet schools close in; redfish and bluefish follow them
• From May through October, leave the flashlight off on the beach at night

St. Johns County runs the park and its beach driving program, and its beach code applies on the sand.

• Park open dawn to dusk; a driving pass is needed March 1 to September 30
• No alcohol, glass, smoking, open fires or overnight camping, and no flashlights or lanterns on the beach May 1 to October 31
• The beach code bans fishing for sharks, and chumming or blood baiting, and lets a lifeguard or deputy stop fishing that puts swimmers at risk
• Dogs must be leashed, even in the water
• Carry a Florida saltwater fishing license unless exempt, and check the FWC's size, bag and season limits at myfwc.com before keeping fish