Frank Butler Park West Fishing

Frank Butler Park West is a county park and boat ramp on the Matanzas River behind Butler Beach, with shoreline fishing on the Intracoastal Waterway.

• Redfish, seatrout and flounder along the river shoreline
• Black drum and sheepshead in the cooler months
• Restrooms, pavilions and easy parking
• A beach park across A1A for surf fishing on the same trip

The park is on Riverside Boulevard on the west side of A1A at Butler Beach, south of St. Augustine Beach; Frank Butler Park East is the beach half across the road.

• Parking: a large lot shared with boat trailers
• Entry: free
• Hours: dawn to dusk
• Where to fish: the river shoreline beside the ramp, keeping away from the launch lanes and courtesy dock
• Surface: level ground and seawall, with soft mud and oyster shell at the water's edge

The river here fishes best in spring and fall.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and seatrout on the grass edges, black drum, the last sheepshead
• Summer (Jun-Aug): flounder, redfish and mangrove snapper; seatrout at dawn
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings redfish, flounder and jacks along the river
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead around shell and structure, seatrout in the deeper channel

Light to medium spinning tackle is enough.

• Redfish and black drum: shrimp, cut mullet or crab on a Carolina rig
• Seatrout: a popping cork with live shrimp, or a soft plastic worked along the grass
• Flounder: a mud minnow or finger mullet dragged slowly along the drop-off
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp near oyster bars and pilings
• Use abrasion-resistant leader around the oysters

Matanzas Inlet to the south drives two tides a day through this stretch of the river.

• Moving water on either tide is best; the last of the outgoing concentrates fish along the edges
• High tide pushes redfish up into the grass; low tide pulls them to the channel edges
• Calm, clear mornings are best for seatrout
• Strong wind against the tide makes the river choppy and muddy

A calm, accessible spot.

• Keep well away from boats launching and loading at the ramp
• Oyster shell cuts hands, feet and line
• Summer afternoon lightning; leave early
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums at dawn and dusk
• Paved parking and level ground near the water
• Boat wakes can wash up the shoreline; keep tackle back from the water's edge
• Stingrays on the sandy bottom: shuffle your feet if you wade

St. Johns County lists good basic facilities.

• Restrooms
• Picnic pavilions and tables, barbecue grills and a clam bake pit
• A boat ramp with a dock and a floating dock
• A trail network and an observation area
• No bait shop in the park; bait shops are in the St. Augustine area
• The park closes at dusk
• Parking for cars and boat trailers

• Fish the last two hours of the outgoing along the grass edges for reds
• Winter sheepshead hang on any pilings and oyster bars nearby
• Pair it with the surf at Frank Butler Park East across A1A
• Weekday mornings avoid the busiest ramp traffic
• A kayak launched at the boat ramp reaches more of the river's creeks and bars

Frank Butler Park West is a St. Johns County park.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Keep the boat ramp and dock clear for launching
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything
• Obey posted manatee and no-wake zones on the river when paddling out
• Take monofilament home or use a recycling bin; loose line kills birds on the river