Mickler's Landing Fishing

Mickler's Landing has drawn anglers since the 1930s, when the Mickler family's 600-foot pier stood near today's park. That pier is long gone, and the fishing now happens from the beach, below dunes the county describes as 20 feet high.

• Whiting, pompano, bluefish and redfish in the surf
• A handicapped-friendly wooden walkway through the dunes and a beach mat over the soft sand
• Showers, restrooms, changing rooms and a pavilion
• Open dawn to dusk
• The county calls it a cherished local destination and a popular spot for fishing

The park is on Ponte Vedra Boulevard in Ponte Vedra Beach, in northern St. Johns County.

• Parking: a county lot with 202 spaces, 7 of them ADA, and no fee listed
• Hours: dawn to dusk
• The walk: a handicapped-friendly wooden walkway through dunes about 20 feet high; the county's beach guide adds a mat over the soft sand, with about 30 feet of soft sand before the firm beach
• Vehicles: the beach ramp here is for emergency vehicles only, so there is no beach driving
• Horseback riders with a county permit also use this beach, so expect the occasional horse
• The clubhouse and pool beside the public access are not part of the park, so stay on the public walkway

From this beach you fish the same procession of migrating fish that runs the length of St. Johns County's coast.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano in the clean spring surf, whiting, bluefish heading north, black drum
• Summer (Jun-Aug): early-morning whiting, Spanish mackerel and jacks around bait pods, flounder lying in the cuts
• Fall (Sep-Nov): peak season, as the mullet run draws redfish, bluefish and jacks inshore
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting on the calmer days, black drum and the odd redfish

You carry your gear through the dunes, so a light kit pays off.

• Two-hook dropper rigs with 1/0 hooks and fresh shrimp or Fishbites for whiting
• The same rig with sand fleas for pompano; a small orange float bead can help
• For redfish, a circle hook and a mullet steak on a sliding sinker rig
• For bluefish or Spanish mackerel, a small casting spoon on a short wire or heavy leader
• A sand spike keeps reels out of the sand
• Shark fishing, chumming and blood baiting are banned on St. Johns County beaches, so leave that gear at home

Like the rest of St. Johns County's ocean beaches, Mickler's has two tides a day with a few feet of rise and fall.

• Fish the flood into high tide, when the first trough fills with water and fish
• Scout the bar and its gaps at low tide
• Morning land breezes flatten the surf; a light onshore chop often fishes better for whiting
• Big northeast swells make it unfishable
• The dawn-to-dusk hours rule out night sessions here

The hazards are the surf, the weather and the crowd.

• Rip currents break through the bar in places; do not wade out
• A lifeguard tower is staffed from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; keep your lines well away from the swimmers in front of it
• Lightning: leave at the first rumble of thunder
• Rays: shuffle your feet in the shallows
• The wheelchair-friendly walkway and beach mat help, but there is still soft sand before the firm beach
• County beach rules forbid glass, alcohol and smoking, and lights on the beach at night during sea turtle season

St. Johns County lists good facilities at the park, enough for a long morning on the sand.

• Restrooms (ADA accessible) and showers
• Changing rooms, a pavilion and picnic tables
• A large parking lot
• The ADA dune walkover and a beach mat
• No bait or food is listed, so bring bait, ice and drinks from home
• Horseback riding on the beach is allowed by county permit only, through the county's Habitat Conservation Plan office

• Get there at first light in summer, before the beach and the lifeguarded area fill
• Fresh shrimp outfishes frozen for whiting
• Look for the darker, deeper water of a trough just off the wash
• In fall, birds diving on mullet show where blues and jacks are feeding
• Dogs must stay on a leash, even in the water, under county rules
• Rinse your reels at the showers before you leave

St. Johns County runs the park, which is open dawn to dusk, and its beach code applies on the sand.

• No alcohol, glass, smoking, fires or camping on the beach, and no flashlights or lanterns May 1 to October 31
• The beach code bans fishing for sharks, and chumming or blood baiting, and anglers must stop if a lifeguard or deputy warns that swimmers are at risk
• Keep to the walkover, because the dunes are protected
• Carry a Florida saltwater fishing license unless you are exempt
• Size, bag and season limits change; check the FWC (myfwc.com) before keeping anything