John Brooks Park Beachside Fishing

John Brooks Park Beachside pairs a ramped crossover with a long, quiet stretch of dune-backed beach.

• Two miles of beachfront dunes in a preserve named for local environmental activist John Brooks
• A covered viewing area on the crossover, handy for spotting birds over bait
• Pompano, whiting and bluefish in the cooler months; snook and jacks in the fall run
• A small lot with no listed fee, and no restrooms or lifeguards

The park is at 3300 South Ocean Drive (A1A), a few miles south of Fort Pierce Inlet, and St. Lucie County manages it as an upland and wetland preserve.

• From Fort Pierce, cross the South Causeway to Hutchinson Island and head south on A1A
• The lot beside the road holds about 30 cars
• One wooden crossover with a ramp and a covered viewing platform leads over the dune, and a sand path carries on to the beach
• Open dawn until dusk
• No entry or parking fee is listed; follow any signs on site

Fort Pierce Inlet is a few miles north, and fish moving along the coast pass this beach through the year.

• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano and whiting in the troughs, and bluefish once a front cools the water
• Spring (Mar-May): pompano tapering off, Spanish mackerel and jacks with the bait
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook in the wash at daybreak, whiting and croaker on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run moves down the coast with snook, jacks, redfish, bluefish and blacktips behind it

With a ramp over the dune, it is easy to bring a cart and two rods.

• A long surf rod with 15-20 lb line and a pyramid sinker for the outer trough
• A lighter spinning rod for whiting and croaker in the near trough, baited with small pieces of shrimp
• Sand fleas or clam on a double-drop rig for pompano
• A spoon on a wire leader for bluefish and Spanish mackerel
• Bucktails or swimbaits for snook along the wash at first light
• Cut mullet or crab on the bottom for fall redfish

Two Atlantic tides a day wash over this beach.

• Pompano and whiting fishing usually peaks on the second half of the incoming tide
• A calm, clear morning after a winter front is the classic day
• Heavy surf and dirty water push the fish off; wait for it to settle
• At low water, look down from the covered viewing area to pick out troughs and cuts, then fish them as the tide comes back
• Pelicans and terns diving in fall give away the bait schools

The county stations lifeguards only at Pepper Park and Waveland, so nobody watches the water here.

• Keep wading shallow and watch for rip currents in onshore swell
• Leave the beach when thunderheads build on summer afternoons
• Sea turtles nest along this coast in the warm months; step around staked nests
• The ramped crossover helps with carts and limited mobility, but the path beyond it and the beach are soft sand
• The covered viewing area is the only shade, so bring water and sun protection

This is a preserve access with the bare minimum, so pack for a self-sufficient session.

• A small parking lot beside A1A with room for about 30 cars
• The wooden ramped crossover and its covered viewing area, the only shade
• No restrooms, food, drinking water, bait or tackle
• Pepper Park and Waveland Beach, the county's guarded beaches, both have restrooms
• Bait shops sit near the causeways, so buy bait on the way over

• Get there early; the lot is small
• Scan from the viewing platform before you walk down; birds and bait show you where to start
• Bring binoculars; the county lists birding here as well as fishing
• Two miles of dunes means you can walk away from anyone else on the beach
• Leave by dusk, when the park closes

John Brooks Park Beachside is a St. Lucie County park and preserve.

• Open dawn until dusk; follow posted rules
• Carry a Florida saltwater fishing license unless you are exempt
• Sharks from shore require the free FWC shore-based shark permit
• Snook and tarpon have extra rules on permits, seasons and handling; see FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything