Keaton Beach Fishing

Keaton Beach is a small, quiet Gulf community on Taylor County's shallow grass-flat coast, famous for trout, redfish and summer scalloping. After Hurricanes Idalia (2023) and Helene (2024) it is still rebuilding, but the public beach at Hodges Park gives shore anglers a place to wade the flats.

• Classic Big Bend grass flats for trout and redfish
• Quiet and uncrowded outside scallop season
• Recovering community: expect reduced facilities
• A good base for scallop season in summer

Keaton Beach is on County Road 361 (the Big Bend Scenic Byway coastal road), about 22 miles south of Perry in Taylor County. The public waterfront is Hodges Park.

• Parking: at the park; check posted signs for any fee
• The pier: Hodges Park has a county fishing pier along its rock jetty, but storm damage from Idalia and Helene has left its condition uncertain; check locally before relying on it
• The walk: short and flat from the lot to the sand
• Wading is over soft sand, grass and oyster; bring boots
• Helene's storm surge destroyed many homes here in 2024, and the community is still rebuilding

Taylor County's flats are shallow and fertile, and fish follow the water temperature.

• Spring (Mar–May): trout and redfish move up onto the grass; sheepshead around structure; the odd cobia on the flats
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on moving water; trout early and late in the day; scallop season brings crowds
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best months for big trout, redfish and flounder
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum near structure; trout in the deeper canals and creeks

Light spinning tackle suits the skinny water.

• 7-foot medium-light rod, 10 lb braid, 20 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Popping cork and shrimp, or a scented soft plastic under a cork
• 1/8 oz jigheads with paddle-tails worked slowly over the grass
• Weedless gold spoons for redfish
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook with just enough weight to hold near rocks for sheepshead
• Small silver spoons for mackerel
• A landing net and wading boots

NOAA's nearby Hagens Cove station shows two uneven highs and lows on most days, with roughly 2 to 5 feet from low to high, enough to empty the flats at low water.

• Fish the rising tide, when fish push onto the grass close to shore
• Low water leaves long stretches dry; follow the channel and canal mouth then
• North winds in winter blow the water out and chill the flats; fish the canals
• Calm, clear mornings are best; a strong southwest wind muddies the water

Expect a quiet, recovering coastline with few services.

• Oyster bars and a soft bottom: wear boots and shuffle for stingrays
• Summer thunderstorms and lightning roll in fast over the flats
• Heat and sun with little shade
• Storm debris may still be present in the water and along the shore after 2023 and 2024; watch where you step
• Accessibility: the park is close to the parking area, but fishing is from sand or by wading

Facilities at Hodges Park were damaged by the storms, and what is open changes as repairs go on.

• Check at the park for restrooms and picnic shelters
• The fishing pier's status after Helene is uncertain
• Taylor County's Keaton Beach boat ramp, a short drive north of the park, lists restrooms, lighting and a daily launch fee in the FWC ramp inventory
• Food, fuel, bait and tackle nearby are limited after the storms; stock up in Perry

Some local know-how for this stretch of coast.

• Stock up on bait, ice and water in Perry before you drive out
• Look for mullet schools and diving birds over the grass; redfish and trout feed under them
• The rocky points and oyster bars either side of the park hold more fish than the open sand
• Summer scallop season packs the water with boats; fish at first light or away from the channels
• Check Taylor County announcements for pier and park repairs before planning a trip
• Keep off private docks and seawalls along the canals; fish from the park and its shoreline

Hodges Park is a Taylor County park.

• Check posted signs at the park and the pier for current closures
• Scallop season is set by FWC; check the current dates and rules before scalloping
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt.
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything.