Seabridge Riverfront Park Fishing

Seabridge Riverfront Park is a pocket-sized county park where a shaded pier and a winding boardwalk put you over the Halifax River on the north side of Ormond Beach.

• Free and shaded, with a picnic area under the trees
• Redfish and seatrout along the shoreline edges
• Black drum and sheepshead on the pilings when the water cools
• A kayak launch if you want to fish farther along the shoreline

The park is at 3570 John Anderson Drive, Ormond Beach, on the river side of the road, which forms part of the Ormond Scenic Loop.

• Hours: sunrise to sunset every day
• Admission: free
• Parking: limited to a few spaces, so arrive early at weekends
• The pier and the start of the boardwalk are a short walk through the trees from the road
• Some third-party listings still say the pier is closed for repairs; that repeats a 2021 county notice the county has since removed, and its page now lists the park as open daily

The pier and boardwalk sit over the river's edge rather than the main channel, which suits light tackle and patient, quiet fishing.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and trout start roaming the flats as the water warms; sheepshead linger on the pilings
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout and reds soon after sunrise, mangrove snapper under the pier, jacks and ladyfish chasing bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best season, with mullet schools drawing redfish, flounder and jacks along the bank
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead near the structure, croaker on the bottom, trout in the deeper holes

Think light: a 6.5 to 7-foot spinning rod with 8 to 10 lb braid and a 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Popping cork with a live shrimp drifted off the end of the pier, especially early
• A 3-inch paddle-tail or shrimp imitation on a 1/8 oz jighead, worked slowly along the shoreline from the boardwalk
• Topwater walking baits early in the morning in summer and fall when the water is flat
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a small hook dropped beside the pier pilings for sheepshead and drum
• A light Carolina rig with a mud minnow for flounder along sandy patches
• A long-handled net saves fish at the rail

NOAA's stations on the Halifax River at Ormond Beach and on Smith Creek near Flagler Beach predict about a foot or less of rise and fall, twice a day, so the water here moves more with the wind than with the tide.

• Light winds and cleaner water give the best fishing along the edges
• A steady north or northeast wind can push water in and stir up the shallows
• After heavy rain the river runs darker; fish slower and closer to the bottom
• Winter cold snaps slow the flats but bunch drum and sheepshead near the pilings
• Early mornings beat afternoons for both comfort and bites through the summer

The park is sheltered and calm, and the main risks come from weather, heat and the road.

• Lightning builds over the river on summer afternoons; get off the pier and boardwalk at the first thunder
• John Anderson Drive is a two-lane road; watch for traffic when loading and unloading
• Boardwalk and pier boards can be slick after rain or early dew
• Barnacles on the pilings cut line; check your leader after every fish
• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums can be fierce early and late in the day in the warm months
• Access is on foot from the roadside; the county does not describe the path surface

Seabridge is a simple riverside park with the essentials for a few hours of fishing and not much else.

• A shaded fishing pier and a boardwalk over the river
• A shaded picnic area
• A kayak launch (listed by the county)
• Limited parking spaces
• No restrooms, bait or food are listed, so come prepared and pack out your trash

• Fish the boardwalk rather than only the pier: the edges along it hold redfish on calm mornings
• Polarized sunglasses help you spot cruising reds and trout in the shallows
• Keep a few fiddler crabs for the pier pilings from December to March
• On a still summer evening before the park closes at sunset, a small topwater plug along the shade line can bring explosive trout strikes
• If the few spaces are full, the county lists other small fishing docks along John Anderson Drive a short drive south

Seabridge Riverfront Park is a Volusia County park, managed by the county's Parks, Recreation and Culture Division.

• Open sunrise to sunset; admission is free
• Follow the park's posted rules
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything