Sun Splash Park, Daytona Beach Fishing

Sun Splash Park is a county beach park with easy parking and a wide beach, a short walk from the sand where surf anglers work the Daytona coast. Fish away from the swimmers and you have a convenient, family-friendly surf-casting base.

• Over 600 feet of direct beachfront and a 162-space off-beach lot
• Whiting, pompano and bluefish in the surf, by season
• Restrooms and showers on site
• Busy with swimmers in summer, so early and late are best

The park is at 611 South Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach, three blocks south of the International Speedway Boulevard intersection. Volusia County Coastal Division runs it.

• Parking: the county's off-beach lots charge a daily fee, free for registered county residents, with an annual pass for others
• Parking is not allowed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., so this is not a night spot
• Restrooms are open about an hour after sunrise to an hour before sunset
• The beach is a short walk across sand from the lot
• Driving on the beach is possible at nearby ramps, with a separate fee

The usual Daytona surf mix, moving with the water temperature.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting on the bars, bluefish and Spanish mackerel
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting, croaker and small sharks near dawn and dusk
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the strongest whiting and pompano weeks, with bluefish and mullet schools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano, bluefish and black drum in the cooler water

Surf rods of 9 to 12 feet with 15 to 20 lb line handle the wash.

• Whiting and pompano: a double-drop rig with a pyramid sinker, baited with fresh shrimp or sand fleas
• Bluefish and mackerel: a wire leader with a silver spoon or plug
• Flounder: a mud minnow or bucktail dragged slowly along the troughs
• Bait: live shrimp and mullet from local tackle shops, as the park does not sell bait
• Fish from a sand spike so your rod does not tangle with beachgoers

Two tides a day on the Atlantic; use the NOAA Daytona Beach station.

• The rising tide to high water often puts fish in the troughs close to shore
• Sunrise and the hour before sunset are the best light and the quietest beach
• A light onshore breeze with a little color in the water suits whiting and pompano
• Big swell and a heavy shore break make casting and wading unsafe
• After a cold front, bluefish and pompano move through

A lifeguard headquarters is in this park, and the swimming beach can be crowded.

• Cast well away from swimmers and lifeguard-posted zones, and do not fish inside a swim area
• Rip currents are common; do not wade out past the first bar
• Shuffle your feet in the shallows for stingrays
• Leave the beach when thunder sounds
• Access: the lot is paved, with a short sand carry to the water; sand is soft for carts

The county lists these facilities for the park.

• Restrooms and showers
• A freshwater splash pad, picnic pavilions and playgrounds
• A lifeguard headquarters on site
• No bait shop in the park; bring bait or buy it in town
• Food and tackle are within a short drive along Atlantic Avenue

• Come at dawn on weekdays, before the beach fills
• Fresh shrimp outcatches frozen for pompano
• Walk the beach at low tide to spot troughs and bars, then cast to them at the rising tide
• Bring a sand spike, a cooler and plenty of water
• Register for a ParkVolusia resident pass if you live in the county, to avoid the daily fee

The park is managed by Volusia County, and the county page does not list fishing at the park.

• Read the posted signs; a local tourism guide asks surf anglers to fish only away from swimmers
• Volusia County beach rules bar chumming
• Parking is not allowed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything