San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park Fishing

San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park protects the site of the Spanish fort on Tucker's Point, where the Wakulla and St. Marks rivers meet on their way to Apalachee Bay. The park describes the point as an excellent spot for fishing, where fresh and salt water come together.

• Redfish, speckled trout and sheepshead are the fish the park names
• Salt water from the bay and fresh water from two rivers mix here, so the catch changes with the season and the rain
• Free entry, a small museum, picnic tables and restrooms
• A daytime spot only: the park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and shuts at 5 p.m.

The park is on Old Fort Road in the town of St. Marks, Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, where the Wakulla River meets the St. Marks River.

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
• Entry: no entrance fee; the museum charges $2 per person, and children 5 and younger go in free
• Parking: on site
• The walk: Tucker's Point is at the water's edge, a short walk across the park grounds from the parking area
• A self-guided interpretive trail of about a third of a mile runs past the fort ruins

The mix of bay water and river water decides what bites at the point.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and speckled trout feed along the edges as the water warms; sheepshead are still around early in the season
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish on the moving tide, with crevalle jack and ladyfish chasing bait and hardhead catfish on bottom baits
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best redfish of the year, trout moving back toward the rivers and flounder heading out toward the bay
• Winter (Dec-Feb): speckled trout move up the rivers away from the cold bay flats; sheepshead and black drum feed on hard bottom and shell

Keep the tackle light and simple; a 7-foot medium-light spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid covers almost everything.

• Live shrimp under a popping cork, drifted along the edge of the current, for trout and redfish
• A Carolina rig with a 1/2 oz egg sinker and cut mullet or shrimp on a 1/0 circle hook for redfish and black drum
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader beside rocks and shell for sheepshead
• A soft-plastic paddle tail on a 1/4 oz jighead, worked slowly near the bottom, for winter trout
• A 20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon leader stands up to shell and rock
• A long-handled landing net makes it easier to land fish from the bank

Tides at the mouth of the St. Marks are mixed: most days bring two highs and two lows of unequal size, roughly 2 to 4 feet from low to high, and a few days only one real swing. What matters here is the current running past the point.

• The last of the incoming and the first of the outgoing tide wash bait past the point
• Heavy rain upriver sends dark, fresh water down and pushes fish toward the bay
• Cold fronts drive trout up the rivers, where spring water keeps it milder than on the flats
• Strong north winds after a front drain the water out; the calm days that follow usually fish better
• The park opens at 9 a.m., so choose a day when a moving tide falls inside opening hours

This is bank fishing in a small historic park, with a few hazards to respect.

• Boats run up and down the St. Marks River; keep your line clear of passing traffic
• Footing at the water's edge can be uneven, muddy or slick after high water
• Manatees use the rivers; never cast at them
• Summer thunderstorms build quickly in the afternoon; leave the point at the first thunder
• Heat, sun and biting insects are part of summer here; bring water and repellent
• Parking and restrooms are on site; the park did not say whether the path to the point suits wheelchairs, so ask the staff

Facilities are those of a small historic site rather than a fishing park.

• Restrooms and parking, as listed by Florida State Parks
• A picnic area with tables and barbecue grills
• The museum, an 18-minute film on the fort's history and a self-guided interpretive trail
• No bait, tackle or food at the park, so bring everything you need
• No night fishing: the park closes at 5 p.m.

• Check the day before you set off: the park is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday
• Winter days after a cold front, when trout push up the rivers, are the classic time to fish the point
• On a rising tide, watch the shoreline and grass edges for redfish pushing water
• Bring fiddler crabs for sheepshead from late winter into spring
• Visit the museum between tides; the story of the fort explains the ruins around you
• Release what you will not eat; the point is small and shared with other visitors

The park is managed by Florida State Parks, and all fishing inside it must follow state rules on size, number, method of capture and season.

• Fish only during opening hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday
• Leave the fort ruins and anything historic undisturbed, and follow posted park rules
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; a freshwater license is needed for freshwater species from the rivers
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything