St. Marks Lighthouse Fishing

St. Marks Lighthouse is a strikingly scenic place to wet a line: a historic white tower at the end of a long refuge road, with salt marsh on one side and the grass flats of Apalachee Bay on the other. It is a light-tackle, sight-and-structure spot rather than a big-water venue.

• Classic Big Bend inshore fishing for redfish and speckled trout from the bank
• Rocks, creeks and oyster bars concentrate fish on the tide
• Quiet, wild setting with superb birdlife and sunsets
• Crabbing is allowed in the tidal waters at the lighthouse

The lighthouse stands at the south end of Lighthouse Road in the St. Marks Unit of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Wakulla County, south of the town of St. Marks and US 98. The drive from the visitor center to the lighthouse is several miles through marsh and freshwater pools.

• Entry: a refuge entrance fee per vehicle, walker or cyclist; federal recreation passes are accepted
• Hours: the refuge is open during daylight hours and the Lighthouse Road gate opens at 6 a.m.
• Parking: a lot beside the lighthouse
• The walk: a few steps from the car to the rock-lined shore; wading onto the flat is soft and uneven

Shallow water here tracks the seasons closely: fish push onto the flats as the water warms and retreat to creeks and deeper edges in cold snaps.

• Spring (Mar–May): redfish and trout feed hard on the flats; sheepshead finish their spawning run on the rocks
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jacks along the bay edge; redfish early and late in the day
• Fall (Sep–Nov): the best season, with big trout, schooling redfish and a flounder run
• Winter (Dec–Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the rocks; trout in the deeper creeks and ditches along Lighthouse Road

Keep it light and mobile: a 7-foot medium-light spinning rod with 10 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader covers almost everything.

• Popping cork with live or frozen shrimp over the grass for trout
• 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigheads with paddle-tail or shrimp-imitation soft plastics
• Weedless gold spoons for redfish tailing in skinny water
• Carolina rig with a 1/2 oz egg sinker and a 1/0 hook for sheepshead and drum by the rocks
• Topwater walk-the-dog plugs at first light
• Bring a long-handled landing net; the rocks make hand-landing awkward

Apalachee Bay has mixed tides: NOAA's St. Marks River entrance station, beside the lighthouse, shows two unequal highs and lows on most days, with roughly 2 to 5 feet from low to high, enough to drain much of the flat at low water.

• The first half of the rising tide is prime as fish move up onto the grass
• Dead low water concentrates fish in creek mouths and holes
• Strong north winds in winter blow water out of the bay and leave the flats nearly dry; fish the deeper creeks then
• A light south or southwest breeze pushes clean water in
• Clear, calm dawns are best for sight-fishing reds

This is a remote spot with no lifeguards and limited shelter.

• Summer afternoon thunderstorms build quickly; the point is exposed, so leave early
• The bottom is soft mud with sharp oyster bars; wear wading boots and shuffle your feet for stingrays
• Alligators live in the freshwater pools along Lighthouse Road; keep clear of the banks there
• Mosquitoes and biting flies are fierce at dawn and dusk
• Heat and sun: bring plenty of water
• Accessibility: the parking area is close to the water, but the shoreline itself is rock and marsh, not a paved deck, so the fishing edge is hard going for a wheelchair

Facilities are basic and spread through the refuge.

• Restrooms: the refuge lists them inside the visitor center and at the Tower Pond Trail, and notes they are not fully up to current accessibility standards
• Visitor center near the refuge entrance with maps and information, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed federal holidays
• The lighthouse keeper's quarters open to visitors on some days; ask at the visitor center
• No food, bait or tackle on site; stock up before you drive in
• No lights; the refuge closes at dark

A little local knowledge goes a long way on this flat.

• Arrive when the gate opens; the early rising tide at first light is the best window of the day
• Look for nervous water and pushing wakes; redfish often tail in inches of water at the edge of the grass
• In winter, fish the ditches and culverts along Lighthouse Road for trout sheltering from the cold
• Keep an eye on the tide chart for St. Marks; an outgoing tide on a north wind leaves very little water
• Bring a crab net or hand lines if you want blue crabs; the tidal water at the lighthouse is the only place in the refuge where crabbing is allowed
• Combine a fishing trip with the lighthouse and the wildlife drive; winter waterfowl are spectacular

The lighthouse and surrounding land are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

• The refuge is open during daylight hours only and an entrance fee applies
• Crabbing is permitted only in the tidal waters at the lighthouse, not in refuge pools or impoundments
• No swimming and no drones in the refuge
• Fishing in the freshwater pools along Lighthouse Road is freshwater fishing and needs a freshwater license
• Roads and levees can close for prescribed burns or wildlife; check with the visitor center
• 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.