Woolley Park Fishing Pier

The Woolley Park Fishing Pier gives shore anglers a way out over Dickerson Bay from the heart of Panacea, the fishing village on US 98 in Wakulla County. The bay is shallow, with grass and oyster bars, which is exactly what trout, redfish and sheepshead like.

• A county pier in a family park, rebuilt and reopened in 2022 after Hurricane Michael
• Trout and redfish on the grass, sheepshead and drum on the pilings, mackerel in summer
• Parking, a restroom, a playground and picnic tables on site
• Posted park and pier hours of 6 a.m. to midnight

Woolley Park is on Mound Street in Panacea, Wakulla County, on the bay side of US 98 and a short drive north of the Ochlockonee Bay bridge.

• Hours: the county posts park and pier hours of 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Parking: in the park, a short walk from the pier
• Fees: the county refers questions about park fees to its parks department; there is no posted day-use fee on the park page
• The walk: short, from the parking area to the pier
• The park also has a walking trail of about a fifth of a mile a lap

Dickerson Bay's grass and oyster bars hold fish all year, and the pier puts you over the edge of them.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish on the grass as the water warms; sheepshead on the pilings; the first Spanish mackerel and bluefish
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish off the end; mangrove snapper and pinfish around the pilings; catfish on bottom baits
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best trout and redfish of the year, flounder on the sand, and another run of mackerel
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings; trout on warmer afternoons

Bring a light rod for casting and a stouter one for fishing tight to the pilings.

• A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 15 to 20 lb braid and a 20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Live shrimp under a popping cork, cast toward the grass edges, for trout and redfish
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a 1/0 hook with just enough weight to hold bottom, dropped beside the pilings for sheepshead
• A Carolina rig with cut mullet or blue crab for redfish and black drum
• Small silver spoons or jigs, fast, for Spanish mackerel and bluefish; a short bite leader saves lures
• A soft-plastic paddle tail on a 1/4 oz jighead for trout at dawn
• A drop net or pier net to lift heavier fish to the deck

Tides in Dickerson Bay are mixed: usually two highs and two lows a day of unequal size, roughly 2 to 4.5 feet from low to high, and the bay is so shallow that every foot of water makes a big difference.

• A rising tide floods the grass and brings trout and redfish within casting range
• At low water the flats near shore drain and fish drop to the deeper edges off the end of the pier
• Strong north winds after winter cold fronts blow water out of the bay; fish the end of the pier then
• A light southerly breeze in summer keeps the water moving and the mackerel coming
• Dawn and dusk fish best in summer heat; midday is fine in winter

The pier is a public county structure in a family park and is one of the easier places to fish in the Big Bend.

• The walk from the parking area is short; accessibility details for the pier were not published, so check on arrival
• Leave the pier at the first thunder: summer afternoon storms build fast over the Gulf
• Boards get slippery with bait and fish slime; watch children near the edge and when casting
• Heat and sun: bring water, a hat and sunscreen
• The pier was destroyed by storms in 2005 and 2018; after any hurricane, check with the county before you go

Wakulla County lists these at Woolley Park.

• A restroom facility and parking
• A picnic area and a pavilion that can be reserved through the county
• A playground and a walking trail
• No bait or tackle in the park; buy bait before you arrive
• Lighting on the pier was not confirmed; if you fish into the evening, bring a headlamp

• Buy live shrimp and fiddler crabs before you arrive; nothing is sold in the park
• Sheepshead peak on the pilings from late winter into spring; fish straight down with a short leader
• Cast the popping cork up-current along the grass and let the tide carry it past the pier
• In summer, watch for birds diving over bait off the end: that is where the mackerel are
• The park has a playground and picnic tables, so it suits a family trip
• Remember the posted closing time of midnight if you plan an evening session

Woolley Park and its pier are run by Wakulla County Parks and Facilities Management.

• Posted park and pier hours are 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.; follow any rules posted at the pier
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Take your line, hooks and scraps home; discarded line tangles birds and turtles
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything