Cessna Landing Park Fishing

Cessna Landing Park stands on the site of old town Santa Rosa, the area's first settlement, and today it is a county park and boat launch on Hogtown Bayou.

• A short fishing pier over the bayou, plus docks beside the ramp
• Speckled trout, redfish, flounder, black drum and sheepshead
• Restrooms, picnic pavilions, a grill, a playground and parking
• A handy launch for kayak anglers heading onto the bayou

The park is at the north end of County Highway 393 in Santa Rosa Beach, a few miles north of US 98, where the road meets Hogtown Bayou.

• Getting there: take CR 393 north from US 98 and follow it to the water
• Parking: on site, shared with boat trailers from the ramp
• Entry: a county park; the county's page lists no fee
• The short fishing pier stands on the west side of the park, apart from the boat ramp and its docks, a short walk from the parking area
• The Bayou Arts Center, home of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, is next door

Hogtown Bayou is a sheltered arm of the bay, with water that is saltier near the bay and fresher after heavy rain.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead on the pilings, trout and redfish moving onto the shallows as the water warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout early and late, redfish, ladyfish and big jacks chasing bait, flounder near the structure
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best months, with trout, bull redfish and flounder feeding before winter
• Winter (Dec-Feb): trout in the deeper holes, black drum and sheepshead around the pilings, croaker and white trout on the bottom

A 7 foot medium-light spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader handles most of the fishing here.

• Trout and redfish: live shrimp under a popping cork, or soft plastic shrimp and paddle tails on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads
• Topwater plugs at first light from late spring to fall
• Flounder: mud minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, dragged slowly along the bottom near the pier
• Sheepshead and black drum: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short, strong leader beside the pilings
• Jacks and ladyfish: small spoons and jigs when bait is showing
• Kayak anglers can launch here and reach the rest of the bayou and the bay

Tides inside Choctawhatchee Bay are very small and usually come once a day, so wind and moving water count for more than the tide chart.

• Fish when the water is moving, rising or falling
• A strong, steady wind can raise or drop the water in the bayou by more than the tide; when it runs low, fish the deeper water
• Clearer water after a few calm days is best for trout on artificial lures
• After heavy rain the bayou freshens and colors up; fish the deeper water
• Dawn and dusk are prime in summer; fall mornings are best of all

The park is family friendly, and the county lists it as ADA accessible.

• Boats launch and dock beside the pier: keep casts and lines clear of the ramp
• Summer afternoon thunderstorms build quickly over the bay; leave the pier at the first thunder
• Wet boards can be slick
• Bring shade, water and insect repellent for warm evenings
• As in any Florida bayou, watch for alligators and never feed wildlife

The county lists a full set of park facilities.

• Restrooms and drinking water
• Picnic areas, tables and pavilions, with a grill
• A playground and a basketball court
• A boat ramp with docks, and parking
• The county lists the park as ADA accessible
• No bait shop is listed at the park, so buy bait before you arrive

• Launch a kayak at first light and drift the shallow edges of the bayou for trout
• Fish the pier on weekday mornings, when the ramp is quieter
• Carry a small landing net for bigger reds and black drum
• Try the pier pilings and dock edges for flounder in fall
• Pack out fishing line and bait bags; discarded line tangles birds

Cessna Landing Park is owned and run by Walton County, and posted park rules apply.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Walton County's Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance, which covers the bay as well as the Gulf, makes it unlawful to intentionally fish for sharks, or to chum or bloodbait, from the beach or within 2,500 feet of shore
• Keep the ramp and docks clear for launching boats
• Follow posted rules on hours, parking and trailers
• Take all fishing line and trash with you
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything