Choctaw Beach Wayside Park Fishing

Choctaw Beach Wayside Park is an easy bayside stop with a boardwalk and sunset views on the quiet north shore of Choctawhatchee Bay. It is a family park first, and a casual shore spot for light tackle second.

• Boardwalk with seating over the bay shore
• Brackish water with trout, redfish and flounder
• Restrooms, pavilions and a playground
• Free parking for about twenty to twenty-five vehicles

The park is at 12481 State Highway 20 West, on the south side of the highway in Choctaw Beach, east of Rocky Bayou.

• Parking: a paved lot rebuilt by the county, about twenty to twenty-five vehicles, no fee listed
• The boardwalk and shore are a short, level walk from the lot
• The park is open dawn to dusk
• The boat ramp and courtesy docks share the shoreline; keep clear of the launch lane

The north shore of the bay is shallow and brackish, so catches track the seasons and rain.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and flounder as the bay warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout and redfish at dawn and dusk, with catfish and pinfish in the day
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder moving along the shore, with the best bay fishing of the year
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead around structure and black drum on the bottom

Light spinning gear with 8 to 12 lb line suits the shallow shore.

• Trout: live shrimp under a popping cork over grass and sand edges
• Redfish: cut mullet or live shrimp on a light bottom rig
• Flounder: a bucktail or soft plastic crawled slowly across the bottom
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp beside any pilings or docks
• Wade only where signs allow it; fish from the boardwalk and sand

Walton County has one small high and low on most days, and the bay tide is gentle.

• A moving tide along the shoreline is best
• Check the NOAA predictions for Choctawhatchee Bay
• Early morning and evening are cooler and quieter
• Strong wind from the south chops the shallow water and muddies it
• After heavy rain the bay is fresher and the bite slows

The walk is short and mostly flat, with a boardwalk and paved lot.

• Keep lines clear of the ramp, courtesy docks and swimmers
• Leave the water at the first thunder in summer
• Highway traffic on SR 20; keep children close
• Stingrays rest in shallow sand; shuffle your feet if you wade
• Sun and biting insects are heavy in warm months

The county's improvements added several comforts.

• Restrooms in a new building
• Picnic pavilions and a small playground
• Boardwalk with seating
• A single-lane boat ramp with non-floating courtesy docks
• No bait shop at the park that we could confirm; buy bait on the way

• Walk the boardwalk at sunrise, when trout feed along the shore
• Pick a falling tide in fall for redfish along the edge
• Weekend mornings bring trailers to the ramp; fish away from the launch lane
• Fiddler crabs are the sheepshead bait of choice in winter
• Check the signs for the day's rules and any swimming area before casting

Choctaw Beach Wayside Park is a Walton County park, and the county does not list fishing there, so read the posted signs before you fish.

• Hours: expect dawn to dusk
• Keep lines out of the ramp and any marked swimming area
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Redfish have FWC rules of their own; check FWC before keeping one
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything