Grady Brown Park Fishing

Grady Brown Park is the county park at the north end of the US 331 bridge over Choctawhatchee Bay, a handy place to fish the bay shore near Freeport.

• Walton County lists fishing among the park's uses
• Speckled trout, redfish, black drum and sheepshead, with flounder and white trout in the cooler months
• Restrooms, drinking water, picnic areas, two boat ramps and an accessible kayak launch
• Named for Grady Brown Sr., a commercial fisherman who fished these waters every day from morning to dark

The park is at 20940 US Highway 331 South in Freeport, on the north side of the bay where the Clyde B. Wells Bridge comes ashore.

• Getting there: from US 98 at Santa Rosa Beach, take US 331 north across the bay; the park is at the north end of the bridge
• Parking: for cars and boat trailers
• Entry: a county park; no fee is listed
• Fish from the bay shoreline inside the park, not from the highway bridge
• An ADA-accessible kayak launch puts paddlers straight onto the bay

The east end of Choctawhatchee Bay is fed by the Choctawhatchee River, so the water here is often brackish and colored after rain.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead near hard structure, speckled trout and redfish as the water warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout early and late, redfish, ladyfish chasing bait, catfish on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best season, with trout, redfish and flounder feeding before winter and big black drum on cut bait
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead, white trout and croaker on the bottom, trout on warm afternoons

A 7 foot medium spinning rod with 15 lb braid covers most of it; bring a heavier outfit for big drum and bull reds.

• Trout and redfish: live shrimp under a popping cork or on a 1/4 oz jig head along the shoreline
• Soft plastic shrimp and paddle tails worked slowly in the colder months
• Black drum and redfish: cut mullet, crab or a whole shrimp on a fish-finder rig on the bottom
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs on a short leader beside any rock or piling you can reach from shore
• Flounder: mud minnows on a Carolina rig, dragged slowly along the bottom in fall
• Kayak anglers can launch here and work the bridge and the shoreline

Tides inside Choctawhatchee Bay are very small and usually come once a day, so wind and river flow move more water here than the tide does.

• Fish when the water is moving, rising or falling
• A strong, steady wind can raise or drop the water along the shore by more than the tide does
• After heavy rain upriver the water freshens and colors; drum and catfish keep biting when the trout slow down
• Dawn and dusk are prime in summer
• Cooler, clearer water in fall and winter brings the best trout fishing

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

• US 331 is a busy highway: stay in the park, off the bridge and its shoulders
• Boats use the two ramps: keep lines clear of launching and landing boats
• Summer thunderstorms build fast over the bay; leave at the first thunder
• Bring shade, water and insect repellent
• As on any bay shore near a river mouth, watch for alligators and never feed wildlife

The county built the park for boaters and families, and it suits shore anglers too.

• Restrooms and drinking water
• Picnic areas and tables, grills and a play area
• Two boat ramps with parking for cars and trailers, and a boat-washing station
• An ADA-accessible kayak launch
• No bait shop is listed, so bring bait and ice

• Fish the shoreline nearest the bridge on a moving tide
• Weekday mornings are quieter at the ramps
• Walton County's Thomas Pilcher Park, on US 331 on the south side of the bay, has a fishing pier if you want to fish from a deck
• Keep a few pieces of cut bait on the bottom for black drum while you work lures for trout
• Buy live shrimp on the way; none is sold at the park

Grady Brown 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 boat ramps and the kayak launch clear
• Fish from the park, not from the highway bridge or its shoulders
• Take all line, hooks and trash with you
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything