Kellogg Bayside Park Fishing

Kellogg Bayside Park is a quiet preserve-style park on Choctawhatchee Bay, better suited to a peaceful bank or kayak session than a crowded pier.

• Walton County lists fishing and bay access for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards
• Speckled trout and redfish on the shallow edges, flounder and black drum in season
• Parking, picnic tables, drinking water and a shower
• Land donated as a wildlife preserve, with trails and wildlife viewing

The park is at 1112 Nellie Drive in Santa Rosa Beach, at the north end of Nellie Drive off Nursery Road, on the south shore of the bay.

• Getting there: from US 98, take the local roads north to Nursery Road and Nellie Drive
• Parking: at the park, with more parking on East Nursery Road
• Entry: a county park; no fee is listed
• The launch is for hand-carried craft; no trailers
• To drive in and unload a boat, arrange access with Walton County Parks first, or the gate will likely be locked

The south shore of the bay here holds the usual bay fish, and calm mornings fish best.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish moving onto the shallows as the water warms
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout at dawn, redfish, flounder on sandy bottom, ladyfish and jacks chasing bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best season for trout, redfish and flounder
• Winter (Dec-Feb): croaker, white trout and black drum on the bottom in deeper water; trout on warm, calm days

Light spinning tackle with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader suits the shallow water.

• Trout and redfish: live shrimp under a popping cork, or soft plastics on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads
• Topwater walking baits at first light in the warm months
• Flounder: a mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, dragged slowly over sand
• Black drum and croaker: shrimp or cut bait on the bottom
• A kayak lets you drift the edges and reach deeper water beyond the shallows
• Wade carefully and shuffle your feet if you step in

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

• Calm mornings with clear water are best for sight fishing and lures
• A strong, steady wind can raise or drop the water on the shallows by more than the tide does
• An onshore wind muddies the edge; fish a little deeper from a kayak
• After heavy rain the bay freshens and the bite slows for a day or two
• Dawn and dusk are prime in summer

The park is small and quiet, so bring what you need and tell someone your plans if you paddle out.

• Summer thunderstorms build quickly over the bay; get off the water at the first thunder
• Wear a life jacket in a kayak; afternoon wind can make the open bay rough
• Shuffle your feet when wading for stingrays
• Bring shade, water and insect repellent
• SoWal lists the park as accessible; check that the path to the water suits you before bringing a chair or cart

Facilities are basic and suited to a quiet visit.

• Parking at the park and on East Nursery Road
• Picnic tables and picnic areas
• A water fountain, a water spigot and a shower
• A launch for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards (no trailers)
• Trails for a walk in the preserve
• No restrooms or bait shop are listed, so plan ahead

• Go early on a calm morning, when the shallows are glassy and trout feed on top
• Rinse the salt off your kayak and gear at the shower before you leave
• Cessna Landing Park, a short drive west on Hogtown Bayou, has a pier and restrooms if you want them
• Respect the preserve: keep to trails and leave the wildlife undisturbed
• Carry your catch and trash out; there is little on site

Kellogg Bayside Park is owned and run by Walton County, and posted park rules apply.

• No boat trailers at the launch
• Vehicle access to unload boats must be arranged with Walton County Parks
• 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
• Respect the preserve and its wildlife
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything