Marse Landing, Freeport Fishing

Marse Landing is a quiet creek-side park in Freeport where Four Mile Creek runs down toward LaGrange Bayou and the bay. It is less a pier than a place to stand at the water's edge, and locals have long used it to fish.

• A lighted raised wooden path and a covered sitting area on the creek
• Tidal, brackish creek water with redfish, trout and flounder
• Parking and restrooms listed by the city
• A calm, light-tackle spot close to town

Marse Landing is on Four Mile Creek in Freeport, a few minutes from U.S. 331 and the town center. The City of Freeport lists it as a park site, and Walton County shares in building and maintaining it.

• The park has a boat ramp, a covered sitting area and a lighted raised wooden path along the creek
• The city's page lists parking and restrooms
• A ramp directory shows free use; it lists limited trailer spaces, so busy weekends can fill up
• Hours were not confirmed, so check the posted signs

Four Mile Creek is a brackish creek that connects to Choctawhatchee Bay.

• Spring (Mar-May): trout and flounder move up the creek on rising tides, with some redfish
• Summer (Jun-Aug): small trout and redfish at dawn, jacks and ladyfish when bait is thick
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder gather as bait flushes out of the creek
• Winter (Dec-Feb): slow, with sheepshead, black drum and redfish in deeper holes

Heavy rain freshens the creek and pushes salt fish toward the bay; a blacktip shark has even been reported in the creek.

Light spinning gear is plenty; the creek is narrow and the edges are soft.

• Live shrimp under a cork or on a light split-shot rig along the edge
• Small soft plastics or jigs for trout and flounder, bounced slowly along the bottom
• Cut mullet or shrimp on the bottom for redfish near deeper bends
• Fiddler crabs or shrimp near any sunken wood for sheepshead
• Use 10 to 15 lb line with a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader in the clear creek water

Choctawhatchee Bay tides are small, one gentle high and low on most days, so the creek moves slowly.

• Fish the start of a falling tide, when bait flushes from the creek
• A rising tide pushes trout and redfish up from the bayou
• Early morning and evening are best in summer
• Wait a day or two after a hard rain for the water to clear
• A steady north breeze can make the cast awkward

The park is flat and tidy, but it is still a working boat ramp.

• Keep lines clear of the ramp when boats launch or retrieve
• Creek edges can be muddy and slick; keep children back
• Mosquitoes and biting flies can be heavy in summer evenings
• Lightning is common in summer afternoons; leave at the first thunder
• Access: a short walk from parking along the raised path

Facilities are the basics.

• Parking and restrooms, listed by the City of Freeport
• A covered sitting area and a lighted raised wooden path
• Boat ramp used mostly by trailer boats
• No bait shop in the park; Freeport has tackle shops nearby
• Bring water and insect repellent

• Arrive early on weekends before trailer boats fill the lot
• Fish the quiet hour after the last boat leaves in the evening
• A cast net for finger mullet or shrimp is handy on the creek, if you hold the right license
• Try the Four Mile Creek Landing upstream if this spot is crowded
• Check a Freeport tackle shop report for what the bay is doing
• Leave no line or bait wrappers; the park is small and well used

The City of Freeport and Walton County manage the park.

• The city does not list a fishing rule on its park page, so read any posted signs and respect ramp traffic
• Walton County restricts shark fishing and chumming in water bodies south of Highway 20, which covers this creek; do not target sharks
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything