A Great Fishing Location Near Tallahassee, FL
October 15, 2021
One of a Kind
There aren’t many places I can think of where bass swim with seatrout, and anglers encounter alligators near oyster bars while going for redfish. However, that’s the exact type of place St. Marks Wildlife Refuge is. Located on the Florida panhandle, about a forty-minute drive from Tallahassee, the park offers a true escape into the outdoors right outside the city. There’s too much to cover on what this park has to offer in one article, so for clarity I’ll be focusing on the unique fishing experience available to bank/wading anglers at the park.
Caution: I have seen alligators in every part of this park (including the roads and trails). Remain calm and maintain a safe and respectful distance; it’s their park.
St. Marks Wildlife Refuge Fishing Hotspots
The Lighthouse
The light house is probably the most crowded location in the park, but has access to parking close by. This is a great location for people looking to go after oysters or fish for redfish off the various oyster bars around the lighthouse when the tide is right.
Feeding porpoises are also a fairly common occurrence near the light house.
Ponds
The ponds all have decent parking relatively close, but can also tend to get crowded. These interesting brackish water ponds hold largemouth bass, juvenile redfish, and lots of crabs. The pond near the lighthouse actually has some interesting fish (pictured below) in it that I’ve never been able to identify. Below are pictures of both bass and redfish caught at the same pond.
Stony Bayou
Stony Bayou offers anglers easy access to its banks and is a good location for those looking to catch flounder. However, seatrout and redfish can be caught there, and I’ve seen the carcass of a large Florida gar on the bank once. Below are some pictures of the flounder, trout, and redfish I caught in the same day (referred to as an “Inshore Grand-Slam” by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) at Stony Bayou.
Estuary Channels
The estuary channels provide some of the best fishing for anglers at the park, but require the most walking/biking/kayaking to get to. Sheepshead, stingrays, slot and over-slot sized reds, flounder, weakfish, speckled seatrout, and Gafftopsail catfish can all be caught through out the expansive estuary channels. There’s pretty much always a good place to fish at the park available as long as one’s willing to travel a bit further. Below are some of my best catches from the estuary channels, as well as a picture of a small snook making a rare appearance on another St. Marks angler’s hook.
KANE ANTHONY 