South Anna Maria Sound and the Cortez Bridge

Bridge in Sarasota inshore waters

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InshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Depth
2-14 ft
Access
By boat or from shore
Best months
June to August, November to March
Species
Sheepshead, Black drum, Snook, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Spotted seatrout, Redfish (red drum)

The narrow sound between Bradenton Beach and the Cortez fishing village, with the Intracoastal Waterway running through it. Cortez Road (SR 684) crosses on a drawbridge that NOAA charts at about 22 feet of closed clearance, and NOAA predicts tidal currents just north of the bridge. On the island side, Bradenton Beach's Historic Bridge Street Pier stands on what Manatee County describes as the old bridge that was once the island's only link to the mainland. It reopened in 2015 after a renovation, and local reporting in September 2025 said it was the only Anna Maria Island pier still standing after Helene and Milton. FDOT planned to start replacing the drawbridge with a 65-foot bridge in June 2026, about four years of work.

How to fish it

Fish the bridge pilings and the pier with live shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs on the bottom for sheepshead and black drum in the cooler months. For snook, FWC's researchers suggest the first two or three hours of the outgoing tide at night, with live bait cast to the pilings, and the edges of the lights rather than the light itself. Mangrove snapper live around structure like this, and the grass edges outside the channel are worth a drift for trout.

Watch out for: Intracoastal Waterway traffic, bridge openings and strong current at the bridge, plus FDOT's bridge-replacement work from mid-2026: expect barges, work zones and possible restrictions. North of Cortez Road, Anna Maria Sound outside the marked channel and the 100 feet beside it is a year-round slow-speed manatee zone; south of the road the zone covers the water within 300 feet of Anna Maria Island and around Leffis Key. Confirm the pier's hours and fishing rules with the City of Bradenton Beach.
Rules here: FWC's Sarasota Bay region (south of SR 64). Stay out of the navigation channel and follow any posted no-fishing signs on the bridge fenders. The rules to check in Sarasota inshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours at South Anna Maria Sound and the Cortez Bridge

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On the map

South Anna Maria Sound and the Cortez Bridge and the places around it

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Position

  • N27° 28.134' W082° 41.537'27.468900, -82.692280

Not for navigation: check it against a current chart before you rely on it.

Places nearby

The closest named places, as the crow flies

Check the rules before you keep a fish. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change, sometimes at short notice. Our "Can you keep it today?" lists give them as of the day we last checked; these are the official pages.