Fort De Soto Park

Park with two fishing piers, a big boat ramp and paddle launches in Tampa Bay inshore waters

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InshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Access
By boat or from shore
Best months
March to June, September to November
Species
Spanish mackerel, Florida pompano, Snook, Redfish (red drum), Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Tarpon, Mangrove (gray) snapper

Pinellas County's biggest park: 1,136 acres on five keys at the mouth of Tampa Bay, with almost three miles of sandy beach. It has two fishing piers, the Bay Pier and the Gulf Pier, both open 7 a.m. to sunset, and the Gulf Pier has a food and bait concession. There's an 800-foot boat launch with eleven floating docks (22 lanes in FWC's ramp inventory), paddle launches onto Bunces Pass and Mullet Key Bayou, a 2.25-mile canoe trail, and ferries to Egmont Key and Shell Key. The Gulf Pier has its own page under nearshore.

How to fish it

The piers are at their best when Spanish mackerel and pompano run along the bay mouth in spring and fall. From the ramp, Bunces Pass, the Shell Key flats and Egmont Key are all a short run. FWC lists paddle launches at Madelaine Key, Mullet Key Bayou, Soldier Hole (with kayak rentals) and East Beach for working the backwaters.

Watch out for: FWC's ramp inventory says the ramps are open but only one boarding dock is available, so expect waits on busy days. Currents run hard in Bunces Pass and at the bay mouth.
Rules here: A fishing license is required everywhere in the park, piers included (Pinellas County). Obey any posted closures. Shell Key Preserve's rules apply across Bunces Pass. The rules to check in Tampa Bay inshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours at Fort De Soto Park

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On the map

Fort De Soto Park and the places around it

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Position

  • N27° 37.279' W082° 43.178'27.621320, -82.719640

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.