Fishing in St. Augustine

Fishing in St. Augustine

Fishing in St. Augustine

Charter boats, pier fishing, surf fishing, inlets, and where the locals actually drop a line.

Best Fishing in St. Augustine, Florida

Inshore, offshore, pier, surf, or kayak – St. Augustine is one of Florida's most complete fishing destinations.

St. Augustine is a fishing town whether you bring a boat or not. That is one of the things we like about it. You can spend a lot of money on a serious offshore charter, or you can buy shrimp, stand on a pier, and still have a real chance at catching dinner. Between the Atlantic surf, Matanzas Bay, Salt Run, the Intracoastal Waterway, Vilano, Crescent Beach, and Matanzas Inlet, there are a lot of different kinds of fishing packed into a pretty small area.

The honest answer is this: the "best" fishing in St. Augustine depends on what kind of day you want. If you want easy family fishing, go to a pier or a calm riverside spot. If you want a shot at redfish, trout, flounder, and black drum, look at inshore waters. If you want mahi, sailfish, kingfish, snapper, grouper, or wahoo, you are talking about an offshore charter. St. Augustine can do all of it, but it does not all happen in the same place.

Current Notice: The St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier at St. Augustine Beach is scheduled to close for repairs beginning May 13, 2026, with work anticipated through the end of November 2026. The pier gift shop is expected to remain open, but pier access and the area under the pier will be restricted during construction. Check before planning your trip around this specific pier.

Pier Fishing in St. Augustine

St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier (St. Augustine Beach)

When open, this is the easiest tourist-friendly fishing spot in town. You get parking nearby, beach access, restrooms, a splash park, the pier park, and a real ocean fishing setup without needing a boat. The fishing fee has been listed at $4 for St. Johns County residents and $6 for non-residents, with lower prices for military or handicapped visitors and free access for young children and resident seniors over 60.

When open, it is good for Spanish mackerel, whiting, pompano, bluefish, flounder, small sharks, and sometimes king mackerel or tarpon when conditions line up. It is also one of the better choices for families because people who are not fishing can still walk the beach, visit the splash park, or watch the activity from the pier.

Target species: Spanish mackerel, whiting, pompano, bluefish, flounder

Note: Closed for repairs May, November 2026. Check before visiting.

Vilano Beach Pier

A different experience from the ocean pier. Vilano Beach Pier sits on the river side, not the open ocean side, and it feels more like a casual neighborhood fishing stop than a big fishing destination. It sits near the Vilano waterfront, close to the Matanzas Inlet side of town, with small boat traffic, current, marsh edges, and good scenery. We like Vilano for a low-pressure stop, especially if the group includes people who want lunch, sunset, or a walk around the Vilano area.

Best for: Casual, low-pressure fishing with good scenery

Setting: Riverside, not ocean-facing

Matanzas Inlet – The Serious Shore Option

Matanzas Inlet is the more serious land-based fishing option. The water moves hard through the inlet, and that moving water is why people go. Redfish, flounder, black drum, sheepshead, trout, sharks, and tarpon can all be in the conversation depending on season and tide.

It is not the easiest place for little kids because of current, rocks, bridge traffic, and wind – but for anglers who know what they are doing, it can be one of the most productive shore spots in the area.

Target species: Redfish, flounder, trout, black drum, sheepshead, seasonal tarpon

Skill level: Better for experienced anglers; strong current and wind

Surf Fishing

Surf fishing is one of the best ways to fish St. Augustine without making a production out of it. The best beaches are St. Augustine Beach, Crescent Beach, Vilano Beach, and the beaches near Matanzas Inlet. The basic setup is simple: a surf rod, sand spike, pyramid sinker, pompano rig or fish-finder rig, and bait like shrimp, sand fleas, Fishbites, cut mullet, or squid.

Best Surf Fishing Beaches

St. Augustine Beach is the most convenient surf fishing choice. Services nearby, lots of access points, and a wide beach.

Crescent Beach is our pick when you want more room and less crowd pressure. More space, quieter, and consistently productive.

Vilano Beach can be productive, but it has steeper sand, stronger surf, and heavier current in places because of its inlet influence. Good for certain fishing conditions, but something swimmers and casual visitors should respect.

Best time: Early morning and late afternoon; moving tide matters more than the clock

Look for: Cuts, troughs, birds, bait movement, and places where waves break differently

Inlet Fishing: Matanzas Inlet and Salt Run

Matanzas Inlet

One of the best shore-access fishing areas near St. Augustine because it concentrates moving water. Fish use that current like a food delivery system. Bait gets pushed through, predators wait, and anglers line up around the bridge, rocks, sandbars, and nearby shorelines.

The catch can include redfish, flounder, trout, bluefish, whiting, black drum, sheepshead, ladyfish, jacks, sharks, and seasonal tarpon. The trick is that Matanzas changes constantly – sand shifts, current rips, and a spot that was easy one month may fish differently the next.

Best for: Experienced anglers comfortable reading current

Species: Redfish, flounder, trout, black drum, sheepshead, tarpon (seasonal)

A different kind of inlet-adjacent fishery. Salt Run sits behind Anastasia State Park and the Lighthouse area, with calmer protected water, boat traffic, docks, grass, oyster edges, and access near Lighthouse Park. This is more of an inshore-style place – especially for redfish, trout, flounder, black drum, sheepshead, and mangrove snapper. It can also be a good place to kayak fish, especially if you are comfortable around tide and boat wakes.

Best for: Kayak fishing and calmer inshore-style fishing

Species: Redfish, trout, flounder, black drum, sheepshead, mangrove snapper

Inshore Fishing

If we were picking the most "St. Augustine" style of fishing, we would pick inshore fishing. The Intracoastal Waterway, Matanzas River, Tolomato River, Salt Run, oyster bars, marsh creeks, docks, and flats are where local fishing really shows itself.

Matanzas River and Intracoastal Waterway

This is redfish and trout country, with flounder, black drum, sheepshead, jack crevalle, ladyfish, bluefish, mangrove snapper, and seasonal tarpon mixed in. Inshore charter operators commonly target redfish, flounder, black drum, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, pompano, sheepshead, snook, jacks, mangrove snapper, and sharks depending on the season.

The best inshore fishing usually happens around moving water. Oyster bars, creek mouths, dock pilings, grass edges, deeper bends, and bridge structure are all worth attention. Live shrimp catches almost everything. For visitors, an inshore charter is often the best value – you stay in calmer water, you usually do not lose half the trip running offshore, and the fishing feels more connected to the local landscape.

Target species: Redfish, trout, flounder, black drum, sheepshead

Season: Year-round, best spring and fall

Offshore Fishing and Charter Boats

Atlantic Offshore Charters

Offshore fishing out of St. Augustine is a different animal. The inlet gives access to the Atlantic, and charter boats can run nearshore, offshore, or deep depending on the trip length, weather, and what is in season. Nearshore trips may target kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, sharks, tripletail, and tarpon. Longer offshore trips may target snapper, grouper, mahi-mahi, wahoo, sailfish, tuna, and amberjack.

Several charter names worth researching include Camachee Island Sportfishing Charters, Captain Chris Fishing Charters, Crescent Beach Fishing, Devil's Elbow, For What It's Worth Charters, Long Line Charters, and Drop Down Fishing Charters. For What It's Worth Charters advertises 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 11-hour offshore trips, plus 4 and 6-hour inshore trips on the Intracoastal.

Our recommendation: choose the charter by trip type, not just by price. Ask what species they are actually targeting this week, how long the run is, whether fish cleaning is included, what happens if weather cancels, and whether the boat is good for kids or first-timers.

Target species: Mahi, wahoo, grouper, snapper, amberjack, sailfish

Season: April through October for pelagics

Kayak Fishing

The shallow tidal creeks around Anastasia Island and the Salt Run area inside Anastasia State Park are excellent kayak fishing territory. Redfish and trout are accessible from a kayak in water too shallow for any powered boat. Several outfitters rent kayaks and offer guided kayak fishing trips.

Fly fishing is not the first thing most visitors think of here, but it exists. The best targets are redfish, trout, black drum, jacks, ladyfish, and sometimes tarpon. The best settings are shallow flats, grass edges, oyster bars, creek mouths, and clear winter water. This is not the easiest DIY vacation activity unless you already fly fish. Wind matters, tides matter, and access matters. A kayak can help. A guide helps even more. If you are serious about fly fishing, look for a local inshore guide who specifically mentions fly fishing, not just a general light-tackle charter. Old City Fly Shop is a local name to know.

What Fish Are Caught When

Seasonal Fishing Calendar

Winter is a good time for sheepshead, black drum, redfish, and speckled trout. Cooler water can make the fish more predictable around structure – deeper holes, docks, rocks, bridge pilings, and oyster edges.

Spring brings better surf fishing, pompano movement, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout, redfish, black drum, and the start of more active nearshore fishing. Cobia can show up around spring patterns offshore and nearshore.

Summer brings heat, bait, sharks, tarpon, jacks, mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and kingfish. The middle of the day can be brutal, so go early or go late.

Fall may be the best overall fishing season. The mullet run can fire up redfish, trout, flounder, tarpon, jacks, bluefish, and sharks. Redfish are especially strong in fall, winter, and spring around St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra, especially during the mullet run.

Bait and Tackle Shops

For bait and local reports, use the local shops. They know what was caught yesterday, and that matters more than a general fishing article. Avid Angler is one of the core St. Augustine tackle names and also publishes local fishing reports and seasonal content. Devil's Elbow Fishing Resort is useful if you are fishing south toward Crescent Beach and Matanzas, with boat rentals, dock access, and bait and tackle on-site. Oyster Creek Outfitters is another local tackle option in town.

The most useful question to ask at a bait shop is not "what's biting?" It is "where would you fish today from shore with this wind and this tide?" That question gets you better information.

Fishing Licenses

Florida requires a saltwater fishing license to attempt to take saltwater fish or other marine organisms. FWC offers resident annual, non-resident annual, and short-term non-resident licenses. Florida residents may be able to get a no-cost shoreline saltwater license for fishing from shore or a structure attached to shore, though convenience fees may apply online or by phone.

Exemptions exist for children under 16, Florida residents age 65 or older, certain disabled residents, active-duty military home on leave, and anglers fishing from a licensed pier. If you book a properly licensed saltwater charter, your license is typically covered by the boat – but confirm with the captain when booking. Also check size limits, bag limits, seasons, and closures. Those change, and they matter.

Guide's Pick: For a first-time visitor, fish the surf at Crescent Beach or St. Augustine Beach early in the morning, then stop by a local tackle shop and ask what is working. If you want the best chance of a real catch, book an inshore charter. If you want the big adventure, book offshore – but do it with realistic expectations about weather, run time, seasickness, and season. St. Augustine is not a place where there is one magic fishing spot. Tides, wind, bait, season, and local knowledge matter. That is the fun of it.

Book a fishing charter or guided fishing trip in St. Augustine:

More ways to explore St. Augustine outdoors:

  • Best Beaches
  • Best Sunset Cruises
  • Best Day Trips
  • Anastasia Island
  • St. Augustine Beach
  • Vilano Beach
  • Crescent Beach
  • Waterfront Dining

Places to Explore