Book Your Fishing Charter in Fernandina Beach, FL

Sitting pretty on the northernmost tip of Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach has the distinction of being one of the first tourist destinations as well as one of the first major cities in all of Florida. Historically, this part of the barrier island was always bustling, attracting the French, Spanish, and English colonizers who surely fell in love with its beaches and wildlife. Today, while it remains a beloved destination, it is more on the quainter and quieter side, compared to the more touristy cities in other parts of the state. 

There are several reasons to include Fernandina Beach on your must-see destinations: its annual shrimp festival, its historic district dotted with many restored structures from the colonial era, and finally, its fishing opportunities. With its many beaches, rivers and inlets, and easy access to the great Atlantic Ocean, Fernandina Beach is truly every angler’s dream. 

Fernandina Beach Fishing: Diverse Fishing Opportunities All Year Round

If you enjoy dipping your toes into different kinds of fishing opportunities, moving from inshore to offshore, freshwater to saltwater, every chance you get, then Fernandina Beach should be one of your next fishing destinations. 

Too many choices? Surfcast on the Atlantic shorelines of Fort Clinch State Park, or one of the jetties in the park. Local anglers advise using dead or live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and squid as your bait to target species such as redfish, black drum, whiting, flounder, mullet, sheepshead, and sea trout. 

The city boasts several productive fishing piers as well. Notable ones include fishing piers at Goffinsville Park and Egans Creek Park. The latter also has a kayak launching dock. At both piers, you can easily target trout and redfish. But the most popular among the piers is the George Crady Beach Fishing Pier State Park, particularly the old highway bridge which attracts plenty of fish in its structure. Some of the most popular catch here include whiting, jack crevalle, sea trout, redfish, and tarpon. The south end of the bridge where you will find grass flats that are quite attractive to fish.

When in Fernandina Beach, make sure to fish the Atlantic Ocean. What’s great about the city’s location for anglers wishing to fish the ocean is that it only takes minutes to get there. Just five miles off St. Marys or Nassau Inlet, red snapper, triggerfish, sea bass, gag grouper, and even cobia can be caught while bottom fishing. During the warmer months between spring and summer, you can troll with live or dead bait and target king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, bonito, sailfish, and common dolphinfish. Ready to go further and deeper into the ocean? There you can find sailfish, marlin, common dolphinfish, and wahoo. You can also bottom fish here for some mutton snapper and gag grouper.

Bass fishing is legendary in Florida, and Fernandina Beach and its nearby spots are no different. From the city, you have easy access to some of the most legendary bass fishing creeks: Lofton and Boggy Creeks. These feeders of the Nassau River system attract trophy largemouth bass, as well as sea trout, redfish, flounder, and striped bass in the brackish water spots.

Fall for the Charms of Fernandina Beach, FL

1. Partake in The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival

Fernandina Beach is the birthplace of modern shrimping, and it celebrates that with an annual festival every first weekend of May. Historically, the festival was only for shrimp boat racing, but now it features an art show, live music, fireworks displays, and of course, plenty of shrimp cooked in various ways.

2. See Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island from Up High

Book a skydiving session with Skydive Amelia Island and enjoy the pristine beaches and sights of the city and the island on which it sits from a bird’s eye view.