About Pumpkin Hill Creek, FL

Pumpkin Hill Creek is a fishing area located within the Preserve State Park in Jacksonville, Florida. The creek spans 5,600 acres of the conservation area and can be accessed via a canoe or a kayak offered at the park. Anglers bringing their boats can access the creek via the trails overlooking the creek. Marsh waters surround the stream, and like any lake in Florida, it has brownish waters.

The creek connects to the Nassau River, St. John’s River, and Edwards Creek and surrounds Black Hammock Island. Since Pumpkin Hill Creek is linked with different water bodies, the tides change differently.

All About Fishing in Pumpkin Hill Creek, FL

The Preserve State Park allows anglers in Pumpkin Hill Creek, as long as they bring a Florida fishing license with them, and follow the park’s fishing regulations. You can hire a guide to show you the famous fishing spots for that day, or you can explore by yourself. Make it a point to come back before sundown because the park closes by then. Before planning a fishing trip in Pumpkin Hill Creek, make sure to get the most up-to-date fishing and weather reports. Strong winds tend to set boats adrift towards the other connected water bodies, and it might be hard to paddle out of it. 

On top of that, there are no fees to enter the park and access the fishing areas of Pumpkin Hill Creek. So you can spend your fishing trip budget on live baits, good fishing rods, and drinks or snacks while you are fishing. Anglers can expect an abundance of red drum, spotted seatrout, largemouth bass, and black drum from the waters of Pumpkin Hill Creek. 

Fishing in Pumpkin Hill Creek will also offer you a scenic view of what North Florida looked like during the time of Spanish missionaries. The marsh waters sheltering schools of fish beneath its grass are perfect for anglers accustomed to fishing in shallow waters. Humps and ledges filled with grass or seaweeds are where anglers can usually find large schools of fish and can easily set up live bait to get a good catch.

Fishing Seasonality

Do not miss the summer season or from June until September to fish in Pumpkin Hill Creek because warmer temperatures and sunny weather cause the marsh water to be clearer and schools of fish to be more visible even when swimming among the vegetation. 

Anglers can start to fish as early as 8 am in Pumpkin Hill Creek as this is the time when the sun is rising, and the park is not yet crowded. If you get in there late in the afternoon, you can still expect a good catch until sundown as long as you set your bait towards the wind so that the scent of your lure will attract the fish quickly. 

As winter comes, or when it is early December up to February, the fish found in Pumpkin Hill Creek tend to weigh more but may be harder to catch as strong winds make it harder to set up bait. During this season, it is recommended to fish in deeper waters and use baits that have a strong smell, such as shrimp or live worms.

Fishing Seasonality

Do not miss the summer season or from June until September to fish in Pumpkin Hill Creek because warmer temperatures and sunny weather cause the marsh water to be clearer and schools of fish to be more visible even when swimming among the vegetation. 

Anglers can start to fish as early as 8 am in Pumpkin Hill Creek as this is the time when the sun is rising, and the park is not yet crowded. If you get in there late in the afternoon, you can still expect a good catch until sundown as long as you set your bait towards the wind so that the scent of your lure will attract the fish quickly. 

As winter comes, or when it is early December up to February, the fish found in Pumpkin Hill Creek tend to weigh more but may be harder to catch as strong winds make it harder to set up bait. During this season, it is recommended to fish in deeper waters and use baits that have a strong smell, such as shrimp or live worms.

All About Fishing in Pumpkin Hill Creek, FL

The Preserve State Park allows anglers in Pumpkin Hill Creek, as long as they bring a Florida fishing license with them, and follow the park’s fishing regulations. You can hire a guide to show you the famous fishing spots for that day, or you can explore by yourself. Make it a point to come back before sundown because the park closes by then. Before planning a fishing trip in Pumpkin Hill Creek, make sure to get the most up-to-date fishing and weather reports. Strong winds tend to set boats adrift towards the other connected water bodies, and it might be hard to paddle out of it. 

On top of that, there are no fees to enter the park and access the fishing areas of Pumpkin Hill Creek. So you can spend your fishing trip budget on live baits, good fishing rods, and drinks or snacks while you are fishing. Anglers can expect an abundance of red drum, spotted seatrout, largemouth bass, and black drum from the waters of Pumpkin Hill Creek. 

Fishing in Pumpkin Hill Creek will also offer you a scenic view of what North Florida looked like during the time of Spanish missionaries. The marsh waters sheltering schools of fish beneath its grass are perfect for anglers accustomed to fishing in shallow waters. Humps and ledges filled with grass or seaweeds are where anglers can usually find large schools of fish and can easily set up live bait to get a good catch.