St Augustine Fishing:
Grab your Gear and GO!

"St Augustine fishing is a great weekend getaway for us, and it's just a quick drive from the Jacksonville area!"

Fantastic St Augustine fishing is found within easy driving distance from Florida's largest city. A short 41-mile drive south of Jacksonville, you'll find the pace is more calm, more relaxed, and the fish are plentiful! Have only the weekend? Florida fishing trips to St Augustine are worth the drive!

Pier fishing in St Augustine, Florida, will reward you with drum, whiting and bluefish catches. Yearning for Florida deep sea fishing? Dolphin, marlin, and kingfish are just some of the varieties awaiting you offshore.

The annual summer Kingfish Challenge fishing tournament is just one of the fishing tournaments held in the St Augustine area, attracting anglers from many locations.

• St Augustine Beach - 4 miles long, located at the southernmost end of Anastasia Island. The main entrance to the beach is at St John's County Pier, with more access points at city streets ending at the beach. A 4-acre beachfront park has picnic tables, a playground, restrooms & showers, concessions, and the all-important bait & tackle shop.
• South Ponte Vedra Beach - 3 access points are from Gate Station Beach, South Ponte Vedra Recreation Area, and Usina Beach.
• Vilano Beach - Often overlooked (which makes local fisherman happy!), this beach is a hidden treasure if you're looking to get away from the stress of the bigger cities. A peaceful beach, it's only 2 miles from other St Augustine fishing and is part of the 1700-acre Surfside Park.
  
  

  Vilano Beach

  

  © Photographer:Ron Chapple Studios | Agency: Dreamstime.com

  
  
  
  Fish from the Vilano Beach fishing pier, and get down to the 5-mile wide beach, too, where you can drive up and park your car while you enjoy beach activities... There's restrooms, showers, and picnicking, too. Vilano Beach vacation rental plans may include booking a charter, for some deep sea fishing action.

  A few more St Augustine beaches are:

• Butler Beach - not only a nice beach, but it's also historically important. For many years,this beach between the Matanzas River and the Atlantic Ocean was the only beach that welcomed African Americans. If you're in the St Augustine fishing area, come take a look at this beach.
• Crescent Beach - quiet and unspoiled, with off-beach parking, restrooms, showers, and picnic areas. It is on Anastasia Island, and is part of Anastasia State Park.
• Beach driving - You can actually drive your car on some of the beaches surrounding St Augustine. It's a one-way drive, starting from St Augustine Beach south to Fort Matanzas. You'll be charged a small fee, but it's worth it - haven't you always wanted to drive down the beach? There's plenty of places to enter and exit the beach driving; access points and beach ramps are along highway A1A at Spyglass, Crescent Beach, Mary Street, Matanzas Avenue, Dondanville Road, Ocean Trace, Vilano Beach, Surfside park, Usina Beach and north of St Augustine Inlet. However, some North Beach access is by special permit only, and is available only for 4x4 vehicles or all wheel drive vehicles. For more information about beach use and driving permits, please visit the St John's County web site.

The jewel of St Augustine fishing is Anastasia Island. The island is 18 miles long, and has gorgeous, wide, white beaches. The Intracoastal waterway is on the west side, the Atlantic Ocean is on the east side of Anastasia Island. The weather stays a reliable 70 degrees most of the year - what better fishing conditions could you ask for?

The island has a state park - we'll talk about fishing campgrounds in Florida later - and St Augustine Beach is located in the park, along with the fishing pier mentioned earlier. The heart of St Augustine fishing is right here on Anastasia Island!

What fish are people landing when fishing in St Augustine? Florida saltwater fishing common catches are amberjack, cobia, dolphin, grouper, king mackeral, red fish (or red drum), red snapper, sea trout, sharks, tarpon, wahoo, and more!

• Grouper fishing - these fish are most readily caught bottom fishing.
• Dolphin fishing - St Augustine fishing means catching these fish. They make runs in the summer, and again in late fall/early winter. Very nice fish, and are beautiful as they make big airborne jumps during their fight to get away with the bait.
• Shark fishing - Florida waters are well known for the shark population, for good reason. What a sight as spinner sharks shoot straight up out of the water during the fight!
• Pompano fishing - Surf fishing for pompano is a popular beach activity. You're allowed up to three poles baited and in the water, which gives you a good shot at landing a nice catch.

Something very cool about St Augustine fishing is that in some areas, you can catch both saltwater fish, and freshwater fish. How's that possible? Well, where freshwater flows into the ocean, there is created a mix of saline and fresh waters. This mix is called an estuary. Some ocean fish live in these waters until large enough to venture out into the Atlantic Ocean.

There are several rivers that flow near St Augustine; the St Johns River, which is unusual in that it flows south to north. There is also the Tolomato and Guana Rivers that flow south to meet with the ocean.

So, there are plenty of estuarian fishing opportunities; a canoe or kayak is often used to get to these hidden fishing treasures. Some estuary fish you can find are: spotted seatrout, redfish, black drum and flounder.

In St Augustine, fishing is supreme!

St Augustine fishing has your usual Florida freshwater fish; light tackle fishing on the lakes, streams, and rivers will reward you with Florida's famous largemouth bass. Other freshwater fish are catfish and bluegill.

Now, some folks really like to get off the beaten path, and explore relatively undeveloped wilderness. Others simply appreciate the slower pace of the small-town atmosphere. If you're nodding your head in agreement, try the fishing at a lovely little town on the west bank of the St Johns, Green Cove Springs Florida. Located on Hwy 17, south of Jacksonville, and northwest of St Augustine, the pace is more relaxed and it's a nice day trip from St Augustine.

If you're a Florida resident, sometimes, you've just got to get away from the frantic pace of your life, right? You say, you'd love to get away, but can only spare the weekend - Florida fishing trips are the key! If you live in or near northeastern Florida, St Augustine fishing trips, even for only a daytrip, are top fishing destinations. Short on money?

Try Florida campgrounds! Here are some with great St Augustine fishing:

St Augustine Beach KOA
525 West Pope Road
St Augustine, FL 32084
Call for info: (904) 471-3113
OR (800) 562-4022
Email: staugkoa@aol.com

This Florida fishing campground is on Anastasia Island. There is an alligator farm within short driving distance, if you really want an upclose look at these big guys!

This campground is just a mile from the fishing pier. Less than a mile's walk to the ocean, and there's even an on-site fishing pond, too.

Anastasia State Park
1340-A A1A South
St Augustine, Florida 32080
Phone: 904-461-2033

Driving Directions:

From I-95 take exit 311 (old 94). Go east on State Road 207. Turn right on State Road 312. Turn left on A1A. Travel north about 1.5 miles to the main park entrance. (Turn right after The Surf Station.)

From US-1 turn east onto State Road 312. Turn left on A1A. Travel north about 1.5 miles north to the main park entrance. (Turn right after The Surf Station.)

Some of the best locations for surf fishing are: the saltwater jetties at the Recreation Area; in the surf south of Crescent Beach; the St Augustine Beach Fishing Pier; and the Matanzas Inlet Bridge.

The park's full-facility campground is located in a nicely wooded area, and is within easy bicycling or walking distance of the beach.

Island Joe's camp store has just about anything you could wish to buy, or rent, to make your St Augustine fishing vacation memorable. Call 904-461-9322 for details.904-461-9322

Faver-Dykes State Park
1000 Faver Dykes Road
St Augustine, Florida 32086
Phone: 904-794-0997

Driving Directions:Take Interstate 95 to exit #298, which is US 1. Go north on US 1 for 300 yards and turn right on Faver–Dykes Road. Go 1.5 miles on Faver-Dykes Road to Faver-Dykes State Park.

Popular for fishing, Pellicer Creek runs along the southern boundary of the park. You can catch both saltwater and freshwater species in Pellicer Creek.

Fish from the parks fishing dock, and land red drum, black drum, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, and common snook.

Faver-Dykes State Park

NOTE: You'll need a saltwater fishing license if you're a non-resident, or fishing from a boat. You'll need a freshwater fishing license when fishing for freshwater species. Make sure you're licensed properly!

A boat ramp is available for access to Pellicer Creek.

The park has a full facility campground; you can even bring your pet.

Guana River State Park
2690 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.
Ponte Vedra Beach, 32082
(904) 825-5071

Guana River State Park is located off A1A, seven miles north of St Augustine, and just 7 miles south of Jacksonville Beach.

This park doesn't have any overnight camping facilities or developed picnic areas. What it does offer is some quietly spectacular fishing. The Guana Dam Use Area (Main Entrance) is open for fishing 24 hours per day.

We're recommending this park for the hidden, beautiful natural scenery, and the wide variety of fishing opporunities offered. The Tolomato River belongs within the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Starting just north of the park at Ponte Verde Beach, the Guana River runs south and mingles with the Tolomato River.

The river flows southward from the dam past Guana Point to unite with the Tolomato River.

The mix of freshwater and brackish water is created at high tide; the salt water floods the tidal marshes and the consequent flooding through the water control devices of the dam then produces this unique lake.

There's lots more for the fisher at this park; many freshwater ponds; saltwater marshes; a lagoon; beach dunes; tidal flats and beaches;, and much more!

Think that about covers it all...

Oh, yeah - there are about 75 varieties of fish. You can surf fish in the Atlantic Ocean for pompano, whiting, and bluefish; or, you can enjoy estuary fishing at Guana Dam or Shell Bluff Landing (Tolomato River) for flounder, redfish, spotted seatrout, and black drum.

If Florida freshwater fishing is what you love, have at it via boat, in the northern portion of Guana Lake. You may try your hand at crabbing and shrimping in the lake, too. Your boat motor in the lake can't be more than ten horsepower.

The park also has two beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. There's parking and a boat ramp at the dam use area. The park has access to both Lake Ponte Vedra and the Guana River for fishing and boating.

Yup, St Augustine fishing is just amazing - especially if you live near, or are visiting, the Jacksonville area. You can escape with your family for just a weekend. Florida fishing trips, and fishing trips at Florida campgrounds, make lasting memories!

We trust that you have found our review of St Augustine fishing vacations helpful. Please drop us a line if there's something you think we should add to this page. We sincerely appreciate our visitors' feedback!

Tight lines, and Happy (fish) landings!

John and Laurie

Looking for a good hotel in St Augustine? Please see our St Augustine Florida Hotels Review page to learn about favorite hotels of others on fishing vacations to St. Augustine.

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