Ochlockonee Bay fishing: Red Drum, Tarpon, Common Snook

Target species: Red Drum, Tarpon, Common Snook, Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, Gray Snapper, Sheepshead
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Oct for Red Drum
Second window: Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct for Tarpon
Boat: 5 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Mashes Sands Park Boat Ramp, 3 lanes, concrete.

The estuary

Ochlockonee Bay covers 5,708 acres in Florida, across 2 counties: Franklin and Wakulla. It is an estuary: the deepest point measured is at least 24 feet (7.3 m). Our records hold 12 species for this water.

Mashes Sands boat ramp dock.jpg
The Bushranger · CC BY-SA 4.0

7 target fish, led by Red Drum

  • Red Drum (redfish) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Oct. Spawns Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. Holds in canals and docks. What works here: live bait, bobber, jig, spoon and topwater.
  • Tarpon (silver king) — Best months: Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct. Spawns Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Holds in bridges, rock and shallow flats. What works here: fly, jig, topwater and live bait.
  • Common Snook (robalo, linesider) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Oct. Spawns May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Holds in canals, bridges, weed beds and current. What works here: jerkbait, soft plastic, live bait and fly.
  • Spotted Seatrout (speckled trout, speckled seatrout) — Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Oct. Spawns Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov. Usually up to 14 in. What works here: live bait, bobber, jig, topwater and spoon.
  • Black Drum — Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct. Holds in docks and bridges. What works here: cut bait and live bait.
  • Gray Snapper (mangrove snapper, mango) — Best months: Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct. Spawns Jun, Jul, Aug.
  • Sheepshead (convict fish) — Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct. Spawns Mar, Apr. Usually up to 13 in. Holds in rock. What works here: live bait.

Also recorded here: Gulf Flounder, Florida Pompano, Hardhead Catfish, Mullet.

Ochlockonee Bay Boat Ramp sign.jpg
The Bushranger · CC BY-SA 4.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 24 ft (7.3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 291 depth contours for this water, drawn from 255 soundings.

Ochlockonee Bay Boat Ramp.jpg
The Bushranger · CC BY-SA 4.0

Water and conditions

Water temperature averages 75°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 53°F and the warmest is 90°F; the warmest monthly average is 88°F. pH averages 7.7. These readings span 2016–2024.

5 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 3 trailer ramps, 2 hand launches, 2 fishing piers and 1 shore access point.

  • Mashes Sands Park Boat Ramp — 3 lanes, concrete, parking for 12 trailers (firm unpaved), paid, open around the clock, flush restrooms, dock, restrooms. Panacea, Wakulla County. ~848 Mashes Sands Road (County Road 372), Panacea 32346 · website mywakulla.com/departments/parks/boat_ramps/index.php
  • Ochlockonee Bay Public Boat Ramp — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 8 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, open around the clock, dock, needs repair. Panacea, Franklin County. south of Ochlockonee Bridge (Highway 98), Panacea 32346
  • Brothers Three Public Boat Ramp (aka. Roho Road) — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 4 trailers (firm unpaved), open around the clock, needs repair. Sopchoppy, Wakulla County. West end of Roho Road, off Surf Road (County Road 372), Sopchoppy 32358

Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer

  • Bald Point State Park - Ochlockonee Bay Kayak Launch — hand launch, sand, parking for 9 cars, paid, daylight hours, flush restrooms. Panacea, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 146 Box Cut Road, Panacea 32346 · website floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bald-point-state-park
  • Mashes Sands Park Kayak Access — hand launch, sand, parking for 6 cars, paid, open around the clock, flush restrooms. Panacea, Wakulla County. 799 Mashes Sands Road, Panacea 32346 · website mywakulla.com/departments/parks/boat_ramps/index.php

Fishing piers

  • Bald Point State Park — park entry fee, open 8am–sunset. Alligator Point, FL Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks. 890 Bald Point Road, Alligator Point 32346
  • Mashes Sands Beach — no fee, daylight hours. Wakulla county. US 98 Across Ochlockonee River 32346

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Bald Point State Park Kayak Launch — restrooms. Alligator Point, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. End of Bald Point Rd., Alligator Point 32346

4 of the 8 places listed have both a fee and opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 5,708 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 56°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 88°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.

Where this data comes from

  • NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA Digital Coast — NOAA Digital Coast bathymetric lidar: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.