FISHING GUIDE · APALACHICOLA, FLORIDA

Apalachicola & St. George Island Fishing Guide

Apalachicola is quiet, uncrowded water: a big river, a shallow oyster-bar bay and the beaches of St. George Island. Redfish and trout are the main inshore fish year-round, tarpon peak in June, and Spanish mackerel, cobia and tripletail show up in the warm months. Watch the shallow bars and follow Panhandle rules, which differ from the Big Bend just to the east.

📍 Franklin County in Florida's Panhandle on the Gulf. The Apalachicola River empties into Apalachicola Bay at the town of Apalachicola; St. George Island is the barrier island across the bay. St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is an island about 9 miles southwest of town. The Big Bend coast begins to the east, past Alligator Point.

📅 Florida Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Florida Gulf Coast map →

Quick facts

The Apalachicola River is about 160 miles long, starting at Jim Woodruff Dam (Lake Seminole) where the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers meet, and drains about 19,500 square miles.
The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve covers over 230,000 acres.
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge covers about 12,492 acres, is reached only by boat, and is a breeding site for endangered red wolves.
Apalachicola Bay reopened to oyster harvest Jan 1, 2026 after a five-year closure, under tight limits; recreational harvest is by lottery permit.
Apalachicola is in FWC's Panhandle region, which runs east to near Alligator Point; the Big Bend region starts there.

What you can catch

Redfish
Year-round; 6-10 pound fish common in spring, bull reds of 20+ pounds on the beaches in fall.
Spotted seatrout
Major inshore target; big spawning trout on topwater. Closed in February in the Panhandle.
Tarpon
Peak in June along the beaches and bays; catch-and-release only.
Flounder
Bay and surf, especially in fall.
Pompano and whiting
Surf fishing off St. George Island.
Spanish mackerel, cobia and tripletail
Warm-month targets in the bay and along the beaches.
Red snapper and gag grouper
Offshore reef fish; follow Gulf seasons.
King mackerel and amberjack
Offshore.

Month by month

January	Redfish and trout in the river and deeper bay. Oyster season (permit holders only) Jan 1 - Feb 28, 2026.
February	Spotted seatrout closed all of February (Panhandle); redfish open.
March	Trout reopens Mar 1; spring redfish.
April	Big spawning trout; redfish.
May	Gulf red snapper (private) opens May 22 (2026); St. Vincent refuge lakes open May 15.
June	Tarpon peak along the beaches and bays; Spanish mackerel and tripletail.
July	Bay scallops open Jul 1 in the Franklin-NW Taylor zone (2026: Jul 1 - Sept 24); red snapper summer season ends Jul 31 (2026).
August	Summer fishing: jacks, tripletail, sharks; scalloping.
September	Red snapper Sept 1 - Oct 4 daily, gag grouper Sept 1-30 (2026); refuge lakes close Sept 30.
October	Fall redfish fat on shrimp and bait; red snapper Oct 9-22 daily then weekends (2026).
November	Bull reds on the beaches; flounder; red snapper weekends (2026).
December	Redfish and trout move to deeper water; red snapper on select weekends through Jan 4, 2027.

Tips

The bay is very shallow with oyster bars and grass flats; local knowledge matters, especially at the St. George Island State Park ramps (boats under 24 feet only).
St. Vincent NWR is daylight only and closed during hunts, fires and storms; no live minnows for bait, and the interior lakes are fished only May 15 - Sept 30.
Panhandle rules apply here, not Big Bend rules: 3 trout per person and no trout in February.
Scallops: St. Joseph Bay and Gulf County zone just to the west was closed for 2026; the Franklin zone was open.
Red snapper from a private boat: register as a State Reef Fish Angler (free) and carry a descending device or venting tool.

Rules and license

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (St. Vincent NWR); Florida State Parks · Official rules page ↗

Florida saltwater fishing license required unless exempt (under 16, Florida residents 65+, or fishing from a licensed charter/guide boat, among others). Florida residents fishing only from shore can get a free shoreline license.
Redfish (Panhandle region): 18-27 inch slot, 1 per person, 4 per vessel, open year-round.
Spotted seatrout (Panhandle region): 15-19 inch slot, 3 per person, one over 19 inches per vessel; closed February.
Gulf red snapper 2026 (private): May 22 - Jul 31; Sept 1 - Oct 4 and Oct 9-22 daily; then set weekends and holidays through Jan 4, 2027. 16-inch minimum, 2 per person; State Reef Fish Angler designation required.
Gag grouper (Gulf state waters): 2026 season Sept 1-30.
Bay scallops (Franklin through NW Taylor zone): 2026 season July 1 - Sept 24; 2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per person. Gulf County/St. Joseph Bay closed in 2026.
Apalachicola Bay oysters: reopened in 2026 under limits; recreational harvest needs an Apalachicola Bay Recreational Opportunity Permit (lottery). Check current rules.
St. Vincent NWR: fishing in designated areas; refuge lakes May 15 - Sept 30 (electric motors only), surf and bank fishing year-round; no live minnows.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 18 boat ramps and 2 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boat
Boat ramp near Rattlesnake Cove
Highland View Boat Ramp
Saint Joe Marina
Saint Joe Marina Dry Storage

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.