Fort Desoto State Park Fishing Piers

Address: Fort Desoto State Park has 2 Fishing Piers, the Bay Pier and the Gulf Pier.

3500 Pinellas Bayway,St Pete, FL 33715

Both Piers have the same address and are located less than a 1/2 mile from each other

Phone # The Gulf Pier Bait Shop 727-864-9937

The Bay Pier Bait Shop 727-864-3345

Hours: Both Fishing Piers are open from 6:00am - 11:00pm 7 days a week.

Cost: Fishing from the Fort Desoto State Park Fishing Piers is free but to get to them you will have to go through 2 toll booths. The first toll booth you will go through is $0.50 and the second one is $0.35 so it will costs a total of $0.85 to get to the fishing piers.

Equipment Rentals: No, rental fishing equipment is available at either bait shops located on the fishing piers.

Fishing License Required: No, a fishing license is not needed when fishing from the Gulf Pier or the Bay Pier only, but if you fish from the beach next to either of the piers a Fishing License is required.

Bait Shop Yes, both fishing piers have nice bait shops on them. The bait shops only carry frozen bait and a decent variety of fishing tackle, so come prepared if you like to use specific tackle. Both of these bait shops are open:

Monday - Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm

Saturday - Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm

If you want live bait you can stop just south of the Tierra Verde Bridge at the Bait Bucket Tackle Shop located at 108 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL (727) 864-2108. This bait shop is on the way to the fishing piers.

Other Facilities: Restrooms, Cleaning Tables, Beaches, Boat Ramps, Bike Trails, Playground

Fish to Catch: Pompano, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Sharks, Tarpon, Cobia, Redfish, Snook, Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead and Sea Bass.

View Fort Desoto Park Fishing Piers in a larger map

Pier Information: The Fort Desoto State Park Fishing Piers offer great fishing and fun for the entire family.

Once you go over the Tierra Verde Bridge you will see mangroves on both sides, great wade fishing or kayak fishing can be done here, just remember a Florida Saltwater Fishing License is required.

Once at the Bay Pier you will notice the awesome view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to your left and looking out a little to your right you will see an island with a light house on it that is Egmont Key.

The Bay Pier is also where a ferry comes to take people out to Egmont Key.

The Gulf Pier is known for the amount of bait fish that gather around this pier during the spring and summer months, making it a favorite of many bigger predator fish.

It doesn't matter if you fish from a pier or wade fish around Fort Desoto because there are a variety of fish year round that can be caught throughout the area.

That being said this is one of my favorite places to fish whether I am fishing from a boat, fishing pier, kayak, or wade fishing.