How it matches right now
- Tide
- incoming / outgoing
- outgoing ✓
- Wind dir
- E, SE, NE
- ESE ~
- Wind speed
- ≤10 mph ideal
- 10 mph ✓
- Wave height
- 0.5–3 ft
- — ~
- Water temp
- 64–84°F
- — ~
- Light
- Any
- Daytime ✓
✓ ideal ~ close ✗ outside range
St. Petersburg — Pier
82
82 — GO
Skyway Fishing Pier
St. Petersburg
The world's longest fishing pier — remnants of the old Sunshine Skyway Bridge converted into two massive piers spanning deep Tampa Bay water. Open 24/7, 365 days. Sheepshead on the pilings, tarpon in the channel, kingfish from the T-end.
This spot targets species that are in their active season right now. outgoing tide lines up with this spot.
Location
Tides & Moon
Today's Tide
▲ High▼ Low● Now
🌖
Waning Gibbous58% illuminated
Between phases — focus on tide timing over lunar influence
Major feeding5:06 AM – 7:06 AM5:06 PM – 7:06 PM
Minor feeding11:06 PM – 12:06 AM11:06 AM – 12:06 PM
Live Conditions
Water—
Wave—
WindESE 10 mph
Tideoutgoing
Air80°F
Rain0%
Conditions Match
Personal logbook
Log this trip with conditions auto-captured from the live feed.
Current Read
Why it scores 82 right now
- This spot targets species that are in their active season right now.
- outgoing tide lines up with this spot.
- Light breeze keeps the presentation manageable.
Tactics
Hooks, baits, and lanes for Skyway Fishing Pier
Sheepshead — piling vertical
Live shrimp or fiddler crab on a 1/0 hook with 15 lb fluoro leader and a small split shot. Drop straight to the base of the concrete pilings. Keep line tight and feel for the lightest tap. Sheepshead have hard mouths — use sharp hooks and short-stroke the hookset. Sheepshead are here 12 months a year. The most reliable bite on the pier.
Tarpon — heavy channel
Live mullet (10–12 inches), live crab, or threadfin herring on a 7/0 circle hook with 80 lb fluoro leader, fished on heavy spinning (50 lb braid) or conventional gear. Free-line in the channel current at the T-end. When the tarpon eats, reel tight and DO NOT set the hook — circle hooks do the work. Clear the area — tarpon runs and jumps will cross every line around you.
Mangrove snapper — chum and finesse
Chum with small pieces of cut shrimp and sardine to draw snapper out of the pilings. Fish a small No. 2 hook with a tiny piece of shrimp or cut sardine on 10 lb fluoro — no weight. Let it drift with the current into the chum slick. Snapper are extremely leader-shy. Three-pound test is not too light.
Spanish mackerel — fast spoon
1 oz silver spoon or Gotcha plug on 12–15 lb braid. Fast retrieve parallel to the pier. Mackerel run in schools — when one hits, cast back to the same spot immediately. Add 12 inches of 30 lb fluoro to prevent cutoffs. The bite happens in 10-minute windows, then they move on.
Target Species
Sheepshead
FWC rule set: 12" minimum, 8 per person, open year-round; vessel limit 50 during March and April.Fish vertical and tight to pilings; this is a precision bite, not a long-cast bite.
Mangrove Snapper
FWC: 10" total length minimum, 5 per harvester. Open year-round in state waters.Fish tight to docks, bridge pilings, mangrove roots, and jetty rock. Light line and stealth matter more than lure choice.
Tarpon
Tarpon over 75" require a $50 harvest tag (one per person per year). Most are catch-and-release only.Fish passes, bridges, and beach migration lanes at dawn. Match the bait, not the lure catalog.
Cobia
FWC: 33" fork minimum, 1 per person, 2 per vessel. Open March 1 - April 30 (Atlantic).Spot them cruising with rays or near channel markers. Pitch ahead of the fish, not on top of it.
Spanish Mackerel
FWC: 12" fork minimum, 15 per harvester. Open year-round.Cast ahead of surface schools parallel to the beach. Speed kills — if you're not moving the lure fast, you're doing it wrong.
Snook
East coast harvest is seasonal and permit-based; on April 17, 2026 the east coast harvest window is open.Fish edges, current seams, and low-light bait movement instead of blind fan casting.
Access
- Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No exceptions.
- $4 per vehicle entry fee. No fishing license required from the pier.
- North pier (Pinellas/St. Pete side) and south pier (Manatee/Palmetto side) — both operational.
- South pier is longer (1.5 miles) with deeper water and better access to the main shipping channel.
- Bait shops on both piers open 24/7 — live shrimp, frozen bait, tackle, rod rentals, snacks, ice.
- North pier bait shop: (727) 865-0668. South pier: (941) 729-0117.
- The walk to the end is over a mile on the south pier. Bring a cart, water, and sunscreen. There's no shade past the bait shop.
Hazards
- Strong currents around the bridge pilings — heavy tackle (30 lb+) recommended for anything near the pilings.
- The walk to the T-end is 1.5 miles on the south pier. You will be in the sun the entire time. Dehydration is real.
- Tarpon hooked in the channel can spool a reel in seconds. Heavy conventional gear only for tarpon.
- Night fishing is productive but the pier is long and dark past the bait shop. Bring headlamps and glow sticks.
- Wind exposure is extreme on the open bridge structure. Gulf winds hit unobstructed. Secure your gear.
Highlights
- World-class sheepshead fishing around the massive bridge pilings — they're covered in barnacles and holding fish all year.
- Tarpon migrate through the Skyway channel in summer (May-August). Fish over 100 lbs are hooked from the pier regularly.
- Kingfish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel from the deep-water T-end sections.
- Mangrove snapper stack up at the piling bases — chum and patience produce consistent catches.
- 24/7 access means you can fish the prime dawn, dusk, and night windows without worrying about park hours.
- One of the only piers in Florida where you can fish 40+ feet of water from shore.