Apalachicola River
Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties
The Apalachicola River runs from Lake Seminole, on the Florida-Georgia border at Chattahoochee, 106 miles south through the Panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico, at the town of Apalachicola. In terms of volume of water discharged, it is Florida's largest river. While there are many areas of good fishing along the Apalachicola River, the best areas are the upper river, which is influenced by discharge from Lake Seminole, and the lower river, which is influenced by Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
The upper Apalachicola River has good shore access from Jim Woodruff Dam to Race Shoal (0.9 miles) on the east bank, and from the dam to Hwy. 90 (0.6 miles) on the west bank. Access above Hwy 90 is on Corps of Engineers (COE) property and includes a fishing catwalk adjacent to the powerhouse at the dam. Boat landings are also located at Chattahoochee, Sneads, Aspalaga (Navigation Mile 98.9), and Ocheesee (NM93.9).
The lower Apalachicola River consists of the main river channel and the distributaries which form the delta: the St. Marks River, Little St. Marks River, and East River. Shoreline access is available only from the public docks on the waterfront in Apalachicola and at the City Dock (Ten-foot Hole) under the Hwy. 98 Bridge. Public boating access include the City Dock, Gardner Landing on East River, Cash Creek off of Hwy. 65, Magnolia Bluff on the east end of the Hwy 98 Bridge in East Point, and at the end of Bluff Road within Box-R WMA. Private launching facilities can be found at several marinas in Apalachicola, in East Point, and Howard's Creek off the Brother's River, and on Searcy Creek (Intracoastal Waterway) in White City. FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annually stock striped bass and sunshine bass in the lower river.
For more information contact Riverview Bait & Tackle (850-663-2462) in Chattahoochee, Bay City Marina (850-653-9294) or Scipio Creek Marina (850-653-8030) in Apalachicola, and Fisherman's Choice (850-670-8808) in Eastpoint.
UPPER APALACHICOLA RIVER (Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun, Liberty, Franklin, and Gulf counties): Striped Bass and Sunshine Bass fishing will taper off as larger fish seek cool water refuge during the heat of the summer. The reservoir above Lake Seminole are full, and rainfall in Georgia should allow plenty of water to pass through the Jim Woodruff Dam which will help cool the water and allow access to refuge for stripers and hybrids. Smaller hybrids and stripers will continue to school in the river throughout the summer, particularly along submerged sandbars in the early morning. As water temperatures rise, target Largemouth Bass and panfish deeper channels for the best chance at success. Flathead Catfish fishing should be excellent this quarter and should be targeted with live bream or shad in deep water structure during the day and adjacent shallow sand bars at night.
LOWER APALACHICOLA RIVER (Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties): Stripers and Sunshine Bass continued to school in the lower river through June, and can be found as far upstream as the Pinhook. Look for schooling to continue in this area, although numbers will decline through the summer as larger fish move out of the lower river in search of cool water. The East, St. Marks, and Little St. Marks rivers will be productive this time of year. As water flow increases with the rainy season in July and August, the mixing zone will move further downstream, and fish will move to the river mouths and out into the channels in the bays. In dry years with little rainfall, anglers should move upstream to find a better mix of fresh and saltwater. Fish the slack or outgoing tides for the best results. Low flow allows Sea Trout, Redfish, and Tarpon to move into the river channels while simultaneously pushing Largemouth Bass and panfish back into creeks, especially in Lake Wimico, as they look to avoid saltwater influence.
Popular Species
Fish graphics by Duane Raver, Jr.
More species information is available for:
Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Redear sunfish, Sunshine bass, Striped bass
TrophyCatch Tracker
TrophyCatch is FWC's citizen-science program that rewards anglers for documenting and releasing trophy bass 8 pounds or larger. The following TrophyCatch bass have been submitted from the Apalachicola River:
Lunker Club (8 – 9.9 pounds): 1