Fishing The St Johns River
Popular Fish Species St Johns River, FL
Largemouth Bass Fishing
St Johns River is notorious as a very good bass tournament destination. Largemouth bass fishing here, has recently been as good as advertised. St Johns River also has a nice population of large bass for anglers in search of a lunker. This fertile lake also offers sufficient cover for both baitfish and bass. Thorough fisheries management by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has maintained a quality bass fishery for some time now. When the bite is good, bass typically move shallow and are quite aggressive. If you find them shallow and they are not tempted to bite, slow down and use smaller, lighter baits. Fishing for largemouth bass is good virtually any time they are shallow - in spring, mornings in summer, and during warm Fall afternoons. Use shallow crankbaits around rip rap. Around grass use worms, jigs, topwater and spinnerbaits. In deeper water, big worms, jigs and spoons are three good weapons. In winter, spend your time fishing St Johns River on deeper structure where the bass spend much of their time.
Channel Catfish Fishing
St Johns River, again this year, supports a healthy population of channel catfish. In Spring, channel catfish tend to migrate toward incoming water, so stay up river away from the main lake. Night fishing for channel catfish often delivers better results than fishing during the day. In early summer look for rocky banks, the bigger the rocks the better. In summer and winter deeper structure is where to look. The river end of the lake is often the area where the bigger catfish are caught. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure in the area. Road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig with popular catfish baits. Flathead catfish and blue catfish also reside in the lake and fishing for them is often good as well.
Black Crappie Fishing
Black crappie reside in good numbers throughout St Johns River, and they are averaging a very good size this year. Crappie fishing is excellent and they are running in sizeable schools. The best time to catch crappie tends to be at dawn and dusk. Live bait and small jigs are the most common method for crappie here. Crappie always like cover and structure, so locate brush and vegetation. Using a fish finder can help locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. In spring and fall focus on the 8 to 12 foot range. As the crappie move deep in summer and winter, follow points out deep, as well as find ledges near channels in deeper water. White crappie, in smaller numbers, also make this lake their home.
St Johns River Fishing Video
Fish species to fish for...
Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, white catfish, black crappie, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, spotted sunfish, warmouth, striped bass and hybrid stripers at The St Johns River in Florida.
Over 300 miles of wandering waterway, St Johns River runs north and south, in the northeast corner of the state, between Jacksonville and Palatka, FL. This is a proven bass factory as well as home to big catfish and stripers.
There are hundreds of miles of shoreline and lots of structure including river channels, ledges, humps and shell beds that hold fish. Visitors come from far and wide for sightseeing, picnicking, hiking, boating and fishing. Many fishing enthusiasts consider this to be the "Bass Fishing Capital of the World". Area fishing guides know these waters well and offer guided fishing trips with the boat and all fishing gear provided. The primary fish species in the river include bass, striped bass, catfish, crappie and several species of sunfish. There are boat launch ramps all up and down the river for launching pleasure boats, pontoons, sailboats, water ski boats, speed boats and all types of fishing boats. Canoes and kayaks can be portaged from many areas.
Primary fish species residing in The St Johns River
Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.
The St Johns River Amenities
Marina: YES
Boat Rental: YES
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: YES
Convenience Store: YES
Bait & Tackle: YES
Restaurant: YES
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Click here for fishing boat rentals.
Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings
Click here for boat ramps.
Marinas
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Fishing License
Click here for a Florida Fishing License.
Campgrounds & RV Parks Nearby
St Johns Campground - 386 328-4470
Orange Point - Welaka State Forest Campground - 386 467-2388
Parramore's Campground & Fish Camp Campground - 386 749-2721
St Johns River Camp Ground - 386 749-3995
Astor Landing Campground & Marina - 386 759-2121
DeLand - St. Johns River KOA Campground - 386 736-6601
Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort - 386 668-4491
Rivers Edge RV Park - 386 467-7147
Blair's Jungle Den RV Park - 386 749-2264
Map - Fishing & Camping Areas
Contact Information
St Johns River Water Mgmt District
4049 Reid Street
Palatka, FL 32177
386 329-4500
Fishing lakes in each state.
080125
The St Johns River in Florida.
FLORIDA
Information about fishing lakes in Florida
The St Johns River, in northeast Florida, offers rental boats and great fishing for bass, striped bass, catfish, crappie and several species of sunfish.
