Little Lagoon Pass
Fish the current seams on either side of the pass while the tide moves. Shrimp under a cork or a small jig worked close to the rocks pick up trout and reds.
Coastal Alabama
Gulf Shores fishing conditions & bite forecast
Gulf Shores runs from open surf to the quiet water of Little Lagoon and Bon Secour, with the state pier anchoring the beachfront. Use the live dashboard for today’s tide, wind, waves, marine alerts, and bite score; use this guide to choose water and prepare before launch.
Primary targetSpeckled trout
Go-to baitLive shrimp · popping cork
Best waterMoving lagoon water
State rulesOutdoor Alabama
Where to start
Gulf State Park Pier
Follow the bait schools down the pier and fish the up-current side of the pilings. Let the sabiki traffic tell you what the bait is doing.
Bon Secour
When the Gulf is blown out, the river mouth and grass edges stay fishable. Work a paddletail along the drops and creek mouths.
Live bait near Gulf Shores
Hooked Up Bait & Tackle
100 E 20th Ave, Gulf Shores · 251-955-5550. Live shrimp, dead bait, tackle, and honest pier and surf reports.
Beach Bum Outdoors
3041 W 1st St, Gulf Shores · 251-699-1822. Live shrimp, bull minnows, fiddler crabs, and surf and inshore tackle.
Call before driving
Live shrimp and specialty bait can sell out before breakfast, especially on weekends and good-weather mornings.
What's biting through the year
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Sheepshead on the Gulf State Park Pier pilings, black drum in Little Lagoon's holes, and redfish schooled up for the calm, clear sight-fishing days.
Spring (Mar–May)
The surf comes alive: pompano in the troughs, Spanish off the pier by April, and trout waking up in Little Lagoon and Bon Secour on the early tides.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Pier mornings for Spanish and kings, dawn trout in the lagoon, white trout after dark, and the beach crowd sleeping through the only good bite of the day.
Fall (Sep–Nov)
The mullet run streams down the beach with everything behind it, flounder pour out of Bon Secour (closed in November), and bull reds run the bars off Fort Morgan.
Common questions
What's biting at the Gulf State Park Pier?
By season: sheepshead on the pilings in winter, pompano and Spanish in spring, Spanish, kings, and white trout through summer, and bull reds plus the mullet-run parade in fall. The pier's bait schools tell you each morning's story.
Where do I fish Gulf Shores on a windy day?
Little Lagoon and the Bon Secour river mouth stay workable in most winds. Fish the lee shorelines and the pass on moving water, and let the Gulf settle for a day or two before surf fishing again.
When do pompano show up at Gulf Shores?
Mid-March through May is the main run, keyed to 65–75°F green surf, with a second push in October. Sand fleas, shrimp, and Fishbites on a two-hook rig in the first trough.
Species guides
Rules and official sources
Common local species include redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead, and Florida pompano. Seasons, size limits, bag limits, closures, and state-water boundaries change.
- Outdoor Alabama saltwater fishing regulations
- NOAA Tides & Currents
- National Weather Service Mobile/Pensacola
Fishing conditions and bite scores are planning aids, not safety forecasts or guarantees. Check official marine warnings before leaving and verify regulations before keeping fish.