Inshore Fishing
Light Tackle, Flats Fishing in Saint Augustine!
The flats near Saint Augustine offer some of the best inshore fishing in Florida! Long Line Charters specializes in Inshore Fishing Trips.
Saint Augustine is located on the Matanzas River where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at St Augustine Inlet. There are 3 coastal rivers that meet at St Augustine Inlet: the Matanzas, the Tolomato and the Guana Rivers. These coastal river basins are prime habitat for a wide variety of saltwater species.
The Fish We Catch
We primarily target Redfish and at times the flats can be thick with them. They’re a good catch year round, great eating and a lot of fun to catch.
The three rivers and their adjoining wetlands are prime habitat many species including Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder and Black Drum as well as shrimp, crabs and oysters!
Depending on the season, you can catch Snook, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, Jack Crevalles and even Sharks in these same waters!
Captain Danny Will Put You on the Fish!
Captain Danny has over 30 Years Experience Fishing the Coastal Rivers & Flats around Saint Augustine. Light Tackle, Flats Fishing is these waters is his specialty and Inshore Fishing Trips are his most popular charter.
When you’re ready for a memorable fishing experience, book an inshore fishing charter with Captain Danny’s Long Line Charters and discover what great fishing the Saint Augustine flats have to offer.
We Are Family Friendly!
Inshore Fishing in Saint Augustine with Captain Danny and Long Line Charters is a great Fishing Adventure for both Experienced Sport Fishermen and First Timers.
Kids love fishing the flats where there’s plenty of nature and wildlife to experience.
A nice day’s catch fishing the Saint Augustine flats with Captain Danny!
Where We Fish
From Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, you won’t find more pristine flats fishing habitat than the Matanzas, Tolomato and Guana Rivers near Saint Augustine.
The Matanzas, Tolomato and Guana are coastal rivers that run parallel to the Atlantic coastline of Northeast Florida. Situated between the beach roads of the A1A and the busy I-95, these coastal rivers are virtually unknown to tourists but well known to experienced local anglers and guides as prime inshore saltwater fishing habitat.
These coastal rivers are also tidal rivers. The waters of the rivers and their adjoining creeks and marshes are influenced by Saint Augustine Inlet, Matanzas Inlet and even Ponce Inlet south of Daytona Beach. A mix of saltwater from the inlets and fresh water from the surrounding land create an estuarine brackish mix in the rivers and surrounding marshes that support the wide variety of saltwater species we love to target.
The tidal flow also supports oyster beds that can be seen peeking up out of the water at low tide. The area’s nutrient rich rivers and sprawling salt marshes also support plenty of shrimp and baitfish such as mud minnows, menhaden and mullet that feed larger species.
The Matanzas River
The old city of Saint Augustine was established on the Matanzas River just a mile from the river’s mouth and its outlet to the sea. The slow moving Matanzas River begins south of Saint Augustine and runs parallel to the coast for over 20 miles before passing through Saint Augustine and into the Atlantic Ocean at Saint Augustine pass.
Along the way, much of the Matanzas River river basin is still a pristine wilderness and looks much as it did when the Spanish first founded Saint Augustine over 450 years ago. Between Saint Augustine and Palm Coast, 25 miles to the south, there are no big towns and only a couple of tiny communities. For the most part, this portion of the Matanzas River has only small private homes, some condominiums and a few fishing camps. The watershed of the Matanzas River is largely undeveloped and protected from over development by the Matanzas State Forest, Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve and several state parks.
The Tolomato and Guana Rivers
Equally impressive for their outstanding inshore saltwater fishing are the Tolomato and Guana Rivers. The Tolomato and Guana Rivers are coastal rivers to the north of Saint Augustine that also run parallel to the Atlantic coast. Just 5 miles north of Saint Augustine, the Tolomato River meets the Guana River. Both rivers run parallel to each other and the Atlantic Coast for another 12 miles or so before reaching the town of Palm Valley. Between Palm Valley and Saint Augustine there are no towns or communities on either river. The rivers and adjoining lands are protected by a large system of state and federal protected preserves including the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve encompassing 73,256 acres along the Guana, Tolomato and Matanzas rivers and the Atlantic Coast. Together with the absence of development and the protected preserves, the Tolomato and Guana Rivers offer some of the most pristine fishing spots in Northeast Florida.
Pristine Florida Habitat!
An inshore river fishing trip with Captain Danny provides plenty of scenic beauty and wildlife spotting along the way. The Matanzas, Tolomato and Guana Rivers have created some of the most diverse eco-systems in all of Florida. The rivers are home to a wide variety of Florida wildlife from turtles and alligators to birds of prey including eagles, hawks, ospreys and peregrine falcons. There are plenty of exotic waterbirds to see and you may even encounter dolphins or a manatee along the way! The natural beauty and exotic wildlife of the area will transform your Saint Augustine fishing trip with Captain Danny into a Florida fishing adventure for the entire family.
So if it’s light tackle flats fishing you’re after, book a trip with Captain Danny!