Fishing in Camp Creek Lake

[bamcon]

What types of fish are caught in Camp Creek Lake? Thanks

[SlowMovin]

The coastal dune lakes tend to have a mixture of bass, reds, specks and the occasional flounder. Depending on the salinity you'll either get more bass and few of the others, or vice versa.

I haven't spent much time specifically on Camp Creek itself, but they're all fished similarly (with the exception of Deer Lake which is strictly freshwater and has lots of bass...and a large gator, so keep your eyes open if you stop there with kids or dogs).

You'll see a lot of mullet jumping--don't let them fool you, because you won't catch them with a rod and reel (although I understand a lot of the true old timers have a technique for doing so).

Soft plastic jigs, gold spoons and spinner baits do well. Typically the water is naturally very brown so you'll want bright yellow and chartreuse colors although a Rapala-type plug that resemble minnows or finger mullet often produces.

If you have kids, throw out a popping cork with live or frozen bait (shrimp, squid, pinfish) and you will almost certainly catch lots of catfish. Not very good to eat, but kids think it's a blast.

[redfisher]

Coming down to Dune Allen for a month in oct...bringing a kayak...looking for some good spots to do some trout, red, inshore or surfcasting ...been told to try hogtown bayou, grayton/western lake and 331 bridge but looking for some extra spots to wade or kayak...is Choc bay the best of do i need to go toward desting or panama city...what about bait...water salinity, etc.

just trying to be prepared...any help is apprec...


redfisher

[wetwilly]

Coming down to Dune Allen for a month in oct...bringing a kayak...looking for some good spots to do some trout, red, inshore or surfcasting ...been told to try hogtown bayou, grayton/western lake and 331 bridge but looking for some extra spots to wade or kayak...is Choc bay the best of do i need to go toward desting or panama city...what about bait...water salinity, etc.

just trying to be prepared...any help is apprec...


redfisher

Many great spots to choose from and others on this board or locals can point you in the right direction. We have a house near Eastern Lake and we have had great luck on Eastern Lake and have seen many kayakers and boaters doing well their too. Redfish, "Mango" Snappers, Trout, and the occasional Flounder are caught in Eastern Lake (2 miles east of Seaside). We also have had good luck with Whiting (1-2lbs) off surf fishing and we hear Pompano are to be had off the surf (we caught some little ones .5lbs so bigger ones are there).

Good luck, stay safe, and have a blast!!!!!

[Smiling JOe]

Coming down to Dune Allen for a month in oct...bringing a kayak...looking for some good spots to do some trout, red, inshore or surfcasting ...been told to try hogtown bayou, grayton/western lake and 331 bridge but looking for some extra spots to wade or kayak...is Choc bay the best of do i need to go toward desting or panama city...what about bait...water salinity, etc.

just trying to be prepared...any help is apprec...


redfisher

Remember to get a fishing license.

[redfisher]

thats awesome wetwilly, where do i put the kayak in?...live bait or jigs?morning or night?...south side or north side...is there a big pomp run in oct...any rivermouths or creekmouths to do some reds...i pumped and thanks...

red

[wetwilly]

We have done most of our fising in Eastern Lake from the shore on the southside but I have heard others say that it is good fishing on the north side of 30-A as well. We used frozen shrimp, squid, and some spoons. We walk out at the Eastern Lake access at Eastern Lake and Gulf Drive. There is a county access there and the lake is a tidal lake so you can get to the lake and the gulf from that access. You can carry your kayak down the access boardwalk and go left into the lake and go right and into the gulf.

We spend early morning hours fishing in the lake and then cross over to the gulf and surf cast without having to leave the area. Also, there is a tackle shop in Grayton Beach that I'm sure you can call or stop into and get more information on where, how, and when to fish the area.

I don't know about the Blues or the Pompano but if you find out let me know. I take the kids and don't research like we should but we wet the line and hope for the best. We have had pretty good luck so far. Let us know how you make out.

Good luck, we will be down in Oct and again in Nov and as I said have a blast.

[Smiling JOe]

Newly dredged Eastern Lake at the Gulf.

[Bob]

Newly dredged Eastern Lake at the Gulf.

what is that????too much sand to let the lake drain????

[Smiling JOe]

what is that????too much sand to let the lake drain????

Yes, same thing at Western Lake, which is now dredged. 30-A may have flooded before the water level would rise high enough to break free. Check my photo album later tonight and I will share a photo of Western Lake's new outflow.

[wetwilly]

Yes, same thing at Western Lake, which is now dredged. 30-A may have flooded before the water level would rise high enough to break free. Check my photo album later tonight and I will share a photo of Western Lake's new outflow.

We were down last weekend and the dredging at Eastern Lake outflow is a thing of beauty!!! We would all rather have Mother Nature do her thing but the county has done a fine job moving the outflow back to the East since Ivan, Arlene, Cindy and Dennis have pushed it to the west and jeopardized some homes on the corner there at Gulf Drive.

This outflow is not open and flowing well between the lake and the gulf and the kids are having a ball skimboarding on the beach where it dumps into the gulf. Fishing is also good on either end of the outflow and we found live shrimp, crabs, crawfish, and minnows aplenty. We were told by 3 young boys that if you go to were the outflow dumps into the gulf and throw a castnet, you can/will catch "shiner" minnows and then go to the lake and use a slip rig at dusk and catch some of what folks were calling "mango" Snappers and Reds.