| Skyway Fishing Pier State Park | |
|---|---|
_Fishing_Pier_SP-12.jpg) Current Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Former Northbound Skyway as seen from the North section of the Fishing Pier | |
  Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (Florida map) Show map of Florida Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Pinellas andManatee Counties,Florida,United States |
| Nearest city | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27°40′41″N82°40′41″W / 27.67806°N 82.67806°W /27.67806; -82.67806 |
| Established | 1994 |
| Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Skyway Fishing Pier State Park is aFlorida State Park located on the north and south sides of the mouth ofTampa Bay. When the original cantileveredSunshine Skyway Bridge, carryingUS 19 (I-275 was not signed on the Skyway until the new bridge opened in 1987), partially collapsed in 1980, due to thecollision of a freighter on one of its pilings, it was replaced by the current bridges. The approaches to the old bridge, however, were left in place and converted into the longest fishing pier in the world.[citation needed]
The most common activity on the pier is fishing. Common catches includesnook,tarpon,grouper,black sea bass,Spanish mackerel,king mackerel,cobia,sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, grunts, sharks, Goliath Grouper, Lane Snapper,flounder, and many more.
Other pier activities include sightseeing, photography, kiteboarding, kayaking, and wind surfing.
Snacks, drinks, bait, and fishing supplies can be purchased on the pier, which has a fee for admission. The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In August 2008, Florida Department of Transportation officials announced that the eastern part of the pier would be closed on August 29, 2008, for safety reasons. Built in 1954, after 50 years of corrosion and wear and tear, it had worn out. The western portion, built 17 years later, were still deemed safe to use.[1] Parts of the eastern piers connected to the western one, as well as unused approaches to the original spans were demolished in 2008. north end of south pier is also closed to fishing as of first of November 2025.
Media related toSkyway Fishing Pier State Park at Wikimedia Commons | ThisFlorida State Park related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisHillsborough County, Florida location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
