Fishing on the St. Johns River: An Angler’s Guide to Fish Camps, Bait Shops, Fuel, and More

The St. Johns River and its connected waterways such as Crescent Lake, Lake George, the Rodman Reservoir, and Dunns Creek make our area one of the best places to fish in Florida. You’ll often hear us referred to as the “Bass Capital of the World” and we wear that badge of honor proudly. It’s widely recognized in the competitive fishing world as well. Tournament organizers such as Bassmaster, Major League Fishing, and American Bass Anglers note its credibility as one of the best places to fish for bass in Florida, and often hold tournaments here.

However, many people also fish our waterways for crappie, bream, catfish, and more. It’s also a great place for shrimping and crabbing. No matter where you’re fishing in Putnam County, or what you’re targeting, there are a few things you’ll want to know. Here are a few of the local businesses that you’ll want to visit if you need to get bait, fuel, or stay overnight. We’ve even asked a few locals to share some of their local fishing tips and honey holes.

Crescent Fish Camp 

• Address: 100 Grove Avenue  Crescent City, Florida 32112 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.4256, -81.5279 
• Phone: 386-698-2444
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Light snacks are available, but they also have a dockside happy hour and food truck on Friday evenings. 
• Lodging: Yes – tiny homes, cottages, RV sites, and a primitive Harvest Host site  
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes 

What to Expect: This fish camp located on the shoreline of Crescent Lake has RV sites, cottages, and vacation homes. There’s a bath house, laundry room, workout room, and swimming pool. There’s also a boat ramp on-site that is free for overnight guests, and is only $10 for boaters launching for the day. Crescent Lake connects to the St. Johns River via Dunns Creek, but you don’t have to go too far from the resort to find some good fishing holes. From the on-site fishing dock, you may catch bass, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, warmouth, blue crab, and more. Anglers are always welcome to stop in at the on-site bait and tackle shop to gear up and fuel up. The public is also invited to their Friday evening sunset happy hour events. If you happen to stay overnight, you’ll also be rewarded with an amazing sunrise. 

Local Fishing Tip: Located right in front of Crescent Fish Camp is where you’ll find Bear Island. The bass fishing is good on the south side of that island. On the east shoreline of the lake, there are some points and dropoffs that can be productive areas to fish as well.

Renegades on the River 

• Address: 1171 County Road 309 Crescent City, Florida 32112
• GPS Coordinates: 29.423400, -81.648300 
• Phone: 386-524-4179
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Yes – There’s an on-site tiki bar and restaurant. 
• Lodging: Yes – cabins and RV sites 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes 

What to Expect: Located at Mile Marker 65 on the St. Johns River, Renegades has onsite lodging, including an RV campground, cabins, and a larger house that’s available for rent. Overnight visitors will find pickleball courts, a pool, laundry facilities, and a bath house. You can start your fishing adventure there, or just stop in if you need to get fuel, tackle, or bait. They carry night crawlers, red wigglers, crickets, minnows, and shiners. You’ll find an on-site boat ramp there, but if you don’t have a boat, you can rent one there. There’s also a restaurant and tiki bar where anglers can stop and grab drinks and food.

Bass World Lodge and Marina 

• Address: 209 Browns Fish Camp Road  Crescent City, Florida 32112 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.4769, -81.6696 
• Phone: 386-467-2267 
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Snacks and beverages
• Lodging: Yes – vintage cabins and RV sites 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes 

What to Expect: Located on the St. Johns River at the north end of Lake George, this old school fish camp has been a staple of the area for over 70 years. In addition to RV sites, there are vintage cabins available ranging from one to five bedrooms. There’s also a covered picnic area. Veterans, teachers, nurses, and first responders always receive a 10% discount. There’s also a ramp where you can launch your boat for $5, even if you aren’t staying overnight. If you don’t have a boat, you can rent a pontoon or bass boat there. Covered slips are available, there’s fuel at the dock, and anglers can also get live bait there. Bass World always has worms and crickets for sale, but if you call ahead, they will special order any kind of bait you prefer and have that waiting on you when you arrive. 

Local Fishing Tip: Just north of Bass World Lodge and Marina, there’s a 90 degree bend in the river. Once you pass the powerline, you’ll see a cove on the right, and that’s a hotspot for catfish. Bass also tend to be found around nearby Drayton Island.

Georgetown Marina and Lodge 

• Address: 1533 County Road 309  Georgetown, Florida 32139
• GPS Coordinates: 29.3799, -81.6278 
• Phone: 386-467-2002
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Snacks and beverages 
• Lodging: Yes – cabins and RV sites 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes 

What to Expect: Georgetown Marina and Lodge is located right on the water near Marker 72 on the St. Johns River near the northeast corner of Lake George. This fish camp offers cabins and RV sites, and they have laundry facilities and a bath house. You can book online or by calling, but even if you aren’t staying overnight, you can launch your boat for $10. No boat? No problem. You can rent one there. Anglers are also always welcome to stop in for any of their tackle needs. They offer an array of live bait, including minnows, crickets, and worms. Fuel is available on the dock and on land. It’s not uncommon to see people on the water shrimping around this area too, particularly from August-October. 

Local Fishing Tip: If you want to catch bream, head to Pine Island. It is located next to Willow Cove on the eastern shore of Lake George, and has been a wonderful fishing hole for years. March-June tends to be especially good for bream, while December-March brings the most success for anglers targeting bass.

Georgia Boys Fish Camp 

• Address: 217 Butler Drive  Satsuma, Florida 32189 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.5547, -81.6416 
• Phone: 386-325-7764
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Snacks and beverages 
• Lodging: Yes – motel rooms and cottages 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes

What to Expect: This fish camp on the shores of Dunns Creek has a variety of lodging options available, and there is an on-site bait and tackle shop where you can stock up. If you’re looking for fuel around the Dunns Creek area, you can stop in here. There are also boat slips available and a sandy beach and fire pit.

Stegbone’s Fish Camp and Resort 

• Address: 146 Norton’s Fish Camp Road  Satsuma, Florida 32189
• GPS Coordinates: 29.5554, -81.6734 
• Phone: 386-467-2464
• Boat Fuel: No
• Bait and Tackle: No
• Food: No
• Lodging: Yes – cabins 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes 

What to Expect: This fish camp was built on an old citrus farm and first opened in 1946. It is located on the east bank of the St. Johns River between the Oklawaha and barge canal. Fish all day, and sit by the onsite campfire at night. There are multiple cabins and most were built in the 1950s. Some are pet-friendly. You’ll find covered and uncovered boat slips available, and the public boat ramp at Shell Harbor is just a quarter of a mile to the north.

Blanpro Bait and Tackle

• Address: 319 River Street Palatka, Florida 32177
• GPS Coordinates: 29.6489, -81.6364 
• Phone: 352-682-0593
• Boat Fuel: No
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Light snacks
• Lodging: No
• Fish Cleaning Station: No 

What to Expect: This bait and tackle shop is located in downtown Palatka at Boathouse Riverfront Park, which is also called Mary Lawson Brown Municipal Marina and City Marina. The park is right along the river and there’s an onsite boat ramp. You can find a variety of bait there, including crickets, minnows, shiners, and three types of worms (red wigglers, grunts, and night crawlers). Blanpro also sells frozen bait such as shrimp, sand fleas, squid, and mullet. You can find an array of Blanpro’s soft plastic lures there, as well as other tackle.

Betcha Bass Bait Shack 

• Address: 124 River Bend Road  Welaka, Florida 32193 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.4753, -81.6741 
• Phone: 386-559-1579
• Boat Fuel: Yes
• Bait and Tackle: Yes
• Food: Snacks and beverages
• Lodging: No
• Fish Cleaning Station: No

What to Expect: This bait and tackle shop on the St. Johns River is located right on the water and it’s easy to boat up, fuel up, and refresh your bait supply. There’s free coffee, and free popsicles for the young anglers and boaters. There’s even free dog treats for your furry, four-legged friends who are out on the boat with you. While they do have worms, shrimp, minnows, shiners (including wild shiners during the winter), and a large array of other tackle, this bait shop is so much more. You’ll also be surprised to find local art and homemade treats such as Key Lime Pie and freshly-baked brownies. Betcha Bass Bait Shack is located near Welaka Lodge and Resort, and they are open every day except for Tuesday. 

Local Fishing Tip: The local anglers who hang out here rave about Croaker Hole, and attest to it being a spot for those targeting striped bass. The locals also recommend plastic worms, but stress the importance of colors such as watermelon, Junebug, and green pumpkin.

Welaka Lodge & Resort 

• Address: 1002 Front Street  Welaka, Florida 32193 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.4797, -81.6688 
• Phone: 386-467-7171
• Boat Fuel: No 
• Bait and Tackle: No
• Food: Yes – there’s a full restaurant and bar 
• Lodging: Yes 
• Fish Cleaning Station: Yes

What to Expect: Located at Mile Marker 50 on the St. Johns River, Welaka Lodge & Resort can be found near Betcha Bass Bait Shack. While many guests bring a boat and set forth on the river for a day of fishing, you can also fish from shore there as well. There are RV sites and cottages available, many with private hot tubs. There’s also an on-site restaurant and bar that is open Thursday-Sunday.

Local Fishing Tip: It’s not uncommon to see people shrimping in this area. According to the locals, if the blind mosquitos are out, the shrimp are out. They suggest following the Shrimping on the St. Johns River Facebook Group to follow along with the latest reports.

Andersen’s Lodge 

• Address: 10 Boston Street  Welaka, Florida 32193 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.4797, -81.6688 
• Phone: 386-467-3639
• Boat Fuel: No 
• Bait and Tackle: No
• Food: Yes – there’s a full restaurant 
• Lodging: Yes – motel rooms 
• Fish Cleaning Station: No

What to Expect: Andersen’s Lodge is located on the St. Johns River and has been welcoming anglers and boaters since the 1920s. The on-site accommodations make it easy to set forth on the river for an early morning of fishing, but even if you aren’t staying there, you can stop in to grab a bite. There’s a scenic deck overlooking the river, and also inside seating at the on-site bar and grill. 

Local Fishing Tip: There’s a curve right in front of Andersen’s that’s popular with a lot of competitive anglers during tournaments.

Porky’s Lodge, Bar & Grill 

• Address: 120 Georgetown Landing Road  Georgetown, Florida 32139 
• GPS Coordinates: 29.3917, -81.6327 
• Phone: 386-268-1374
• Boat Fuel: No 
• Bait and Tackle: No
• Food: Yes – there’s a full restaurant and bar 
• Lodging: Yes 
• Fish Cleaning Station: No

What to Expect: This waterside restaurant and lodge is located on the St. Johns River at the mouth of Lake George. Anglers who make this their home base will also have the luxury of being steps away from the restaurant and bar. Those who aren’t staying at the lodge can boat up to enjoy the local flavors. There’s also a fishing pier on-site, making it easy to drop a line in the water without even leaving the property.

Places to Recycle Your Fishing Line:

You’ll find multiple spots along the St. Johns River where you can find recycling containers where you can properly dispose of your fishing line. 

Some of the local locations include: 

• Elgin Grove Boat Ramp
• Palmetto Bluff Road Boat Ramp
• Crystal Cove Boat Ramp
• East Palatka Boat Ramp
• Brown’s Landing
• Kenwood Boat Ramp
• Rodman Campground Boat Ramp
• Shell Harbor Boat Ramp
• Hide-A-Way Cove
• Crescent City Boat Ramp
• Welaka Boat Ramp
• Drayton Island Ferry Landing

Just make sure you put your line somewhere secure until you get to a bin so that it doesn’t blow away and end up in the water. Keeping the used fishing line out of the water helps protect our abundant local wildlife.

Florida Fishing License Information:

Before you head out fishing, make sure you have a license. Unless you’re under 16 or a Florida resident over 64, you’ll need a Florida Freshwater Fishing License if you plan to fish on the St. Johns River, or any freshwater body of water within the state. There are a few exceptions, though. For example, if you’re an angler fishing in your county of residence with a cane pole, you do not need a fishing license. Also, there are a couple of times a year when you can go freshwater fishing in Florida without a license. The first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in April and the second consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June are designated as license-free days. 

While fishing is certainly one of our favorite pastimes around here, there’s more to see and do when you visit the St. Johns River. For information on shopping, dining, and more outdoor adventures, download the Visit Putnam FL app for Apple or Android to learn more.