Explore · Bay & Fishing
Three community fishing docks on Boca Ciega Bay — dolphins in the channel, pelicans on the pilings, and boats moving under the bridge.
Boca Ciega Bay
Unit 320H sits inside a gated yacht club that actually uses its docks. Morning coffee on the pier is a real ritual here — not a brochure line. The basin is protected water: calmer than the Gulf, full of birds, and close enough that you can fish in shorts and be back in the pool by lunch.
Want a bigger day? John’s Pass charters leave for nearshore grouper, offshore, or a sunset dolphin cruise — six minutes in the car, or a longer walk if you travel light.
The yacht basin
These photos are the Yacht Club and Boca Ciega — the same water you see from the grounds, not a jungle river or an industrial harbor.
From the pier
You do not need a 30-foot center console to have a fishing week. Live shrimp from a nearby bait shop and a simple rig cover most guest mornings.
Mangrove snapper and spotted seatrout are the usual “I actually caught something” fish. Snook show up around structure and the bridge shadow. Sheepshead like the pilings in cooler months. Redfish cruise the flats on higher tides.
Moving water is better than slack. Dawn and the last hour of light are the docks at their best — fewer people, more baitfish, and the boat parade heading home. Summer afternoons are for the pool; the bay lights up again after the thunder.
John’s Pass
Hubbard’s and the other Pass operators run half-day nearshore, longer offshore, and family-friendly dolphin / sunset trips. Book ahead for spring break, holidays, and any Saturday in season. Tell them you’re staying at Madeira Beach Yacht Club — they know the six-minute drive.
Slips are for members. The Yacht Club is a real yacht club. Overnight slip access is not a guest amenity. You fish the community piers, launch from public ramps, or hire a Pass captain.
No rod required
Pelicans crash-dive the channel. Osprey nest on the lights. Manatees ghost through in warmer months if you watch the shadows under the docks. Dolphins roll through on a moving tide more often than first-time guests expect. Bring binoculars if you have them; a phone works.
Licenses & manners
A Florida saltwater license is easy online (the FWC site). Clean up every scale and shrimp bag. Watch backcasts — these piers are shared with people who came to sit. Keep music low after dusk. If you keep fish, follow the current slot limits; they change.
The directory
Fish the Yacht Club piers for free. Everything else is a booking or a drive. Local = John’s Pass. Distant = St. Pete Beach, Fort De Soto, Weedon, Egmont.
Walk or under 10 min
Madeira Beach, John’s Pass, and the Yacht Club grounds — the stuff you can do without leaving the island.
Guest fishing piers
Three community docks on Boca Ciega Bay. Coffee, a light spinning rod, dolphins in the channel. Slips are for members — guests fish the piers.
Madeira Beach Yacht Club, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Required for most anglers
Most visitors need a recreational saltwater license. Buy it before you hit the dock. Shore fishing exemptions exist — read the current FWC rules.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Official purchase
The state storefront for recreational licenses. Do this Saturday after check-in if you packed a rod.
Go Outdoors Florida
Charters, party boats, cruises
Family-run at John’s Pass since 1928. 5- to 44-hour party boats, private charters, dolphin eco tours, sunset cruises, Shell Key, Egmont Key ferry.
170 Boardwalk Pl E, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Island day
Boat from John’s Pass to Egmont Key — lighthouse, ruins, beach, and no cars. Book on Hubbard’s site. Weather cancels.
170 Boardwalk Pl E, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Bait + fresh catch
Live shrimp and the fish you wish you had caught. Village listing for current hours.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Self-drive boats
When you want a wheel in your hands, not a captain. Village page for rates and what you need to bring.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Jet ski / parasail / rentals
The loud, splashy half-day. Book ahead on holiday weeks.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Tiki boat, kayak, SUP
Captained tiki and pontoon trips plus kayak/SUP rentals on the Intracoastal. Local operator, not a national desk.
John’s Pass / Madeira Beach, FL
Dolphin cruise
Sightseeing dolphin trip from the village. Combine with shops so you only park once.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Parasail
The aerial view of the pass and the Gulf. Weather and weight limits apply — read their listing.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Family cruise
The kids’ outing: a pirate-themed cruise from the village. Book on peak weeks.
John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Marina town
The working inlet: charters, bait, shops, decks. Official village directory for who is open this week.
12945 Village Blvd, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
10–20 minutes
Treasure Island, Indian Shores, St. Pete Beach, and Pass-a-Grille. A real outing, home for dinner.
25–50 minutes
Clearwater, downtown St. Pete, Fort De Soto, Tampa, Tarpon Springs. Pick one. Don’t stack two.
Bay + Gulf piers
Two long piers — one on the bay, one on the Gulf. License still applies. Combine with the beach, not with downtown St. Pete.
3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Kayak shop + rentals
Serious paddling shop. Rentals and Weedon Island access — mangroves, not a village novelty ride.
235 15th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Mangrove paddling / boardwalk
Boardwalks, birds, and kayak trails through mangrove. The opposite energy of John’s Pass.
1800 Weedon Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Island (boat only)
Lighthouse, brick fort ruins, open beach, no cars. Reach it on Hubbard’s ferry from John’s Pass.
Egmont Key State Park, FL
Hours change. Kitchens change hands. Every card has a map. Website links go to the official page when we have one — check it before you drive.
Keep exploring
150 yards
The Gulf of Mexico across Gulf Boulevard — Madeira’s own sand, not a stock beach from somewhere else.
Walkable
Waterfront decks at John’s Pass, Gulf Blvd casual, and the kitchen in 320H.
John’s Pass
The painted shops of John’s Pass Village — the actual boardwalk, six minutes south.
Day trips
John’s Pass, Treasure Island, Pier 60, downtown St. Pete, and Fort De Soto.
Full-day
Busch Gardens, ZooTampa, LEGOLAND, Disney, Universal & SeaWorld — map, drive times, tickets & logistics.
Request a Saturday week and we’ll hold the condo if the dates are open.
