18 Mile Bridge (BA0442)
Artificial reef Bay County, Florida, Gulf side. Old Hathaway Bridge Span.
What bites on 18 Mile Bridge
Structure in 107 ft on the Gulf coast usually holds: Red snapper, Red grouper, Vermilion snapper, Amberjack, Scamp. What is actually biting changes with the season, water temperature and tide — the day's plan for this reef has the bite window and what to target that day.
Anchoring on 18 Mile Bridge
In 107 ft, pay out about 555 ft of rode at 5:1 in calm water, or 777 ft at 7:1 when it's blowing. Drop the anchor up-drift of the structure by about the same distance and fall back onto it. Before you drop, kill the engine for 60 seconds and watch your GPS track — that's your real drift, and it beats any forecast.
Today's fishing report near 18 Mile Bridge
Panama City Beach fishing report — today: tides, wind, seas, water temperature and the GO / NO-GO call for inshore and offshore, updated through the day. Also nearby: Apalachicola fishing report (43 mi).
Nearby reefs
| Reef | Distance | Heading | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug and Sarah Hough Memorial Reef BA0567 | 0.2 mi | SSW | 101 ft |
| Lewis Allen Brooks Reef BA0441 | 0.2 mi | SSW | 104 ft |
| Zula Lee Cooke Reef BA0439 | 0.2 mi | ENE | 105 ft |
| MB-245 BA0549 | 0.3 mi | NE | 100 ft |
| Courtney Knight Gaines Memorial Reef BA0528 | 0.3 mi | NE | 98 ft |
Before you go
Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — check the current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for the day you fish, and federal rules, since this reef is in federal water. Carry a descending device for reef fish you release.