At the northern most point of the Bahamas you’ll find Grand Bahama Island. It’s located about 50 miles east of Florida. It’s approximately 90 miles long and stretches 12 miles across at its widest point. Within the Bahamian chain, it’s the 4th largest Island.
General Information
Tourism is very big here. Most of the residents live in Freeport. This city is much like Nassau, but it has a more relaxed feel. On the eastern side, you’ll find rustic scenery and deserted beaches. On the west end you’ll find a lot of old world charm.
Freeport is considered the downtown area of Grand Bahama. It’s rich in commerce, resorts and industry. It also has an international airport and an abundance of stores, hospitals and clinics. Lucaya, aka the Garden City, is a top tourist destination and has lots of hotels and beaches. The oldest part of the Bahamas is called West End. The easternmost settlement is known as McLeans’s Town.
Grand Bahamas is renowned for its great bone fishing opportunities. You’ll have hundreds of miles of awesome bone fishing habitat to work with. You’ll find that there’s no shortage of fishing guides to help you find the best bone fishing hot spots.
It’s important to note that the tides vary a lot between the south and north shores. There are two tide tables for Settlement Point and Freeport. However, there’s nothing different for the North shore.
The northern location of Grand Bahamas is prone to cold fronts from December through early February. It’s best to fish for bonefish in the warmer months —May through September.
Fishing Gear
Bring fly sizes that are #2 or bigger. We suggest using shrimp-style flies in size #4. Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp and Bonefish Junk work well. Also, bring some large tan colored Clousers. Try using Greg’s Flats Flies, and Pop’s Bitters. If you’re planning on fishing at Crabbing Bay, lower the weight, flash and size of the fly. If you’re targeting fish that get spooked easily, then go with a # 8 or # 10 unweighted fly. Try Pink Puff or maybe Lefty Kreh’s Shallow H2O Fly. Make sure to rig it with weed guards.
Fishing Outlook
Located 55 miles east of the state of Florida, Grand Bahamas is the 4th largest island within the Bohemian chain. The island was named Gran Bajamar by the Spanish. This translates into Great Shallows. Freeport is the heartbeat of Grand Bahama, drawing in loads of tourists and driving the economy. Lucaya is also a focal point for tourism, with lots of hotels and beaches. You can find McLeantown 30 minutes east of of Abaco. Then of course there’s Freeport. It has all the hospitals and clinics you’ll need —plus plenty of cell phone coverage.
Target Fish Species
You can catch bonefish, grouper and other reef fish at Grand Bahama. Use a 9 weight fly rod. Fish with a traditional flats flies or minnow pattern. Try a Clouser. You’ll find a lot of Blue Holes. They’re full of various fish species,. You can get to these Blue Holes by wading in the water. Remember to switch to a deep sinking minnow pattern lure when you fish these holes. Permit crab pattern lures work well, so be sure to bring plenty.
Where to Fish
Grand Bahama is a great place for a family fishing get-away. It’s also a fun fishing destination for the do-it-yourselfer. Your best bet is to rent a boat while fishing in Grand Bahamas. It’s the only way to fish the famous white flats of the Bahamas. And if you want to shore fish, there are lots of white beaches from which you can do that.
Plus, there a lots of creeks accessible by foot. Port Lucaya and Freeport are the top fishing destinations in the Bahamas. They are the central spot of the island, and you can find several more island fishing spots nearby. For the best location, stay in a place located east or west of Freeport.
Freeport and Port Lucaya
This is one of the top tourist destinations in the Bahamas. There are plenty of beaches and resorts. The best times to fish this area is evenings and mornings, when swimmers and beach goers are scarce. There is some really good fishing in this area, but keep in mind that the good fishing spots are a bit scattered.
Fortune Beach
This is the best location to catch bonefish on a low tide. It’s a beautiful area located east of Freeport on Fortune Bay. Fortune Beach is known as a romantic fishing get-away, and is ideal for married couples or families. There’s a really good restaurant called Banana Bay Restaurant Bar and Grill. You can fish from the restaurant’s deck. Just make sure your line is strung up against the railing. You don’t want to get caught off guard with a fish on the line while you’re eating.
Xanadu Beach
This beach is easily accessible from Dundee Bay Drive and Mall South Road. It’s within close proximity to Freeport. There are plenty of bonefish. But, it’s also a hot spot for sunbathers and swimmers. So it’s best to fish at Xanadu beach early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Taino Beach
This is a very busy beach. It has lots of swimmers and sunbathers. You can catch lots of fish here, but you’ll have to fish around lots of active people if you’re day fishing. It’s probably best to hit Taino, Lucaya and Silver Point Beach for night fishing. There are fewer people there at night.
Grand Lucayan Waterway Jetty
You can find the entrance to the Grand Lucayan Waterway east of Fortune Bay. There’s plenty of hot spots for catching bucket fish and snapper along the jetty that protrudes from the shore. If you want to catch lots of bonefish, then hit the western corner. There’s a small cove there renowned for holding lots of nice size bonefish.
Airport Flat
If you follow the Grand Bahama Highway and head west of the airport, then take Queen’s Cove Road, you’ll hit Airport Flat. This creek system is a prime fishing hotspot for people vacationing in the Bahamas. You’ll find that the vast shoreline offers lots of fishing opportunities.
East of Freeport, South Shore
You’ll find amazing beaches on the south shore, great for saltwater fishing. There are numerous access points to the beaches. Fishing is best during low and incoming tides. Fishermen come from all around to fish its miles of shore stretches and catch lots of bonefish.
Barbary Beach
You’ll find a great fishing beach on the east side of Grand Lucayan Waterway. It has lots of bays that hold large numbers of bonefish at times. It’s sort of a deserted area, and is peaceful enough for a daytime family outing or fishing trip. Locals say to fish by the rocky projections to catch the most fish. If you’re driving there, remember that Fortune Bay drive ends at waterway.
Lucayan National Park
The region offers about 4 or 5 miles of fishable shoreline. You can walk it, and wade fish. There’s a spring creek and a huge cave system called Ben’s Cave. Plus, you’ll find Gold Rock Beach, which is one of The Bahama’s best fishing beaches.
Bevan Town
About a hour east of Freeport, and few miles east of the Lucyan National Park entrance, you’ll find a small community called Bevan Town. It’s very small, but it has a great hotel called Hideaway Bahamas that is highly recommended if you’re vacationing in the Bahamas. It’s a perfect location, because you’ll be in the center of High Rock and Lucayan National Park. You’ll have 2 main roads that lead to the beach.
You can fish this beach in Bevan Town pretty much all day, and during any tide. Just avoid fishing during high tide. Whether you’re on the east or west side of Bevan Town, you’ll be able to catch fish. Try blind casting into the areas where sand meets turtle grass. Make sure you fish the blue holes as well, using a Clouser. You’ll have lots of success.
High Rock
When you get into High Rock, you turn on the very first road to get to the beach. As soon as the road turns to sand, turn down to the right. You can park your car by Bishops Bonefish Lodge. You’ll have a 2 mile stretch of water to fish. Work your way towards Hideaway Bahama.
Statoil Storage Facility
You’ll find a great fishing beach east of Statoil Storage Facility. It has a 5 mile stretch of shoreline where locals say you can catch lots of bonefish. You’ll have several access roads. The fishing is not crowded, so you’ll have plenty of peace and quiet.
West of Pelican Point
There’s a perfect small flat where you can catch saltwater fish. It’s where the creek empties into the bay. Be sure to fish this spot at low tide.
Pelican Point
You’ll find access to the beach a little ways past the settlement. There are plenty of flats and shoreline within close proximity of parking. You can take fishing refuge here when the winds of the north shore are fierce and you cant fish at the point.
Crabbing Bay
Before you make it to McClean’s Town there will be a road that takes you south towards the Crabbing Bay Cemetery. Once you hit Crabbing Bay you will discover that it’s a prime bone fishing spot. You can also target tails in the late evening. It’s important to note, Crabbing Bay gets a lot of fishing activity so the fish are smart and are harder to trick into biting.
East of Freeport, North Shore
This spot is famous for having the best bone fishing in the Bahamas. It has gorgeous habitat for miles and miles. You’ll find plenty of boat guides for this area. Take into consideration that North Shore can be buffeted or protected. This will impact your decision on where you want to fish. Locals say to use a skiff to fish North Shore. If you don’t have a skiff you can use a kayak. Also, you may want to bring along some printouts of the area from Google Earth so you don’t get lost.
Dover Sound Boat Ramp
You’ll find this road east of the airport. When you view it on Google Earth, it looks like a crisscross of canal systems. It offers excellent fishing opportunities. You cam hop in your kayak and access all the creeks and fish the shoreline. You can drop your kayak in at the boat ramp to hit the east side shorelines and creeks. Or, you can drop in near the little first road to enter in the west. The Grand Bahama Highway stops at Grand Lucuyan Waterway. So take take the Easy Sunrise Highway to Casurina Drive to get to Grand Lucuayan Waterway, then head west onto the highway. Take the very last road heading north to hit Dover Sound.
Water Cay Boat Ramp
This fishing area is popular and has many guides that offer their fishing expertise. Hop on the dirt road heading north to hit the ramp once you’re at the highway bend about 7 miles west of Lucayan National Park. The bottom tends to get very soft in these areas, so it’s a safe bet to drop your kayak in about a mile away on either direction.
Boat Launch Opposite Statoil
You can get to the boat launch by taking the dirt road across the street from the entrance. It’s about 2 miles ’til you reach a curve, and from there it’s another 3 miles to the ocean. You can hit the west side of the launch with a kayak to reach good fishing waters. Or you can go east and head out a little less than a mile to find good flats and creek systems. Make sure you seek out the best places to wade fish, where the ground is most firm.
North Riding Point Pier
Jump on the Grand Bahama Highway and head east for a few miles. You’ll pass Stateoil entrance and see a dirt road that leads to North Riding Point Pier. You’ll find great fishing spots on the north and south shores. Locals say to wade fish for the most success. You’ll find a creek system there. great for kayak fishing.
West of Freeport, North Shore
Stay on the Queen’s Highway until you hit the west end. Remember, even though the road travels in a northwestern direction, the coasts are still called the north and south shores. You’ll find some fishing hotspots on the south shore, and a few flats to fish.
Paradise Cove
This Bahama fishing honey holes is about 20 minutes west of the airport, and a ways past Homes Rock. It’s a good fishing beach, with a unique bottom. Its bottoms has all kinds of indentions and recesses where fish love to hide. It’s also quite firm and easy to walk on while wading. Fish this spot on a low, incoming tide. You’ll find a dirt road that leads directly to the beach just beyond the sign that says Paradise Cove.
Bahama Beach
Just Northwest of Paradise Cove you will find Bahama Beach. It’s on the south shore. It’s very scenic and is devoid of swimmers and sunbathers making it a great place to fish. There are several roads that will lead you into Bahama Beach.
Bootle Bay
This is a good fishing spot, located northwest of Bahama Beach. You can head south and park beachside. You’ll find miles of coastlines to fish. You can catch lots of bonefish.
Old Bahamas Beach Club
There is a very well known upscale hotel and marina at the West End, and a beach and bay. You can catch a lot of bonefish here. You can wade fish at low tide. It is truly a hot spot for bonefish.