"It's one of the first things you see as you come across the bridge into Apalachicola is this pier," Franklin County TDC director John Solomon told WJHG this summer.
Look down from the John Gorrie Bridge this week and you'll see half of that pier. The V is still missing one side. The side that's finished follows the Apalachicola River out to the spot where it meets the bay, which is exactly where you want to be standing with a rod in late October. The side that isn't built yet runs along Battery Park, the same ground the town fills for the Florida Seafood Festival next weekend. So the open half lines up with fall fishing, and the unbuilt half lines up with the town's busiest weeks on the waterfront.
One Arm Finished, One Still Scheduled
The original V pier was destroyed in Hurricane Michael in 2018. Here's how the rebuild has gone since:
- September 1, 2025. The grant period opens on the city's V-Dock Piers Project, which lists the Tourist Development Council and the City of Apalachicola as funders, $1,670,000 in total, and HG Harders as contractor.
- July 24, 2026. City officials and the TDC cut the ribbon on Phase I, a 350-foot pier paid for with a $500,000 TDC infrastructure grant, according to the Apalachicola Times.
- October 2026. The city's October grant report says Phase II "will begin October 2026." The TDC is putting in $500,000, and the city is covering the remaining $250,000 to $300,000 from Battery Park reserve funds.
- June 2027. The same report lists this as the project's completion date.
That last date pushes the finish line back. When WJHG reported in early August that Phase I construction had just wrapped up, it said that Phase II was expected to start in October and wrap up "sometime in January." The city's October report now says June 2027. Taken together, the river arm is the one you'll be fishing through the whole fall and winter season. The Battery Park arm is a project to watch, and you shouldn't expect to stand on it yet.
The finished section is officially the Dr. John Gorrie Observation and Fishing Pier. It's ADA compliant, with bump-outs designed for wheelchair users and children. That means a grandparent in a wheelchair and a six-year-old with a Zebco can fish side by side at the rail, and the old pier didn't advertise that.
The Finished Arm Sits on the Right Water for October
Solomon's explanation of why this spot matters is about the water itself. Speaking to WJHG, he said the river's freshwater mixes with the saltwater of Apalachicola Bay right at the pier, which creates a feeding ground for redfish and trout. He added that sturgeon sometimes pass through.
Fall is when that mixing water pays off. The Forgotten Coast tourism office's 2026 Fall Fishing Report, published September 25, says fish respond to the season once water temperatures fall into the low 70s or upper 60s. It also says fall fishing on this coast peaks at high tide, not at the dawn and dusk windows summer anglers plan around. For someone who can walk or drive to the bridge on short notice, a tide chart is more useful this time of year than an alarm clock.
The same report says inshore fishing in fall "is all about redfish." It names the flats north of the Hwy 98 bridge in Apalachicola as a place to find redfish and trout. It also says that as the water cools, redfish move toward the river and gather around docks and flats in Postun Bayou. Fish moving toward the river means they're moving toward the new pier.
For bait, the report recommends:
- Live shrimp as the dependable choice
- Gold or silver spoons
- Grubs in Gulf red, white, or new penny
- Suspension lures in greenback or silver for redfish
What You Can Keep This Season
Trout rules on this stretch of coast changed this year. FWC's new regional spotted seatrout rules took effect April 1, 2026, so last fall's limits aren't this fall's limits. Here are the current Panhandle region rules as FWC lists them:
| Species | Season | Slot | Daily limit | FWC page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotted seatrout | Open March 1 through January 31, closed in February | 15 to 19 inches | 3 per person, with one fish over 19 inches allowed per vessel or per shore angler, counted in the bag | Spotted seatrout |
| Red drum | Open year-round | 18 to 27 inches | 1 per person, 4 per vessel | Red drum |
On the calendar, trout season on the pier stays open through January and closes in February. This is general information, not legal advice, and FWC's own pages are the place to confirm current limits and any license requirements before you head out.
The Unbuilt Arm Runs Along the Town's Gathering Ground
Phase II will add 430 feet of pier along the city's Battery Park Recreational Boat Marina. Most people in town know that marina for its public six-lane boat ramp under the bridge. The city's marina page also lists overnight vehicle parking at $10 without a trailer and $15 with one.
Battery Park is also where Apalachicola throws its biggest party. The 63rd Annual Florida Seafood Festival is at Battery Park, 1 Bay Ave., on November 6 and 7. Here's what the official schedule lists:
Friday, November 6
- 10 a.m.: Park opens, no admission charge
- 4 p.m.: Blessing of the Fleet at Riverfront Park
- 4:45 p.m.: Arrival of King Retsyo and Miss Florida Seafood Luci Paul
- 8 p.m.: Headliner Ashley Morgan Band
Saturday, November 7
- 7 a.m.: Redfish Run registration on the front steps of the Gibson Inn, with the start at 8 a.m.
- 10 a.m.: Gates open at $10, children under 12 free, and the parade starts on Hwy 98 with Apalachicola Police Chief Chase Richards as grand marshal
- 1 p.m.: Oyster Shucking Contest, followed by the Oyster Eating Contest at 1:15 p.m.
- 1 to 5 p.m.: Blue Crab Races for kids under 12, sponsored by Fishermans Choice
- 8 p.m.: Headliner Kaleb Austin
- 10:30 p.m.: Park closes both nights
The festival schedule doesn't mention the pier. The city report gives Phase II a start month and nothing about how construction will share the park. If you're planning to fish the river arm on festival weekend, expect the crowds, gate hours, and parade traffic on Hwy 98 to affect getting there more than anything at the water.
Three weeks later the waterfront fills up again. The Apalachicola Bay Chamber lists the Downtown Christmas Celebration for November 27 at Riverfront Park. Santa arrives by shrimp boat at 4 p.m., and merchants stay open late. Published hours vary a little. The chamber's listing says 3 to 9 p.m., while its description and the Forgotten Coast event page say 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Either way, plan to be there by 4.
The Bridge View Keeps Filling In
The pier is one of two pieces of the bridge-side waterfront being rebuilt right now. In August, the Apalachicola Times reported that a new ownership group had bought the Water Street riverfront property that includes Boss Oyster. The group dropped an earlier plan to tear the restaurant down for a marina and a new 150-seat building. Instead, they plan to reopen Boss Oyster by spring.
"The goal is to reopen Boss Oyster in its current state, with the same look, same everything," Drew Robertson of GeoFlora, the Apalachicola company handling permitting and construction, told the Times. The Times also reported that the iconic Boss Oyster sign and logo are expected to stay.
Line up the dates and the downtown waterfront has a rough calendar. The river arm of the V pier is open now for fall redfish and trout. Boss Oyster is targeting spring. The Battery Park arm is targeting June 2027. If the schedules hold, sometime next summer you'll be able to cross the John Gorrie Bridge and see the full V for the first time since 2018.
If you own along the river or near downtown and want to know how waterfront projects like these line up with what nearby homes are selling for, Eli Duarte and the Duarte Team will put together a free home valuation or local market guide for you, in English or Spanish. And if you catch a slot red off the new pier this fall, we'd love to hear about it.
