Slot-sized redfish taken from the Suwannee system's myriad creeks.

On the way into Salt Creek, you pass Bradford Island on your right. If you take a look at a chart or USGS Quad map, you’ll notice a creek running through the middle of it. This is Powerline Creek. The best access, however, is from the main river. Heading out from either Miller’s or Suwannee Marina, take a right at the end of the last seawall and dock. Take the first left, and you’re in the creek. Take it easy here. This is a slow-speed area, and you don’t want to spook the fish or disturb the residents of the nearby homes. This is a small-boat creek, too, and it’s worth fishing the deeper curves. Many anglers claim that this is the first place the trout head when they leave the deep holes in the Suwannee, which happen to be just outside the turn you made into the creek.

One of the most popular local creeks is Dan May Creek. It’s best reached by running upriver to East Pass (which actually runs south) and going almost to the Gulf. This is a deep river pass, and common-sense navigation will get you through it easily. Don’t run out the pass unless you know exactly what you’re doing or you’ll suddenly find some shallow bars. Dan May is a big creek, and boats in the 23- to 25-foot class are often seen here on days when it’s too windy to fish offshore. There also don’t seem to be any speed limits, so don’t be surprised to see a local angler dodging bars at a pretty good clip. Fishing here is good from the creekmouth all the way back to where the fresh water from the river slows the tide. It’s not unusual to find bass fishermen making good catches in the upper reaches of Dan May Creek.

Just around the corner, to the south, are Barnett Creek, Big Trout Creek and Little (Li’l) Trout Creek. With some care to follow the shoreline along the grass and not approach these creeks head-on, you’ll also find slightly saltier water. On some days, I think this has a positive effect on fishing, particularly as the water warms up toward spring. These creeks also have lots of scattered oyster beds and mud bars, which warm up on sunny days and attract bait and gamefish as the tide comes in. Try these three creeks on a day when the high tide is in the midafternoon, and you’ll do well.

If you’ve satisfied yourself with the southern Gulf creeks, you’ll probably want to spend some time exploring Moccasin and Hog Island creeks. Both of these run from the Gulf behind Halfmoon Reef. These small-boat creeks hold lots of fish, and Moccasin has some great oyster bars inside its mouth. The West, or Alligator, Pass of the Suwannee will get you outside the river, but I recommend that folks run close to shore, slow and easy, north from the entrance of East Pass in order to reach these two creeks.

Red-scaled holgraph plug, the latest rage.

Fishing maps and charts really aren’t much use once you head north from the entrance of the Suwannee. The main channel, or McGriff Channel, runs slightly north of west from the main river. It’s a dredged channel, but does have a shallow spot or two where it cuts through the Suwannee Reef. I recommend that newcomers run out to McGriff No. 1 and head roughly northwest. Then, make your approach to your target creek from the Gulf, taking care to run the last half-mile or so at slow speed. Be on the lookout, too, for non-charted stakes marking the boundaries of clam lease areas and try to steer clear of these aquaculture sites. Larger stakes usually mark the corners. Suwannee locals and veterans run close to shore, but they know where the bars are!