Fort Morgan Fishing Pier expected to open in early March
Fort Morgan Fishing Pier expected to open in early March
By David Rainer
For the first time in almost eight years, onshore anglers should have access to the great fishing on the lower end of Mobile Bay this spring when the new and improved Fort Morgan Pier opens. The renovated pier will be L-shaped with dimensions of 305 feet by 210 feet and 40 feet wide. The pier floor will be 8 feet off the surface of the water at mean tide. Actual construction on the pier started in July 2020, said Alabama Marine Resources Division Director Scott Bannon, but a variety of situations caused delays. “But I think we’re on the downhill side. We anticipate an early March completion,” Bannon said.
Bannon said the sheet pile work has been completed as well as a portion of the concrete caps that cover the sheet pile. The old retaining wall demolition work has also been completed.
The original pier was built with timbers and held up considerably well through its 40-year lifespan, but the double whammy of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 took its toll. “It was pretty much rendered unsafe and had to be closed in 2014,” Bannon said.
The total cost of design, construction and oversight of the new pier was $3.2 million, and was paid for with Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money. The upgraded pier will serve dual purposes by providing a fishing venue and serving as a seawall for the adjacent boat ramp and basin.
The project includes steel sheet pile with a concrete platform, railings made of cables, handicap access points, more parking for anglers and boaters and a rebuilt boat ramp.
Bannon said the contractors were able to dredge the sedimentation from the boat basin, much of which was deposited during Hurricane Sally, and use that material to fill the pier instead of having to truck in fill material.
The good news for anglers is they will soon have access to the abundant inshore species that inhabit the mouth of Mobile Bay, including red drum (redfish), speckled trout and flounder. Rock material around the base of the pier will provide protection but also serves as fish habitat.
David Thornton, known as Pier Pounder on social media, is a dedicated pier and surf fisherman. He celebrates the reopening of the pier. “It’s an element that has been missing for several years,’’ he said. “It was a nice venue, especially when the Gulf beach was too rough. In the summer and fall, it’s a good flounder spot. And people should catch lots of white trout and ground mullet and quite a few redfish. It’s really neat it’s coming back into play.”
“This is about providing access to people who don’t have boats,’’ Bannon said. “We know access to water is limited, and this new pier is an iconic structure that we want to have back available to anglers. For that population that didn’t have access to the water, I think this will soon become another destination spot much like the Gulf State Park Pier.”
Pictured: The Fort Morgan Pier will be L-shaped and the concrete pad will be 8 feet off the water. The pier will also provide protection for the boat ramp and basin.