The Florida Panhandle is known as a gateway to the Gulf with numerous under-the-radar beaches. However, not all the water in this part of Florida is salt. One notable example is the Choctawhatchee River, which moves the third-highest amount of water among rivers in the Sunshine State. This scenic river, which begins in Alabama, flows across the Florida Panhandle on its way to Choctawhatchee Bay along the Gulf Coast and is a prime fishing spot for trophy-sized catfish and paddling.
Counting the Alabama portion, the Choctawhatchee River is 170 miles long. About 90 miles of that is in the Florida Panhandle, the entire length of which is bounded by the Choctawhatchee River Water Management Area. Over 30 miles of that is also managed as the Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management Area. The Wildlife Management Area offers access points in Holmes, Walton, and Washington counties.
Destin, which is on the opposite end of Choctawhatchee Bay from the river entrance, is the closest metro area and is where the water draining from the river ultimately enters the Gulf. Along the length of the river between the bay and the Alabama border are a smattering of small towns. However, the vast majority of the land surrounding the river, including the 57,000 acres contained in the Wildlife Management Area, is comprised of floodplain forest. The river and adjacent lands are home to a vast array of unique flora and fauna, including river otters, bald eagles, and even the occasional manatee.
Catfish are top dog on the Choctawhatchee River
Although the Louisiana Gulf Coast town of Des Allemands bills itself as the “Catfish Capital of the Universe,” the Choctawhatchee River can lay claim to top catfish honors in Florida. The current Florida state record blue catfish, which weighed 69.5 pounds, was caught in the Choctawhatchee River. However, this river also yielded a blue catfish nearly twice that size, which doesn’t show up in the record books. That fish, a 120-pounder, was caught on a trotline (as opposed to rod-and-reel), so it didn’t qualify as a record. It did, nonetheless, illustrate the potential for big catfish catches in the Choctawhatchee River…