Stegbone's Fish Camp includes five cabins and covers approximately four acres of land. The building features a vintage style, which originates from when the first cabin was built in 1946, on the property that was formerly a citrus garden. Some of the outdoor amenities include fire pits, outdoor games, and a seating area, to name a few. The area generally appeals to fishermen because there is a fair amount of opportunities to catch fish such as bluegills, catfish, redbellies, and bass, which tend to be one of the more common catches. The overall atmosphere of Stegbone's Fish Camp can be described as relaxed and calm, due to the rural surroundings.
Stegbone's Fish Camp resides on four total acres of land, with the inclusion of five cabins, some of which can hold up to 8-10 guests. The old-time styled building was first established in 1875 as a citrus grove known as Seminole Groves. The property is positioned beside the St. Johns River, typically drawing in guests who are interested in fishing. The current manager of Stegbone's Fish Camp, Catherine Ricker, mentioned that many guests use the provided grills on site to cook fish fries from the fish they caught during their stay. A few of the possible catches include crappie, copperhead, specs, shell cracker, redbellies, bluegills, bass, and catfish. The property has a fishing boat called SS James Harmon, and it is available for guests to rent. The boat is limited to three people and is required to be booked in advance to avoid double booking. The surrounding area consists of several trees around the cabins, river, and docks. Plants border the outside of cabins near the windows, with many of the trees providing shade for the seating areas. While each cabin has a unique structure, the exterior of the cabins, plus many of the benches and tables, has a rustic appearance.
A few restaurants recommended by the manager include Corky Bell's, Mema's Restaurant, River Pub, and Shrimps R Us. Corky Bell's includes a dock that extends out over St. Johns River and has benches along the sides for guests to rest or eat near the river. Welaka State Park is a ten minute drive down the road from the campground, as well as Lake George, which is less than an hour's drive away. The campground provides on-site activities and games available to guests, such as horseshoes and corn hole. A communal fire pit with benches is there for guests to use, in addition to a private fire pit that comes with one of the cabin rentals, which is for the use of those who are staying in that particular cabin. Inclusively, an area built along the shoreline contains benches and seating, plus a dock with a fish cleaning section. This area is where some visitors in the past have stored their boats during their stay.
The busiest season of operation for Stegbone's Fish Camp is generally from mid-February to the end of June. The campsite typically receives several fishermen and locals within the area. According to the website of Stegbone's Fish Camp, St. John's River was nicknamed "The Bass Capital of the World". Additionally, during the spring and fall the area offers many tournaments. The majority of guests tend to be retired or of the older generation, but the current owner of the campground welcomes visitors of all ages. Meeting new people and seeing repeat guests is one of Catherine's highlights of assisting the owner with the property. The manager and owner both want their guests to feel relaxed during their stay, and they want visitors to enjoy themselves while they're in the area.
Furthermore, guests who visit the Ocala National Forest and similar areas nearby could have the chance to spot animals and wildlife roaming the area during their stay. Some common animals include red fox, otter, wild turkey, owl, pelican, eagle, alligator, manatee, turtle, great blue heron, egret, and osprey. The campground does allow guests to bring their dogs only in cabins #1 and #5, and smoking is allowed on the porches of all of the cabins but not inside them.
With fishing being a leading attraction in the area, Stegbone's puts forth the effort to provide fishermen with appliances needed to make the experience somewhat easier, more specifically the fish cleaning area and dock. Although, if visitors plan on fishing, they are expected to bring their own fishing gear. Several guests have commented about their experiences with the fishing dock. One guest, in particular, remarked, "Cozy cabins and a great dock with outdoor kitchen/ cleaning station."
The early stages of the Stegbone's Fish Camp location date back to 1874, as the town of Nashua was being established. Citrus was a leading force for the area, in regards to economic growth. At the time, the property worked as a citrus grove. Before the Europeans arrived on the land in the 1700s, the Timucuan Indians inhabited the area for more than two thousand years. Even still their pottery shards can be found along the shorelines. Approximately eight miles south of Stegbone's Fish Camp is a site known as Mount Royal, that shows a history of trading from the past, which included all of North America.
After some time, a man by the name of Bob Allender came from Kentucky in 1946 and created a campsite on the east bank of the river from what used to be the citrus grove. He called it "Bob's Camp" and it started with a single wood frame cabin (cabin #3), which is currently still available for guests to rent. An extensive dock was additionally left from the citrus garden and converted by Bob when he added three more cabins and sites. In 1972, Allen Norton acquired the campground and named the property Norton's Place.
In 1998 Jim and Terry Stege had purchased Norton's Place and renamed it Stegbone's Fish Camp. Dena Dalbney and Gary Voigt eventually became caretakers of the property when Terry Stege passed away in June of 2013. Five years later, Catherine Ricker and her son Jon became the managers as they both took up residence in cabin #6.
144 Nortons Fish Camp Rd
Satsuma, Florida 32189
United States
Campground
Allen Norton
