Zeke's Landing Marina — Orange Beach Marina Guide
A practical guide to Zeke's Landing Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama: the charter fleet, offshore and inshore fishing, dry storage, the dock store, Zeke's Restaurant and what visitors actually see around the docks.
By BeachLoco Editorial Team
Zeke's Landing Marina is where Orange Beach's charter fishing industry is most visible to an ordinary visitor. It sits on the back bay side of Perdido Beach Boulevard, directly across the road from the Gulf, and on any given morning in season the docks are lined with boats loading ice, bait and half-awake families for trips that will run anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Most people meet Alabama's coast from the sand. Zeke's shows the other half of it: a working fishing operation with a restaurant attached, an enormous dry storage barn out back, and a charter office that spends its day matching travelers to boats.
Why Zeke's Landing Matters in Orange Beach
Alabama's charter fleet is concentrated in a handful of places, and Zeke's is one of the largest single points of departure among them. The marina states that more than 50 charter boats operate from its docks, ranging from small inshore skiffs to offshore vessels that can carry dozens of anglers. It describes this as the largest charter fleet on the Gulf; that claim is the marina's own, and no independent ranking confirms it, but the scale of the operation is obvious the moment you walk the docks.
What that scale actually buys a traveler is choice in one location. Rather than calling six operators scattered between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, you can stand in one charter office, describe your group — six adults, or two grandparents and a seven-year-old, or a bachelor party that wants to be gone for 30 hours — and be pointed at boats that fit. For first-time saltwater travelers, that matters more than any individual boat's reputation.
The location helps too. Zeke's sits on the bay side of the beach road, roughly a ten-minute run from the pass to open Gulf water, according to the marina. You are not burning an hour of a half-day trip just getting offshore.
What a Morning at the Docks Looks Like
The rhythm here is early. The dock store opens at six, and the first wave of boats is gone before most of the beach has stirred. Through the middle of the day the marina is quieter — dry storage forklifts moving boats, the restaurant filling up, the occasional dolphin cruise idling out.
Late afternoon is the part worth planning around. Boats come back in, catches get unloaded and cleaned at the tables, and there is generally a small crowd of onlookers watching snapper and amberjack come off the decks. You do not need to have booked anything to stand there and watch. It is one of the more genuinely interesting free things to do on this stretch of coast, and a useful way to size up boats and captains before you book your own trip.
It is also, worth saying plainly, a busy commercial marina rather than a quiet one. If you want a peaceful dock to walk at sunset, this is not that marina. If you want to see how the fishery actually works, it is.
Fishing and the Charter Fleet
Zeke's organizes its fishing into a few clear formats, and understanding them makes the booking conversation much shorter.
Inshore private charters run in the back bays and close to shore. The marina caps these at four passengers, and all of them are private. They are the sensible choice for families with young children, anyone prone to seasickness, or travelers who want to fish for a few hours without committing to open water. Fish cleaning is included on inshore trips.
Offshore private charters are the core of the operation. The marina's offshore boats accommodate groups from roughly six to forty anglers, and trip lengths run from about four hours up to multi-day runs of as much as 72 hours. Shorter trips generally troll on the way out and then bottom-fish; the longest ones go after billfish and yellowfin tuna more than 70 miles offshore. Fish cleaning is charged by weight on offshore trips rather than included.
Shared and party-boat fishing is the budget-conscious route. Zeke's runs shared-expense deep-sea trips where individuals join a boat rather than chartering the whole thing, and Zeke's Lady, its party fishing boat, runs six-hour trips daily and can also be booked privately.
The species list is the standard northern Gulf lineup: red snapper, grouper, amberjack, triggerfish and king mackerel, with cobia in season and pelagics on the long runs. Federal and state seasons govern what you can actually keep, and those change year to year — the charter office is the right place to ask what is open during your dates, not a travel article. For broader context on how these trips work and what to expect on the water, see our Orange Beach fishing charters guide.
Choosing Between Trip Types
A few rules of thumb hold up well here. Half-day offshore trips suit mixed-ability groups and anyone unsure how they handle a boat swell. Full-day trips are where the better bottom fishing usually happens, because the boat can reach structure the short trips cannot. Overnight and multi-day runs are for committed anglers only — they are physically demanding and expensive, and they are not a first saltwater trip. And if anyone in the party is nervous about open water, inshore is not a consolation prize; it is often the trip people enjoy most.
Cruises and Non-Fishing Trips
Not everyone in a group wants to spend six hours bottom fishing. Zeke's also runs dolphin cruises and sunset cruises from the same docks, which gives families a way to divide the day without dividing the group — one half fishing, the other half on a shorter cruise, both leaving from the same place.
These are the easiest bookings to make on short notice, and they work well as an evening activity after a beach day. For a fuller list of what else fills an Orange Beach itinerary, see things to do in Orange Beach.
Dry Storage and Boat Owner Services
Behind the charter docks is one of the larger dry storage operations in Orange Beach, and it is a real part of what Zeke's is rather than an afterthought. The marina describes a fully enclosed building rated to withstand 160 mph winds, plus outdoor racks, with capacity for around 220 boats and a 20,000-pound Wiggins forklift handling launches.
The practical details owners care about: inside storage takes boats up to 34 feet long and 10 1/2 feet wide, splashes are unlimited, and the marina lists current splash hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with pickup from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Security is described as a 24/7 professional team with full video coverage, and freshwater engine flushing and power washing are part of the service. Zeke's notes that splashes may be limited on major holidays because of traffic, that pontoon boats are not currently being accepted for dry storage, and that there is a waitlist — so this is a call-ahead arrangement, not a walk-up one.
The Dock Store and Marina Services
The on-site store covers the usual working-marina needs — fuel, bait, ice and supplies — and it keeps the longest hours of anything at Zeke's, opening at six in the morning and running into the evening. For anyone running their own boat out of the area, it removes the need to make a separate stop before launching.
The charter office is a separate desk with its own hours, and it is staffed by people whose job is specifically matching visitors to boats. Walking in and talking to them is meaningfully better than booking blind online, particularly if your group has constraints — a child's age, a mobility issue, a fixed departure day.
Zeke's Restaurant and the Waterfront
Zeke's Restaurant sits on the back bay at the marina, with indoor and outdoor seating and a menu built around local seafood. It opens daily at 11 a.m., which makes it a natural landing point after a morning charter — you can hand your catch off for cleaning and eat while it happens.
The marina also operates a renovated event venue on site, used for private functions. If you are comparing waterfront dining across the Alabama coast, our guides to The Wharf in Gulf Shores and The Hangout cover the other two anchors people usually consider.
Tournaments and the Fishing Calendar
Orange Beach's tournament season shapes the marina's busiest weeks, and boats based at or around Zeke's are part of that world. The Orange Beach Billfish Classic is the headline offshore event on this coast, and the National Shrimp Festival in nearby Gulf Shores marks the other end of the calendar, when the crowds shift from anglers to food. Both are worth knowing about when you pick your dates — see the full events calendar for what falls inside your trip.
If you plan to fish during a tournament week, book earlier than you think you need to. Good boats are committed months ahead.
Marina Information
Zeke's Landing Marina
Back bay waterfront · Orange Beach, Alabama
⌖ 26619 Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL 36561
✆ (251) 981-4044
◷ Hours: Verify with marina
↗ Official Marina Website
Hours and marina operations can change seasonally. Verify current information before visiting.
Zeke's publishes separate hours by department rather than one set of marina hours: the dock store is listed as 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, the charter office 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, and the restaurant 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The marina describes itself as open seven days a week year-round with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Confirm before you travel.
Who Zeke's Landing Is Best For
First-time charter travelers get the most out of it. One office, a large range of boats and trip lengths, and staff whose job is to steer you to the right one.
Families with mixed appetites for open water can mix an inshore trip, a party-boat run and a dolphin cruise on the same morning, from the same dock.
Serious offshore anglers have access to multi-day trips and boats equipped for billfish and tuna runs well offshore — a genuinely small category on this coast.
Boat owners staying in the area or living locally get enclosed dry storage, unlimited splashes and a short run to the pass, subject to the size limits and waitlist.
Travelers wanting a quiet, low-traffic marina are the group this does not suit. Zeke's is busy by design.
Practical Tips
Book fishing well ahead in summer and tournament weeks. Walk-up availability exists but the best boats and best departure times go early.
Ask about seasons, not just species. What is legal to keep changes; the charter office knows the current rules for your dates.
Confirm what is included. Fish cleaning is included on inshore trips and charged by weight offshore, and the charter office can tell you what else — licenses, bait, tackle — comes with a given boat.
Go early or go late. The dock is most interesting before 7 a.m. and again in the late afternoon when boats return.
Plan food around the trip. The restaurant opens at 11, which lines up with the end of a morning charter and the start of an afternoon one.
Parking and crowds peak in summer. This is a working marina in a heavy tourism corridor; give yourself extra time on the beach road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Zeke's Landing Marina?
At 26619 Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach, Alabama, on the back bay side of the beach road, roughly a ten-minute boat run from the pass to the Gulf.
Do you need to book a charter in advance?
It is strongly advisable in summer and during tournament weeks. Outside peak periods, the charter office can often place walk-ins, especially on shared trips.
What is the difference between inshore and offshore trips here?
Inshore trips are private, capped at four passengers, stay in the back bays and include fish cleaning. Offshore trips carry larger groups, run from about four hours to as long as 72, and target bigger species further out.
Is there an option for people who do not want to charter a whole boat?
Yes — Zeke's runs shared-expense deep-sea trips and the Zeke's Lady party fishing boat, which does six-hour daily trips.
Are there non-fishing boat trips?
Dolphin cruises and sunset cruises depart from the same docks.
Can you store a boat at Zeke's?
Yes, in enclosed and outdoor dry storage, subject to a 34-foot length and 10 1/2-foot width limit for inside storage, a waitlist, and a current policy of not accepting pontoon boats.
Is there a restaurant at the marina?
Zeke's Restaurant is on site on the back bay, open daily from 11 a.m., with indoor and outdoor seating.
Is the marina worth visiting if you are not fishing?
Late afternoon, when boats return and catches are cleaned at the tables, is genuinely worth seeing, and the restaurant makes it an easy stop.
Planning the Rest of Your Trip
Zeke's works best as one fixed point in a wider Alabama coast itinerary. Pair a morning on the water with an afternoon on the sand, and use our Orange Beach destination guide and things to do pages for the rest. Travelers bringing a dog should look at the Gulf Shores dog beaches guide, and anyone building a food-and-entertainment day should start with The Wharf.