The 12 Best Fishing Piers in Florida
The 12 Best Fishing Piers in Florida
“Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend.” – Zenna Schaffer
Looking to do some epic saltwater fishing in beautiful sunny Florida, but don’t want to bother with the cost and headaches of a seafaring vessel or charter fishing trips in Florida? Well then, how about giving pier fishing a try? With roughly 35 ocean and gulf fishing piers along some of the best beaches in Florida to choose from, anglers from around the world can go on a pier pilgrimage to find their favorite spots, all without the need to set sail. Another pro pier factoid for those of us without a boat, is that the nearshore waters of the Gulf and Atlantic are home to a wide variety of highly sought-after fish species, making the pier siren song all the more irresistible!
A List of Fishing Piers in Florida
I hear those sirens singing, but with 35 piers in Florida to choose from, where do I start? I am glad you asked! The fact is with all the various piers in Florida to fish from, it can be quite confusing as to where to start, that is exactly why we have curated a list of 12 piers that you can let your inner angler out and start reeling in the big ones, so you can share your epic pier fishing adventure stories of the one that got away and how “it was this big!” Now, without further ado here are the 12 Best Fishing Piers in Florida!
1 | Cocoa Beach Pier | The world-famous Cocoa Beach Pier, located in, you guessed it, beautiful Cocoa Beach, Florida, has been the heart and soul of the Cocoa Beach waterfront since 1962 and anglers have been casting and dropping lines from its planks ever since. Depending on the time of year you’re fishing from Cocoa Beach Pier and being 800 feet over the Atlantic, you’ll have the opportunity to haul in Redfish, Whiting, Pompano, Tarpon, Snapper, Wahoo, Sheepshead, Flounder, Jack, Bluefish, Sea Trout, Black Drum, Croaker, and Grouper. The great thing about fishing off Cocoa Beach Pier is, even if the fish aren’t biting, you will still have a great time! With 5 delicious restaurants & bars to choose from, there is no shortage of good times to be had fishing off Cocoa Beach Pier!
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Hours: 6:00 am to 10:00 pm
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Cost: $7.00 adults, $5.00 seniors (+55) and children under 12 (fishing), $2.00(spectators)
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License required: No
WHERE: 401 Meade Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 | WHO: 321-783-7549
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Sun Block | It might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many anglers end up Sun-burned after a long day fishing on the pier, make sure you lather up good and often, also if you forget to bring any, most piers have shops with plenty of Sun Block to purchase.
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2 | Skyway Fishing Pier | Some of the best pier fishing in all of Florida stems from one of The Sunshine States most heartbreaking days. On the morning of May 9th, 1980, bad weather and a string of unfortunate events, forced the freighter Summit Venture into the old Skyway Bridge causing a large portion of the bridge to collapse into the bay, tragically killing 35 people; a 6 foot memorial stands there today in memory of those who lost their lives that day. In 1987, after the new Skyway Bridge opened, the two remaining spans of the old bridge where turned into the world’s longest fishing piers. The rubble from the middle of the old bridge was turned into an artificial reef and helps produce large Grouper, Tarpon, Cobia, and Shark that keep anglers from all around the world coming back for more!
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Hours: 24/7
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Cost: $4.00 per vehicle plus $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children (6 to 12 years old). Children 5 and under are free.
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License required: No
WHERE: I-275, St. Petersburg, FL 33711 | WHO: 727-865-0668
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Large Cooler of ice | Make sure to bring a large cooler of ice if you plan on bringing any of your catch of the day home. If you forget ice, don’t fret, most piers have ice available.
3 | Pier 60 | Pier 60 is located at the end of State Road 60 on one of the most family friendly beaches in all of Florida, Clearwater Beach! Pier 60 not only offers world class pier fishing, but also restaurants, covered pavilions, fishing equipment rentals, bait & tackle, and souvenir shops. Depending on what type of fish are biting when you visit, the 1,080-foot fishing pier that is Pier 60, gives you the opportunity to reel in Spanish Mackerel, Spotted and Silver Trout, Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Sheepshead, Snapper, Flounder, Jacks, and more! After a successful day fishing, don’t forget to checkout Sunsets At Pier 60, featuring artisans, street performers, along with world-famous Pier 60 sunsets!
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Hours: Mar 1st to Nov 30th – 24 hours; Dec 1st to Feb 28th – 24 hours Friday and Saturday, 6:00am to 9:30pm Sunday to Thursday
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Cost: $8.00 for adults, $6.75 seniors, and $5.25 for children (5 to 15 years old)
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License required: No
WHERE: 7 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767 | WHO: 727-462-6466
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Live Bait | Historically live bait works best when pier fishing, some popular types include bloodworms, shrimp, squid, anchovies and sardines. Don’t worry too much about bringing bait with you, most piers have it available for purchase.
4 | Dania Beach Fishing Pier | Located smack dab between Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida, in the City of Dania Beach, the Dania Beach Fishing Pier is another fantastic pier on the Atlantic coast, open year-round for anglers of all skill levels. With 928 feet of pier over deep Atlantic waters, the Dania Beach Fishing Pier offers access to an array of fish that are not as easily found at other shallower watered piers, such as Yellow Tail Snapper, Cero Mackerel, Bluefish, Snook, Tarpon, Mutton Snapper, and one of my personal favorites, the B. A. Barracuda!
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Hours: 6:00 am to 12 midnight, 365 days a year
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Cost: $3.00 for adult fishing, $1.00 for sightseeing
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License required: No
WHERE: 300 N Beach Rd, Dania Beach, FL 33004 | WHO: 954-924-3613
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Hook size? | Hook size really depends on what type of fish you’re going after, but if you are looking for something to handle most jobs, you can’t go wrong with hook sizes #4 to 1/0.
5 | Daytona Beach Pier | Next we have the most recognizable landmark on all of Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach Pier! Built out of palm logs by Thomas Keating in the late 1800s as the Main Street Pier, the original pier burned down in 1920, which lead to the building of the new 1,000-foot Pier and Casino. In 2009 the city took over operation of the Daytona Beach Pier, the pier was refurbished, and the old casino building was turned into the present-day Joe’s Crab Shack! But enough about history, what can I catch while fishing off the Daytona Beach Pier? Well, depending on the season, Daytona Beach Pier is known for producing Whiting, Pompano, Flounder, Trout, Sheepshead and various species of Shark to reel in!
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Hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Mar 16th to Oct 31st. 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Nov 1st to Mar 15th
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Cost: Free to fish
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License required: No
WHERE: 1200 Main St, Daytona Beach, FL 32118 | WHO: 386-255-0415
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Fish where the bait is | Before running to the end of the pier and casting out as far as possible, scout out were the bait fish are swimming, a lot of times they are right by the pier pilings. Where there are bait fish, there usually are the big ones you’re looking to reel in.
6 | Juno Beach Pier | Located at Juno Beach Park right off scenic State Road A1A in Juno Beach, the Juno Beach Pier is fantastic 990-foot pier that offers wonderful fishing year-round. The full-service Pier House features a friendly guest services team, snack bar, gift store as well as a variety of fishing tackle, including rental poles and bait. As far as fishing goes, the pier offers anglers access to lovely Croakers, Snook, Flounder, Redfish, Bluefish, Crevalle jack, Cobia, Permit, Macks, Pompano, Sharks, and Kingfish. During Snook season though, Juno Beach Pier is known to produce some whoppers, so make sure to bring you’re “A” game if you want to reel in a record breaker!
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Hours: March 1st to October 31st: Monday-Sunday 30 minutes before sunrise – sunset; November 1st to February 28th: Sunday- Thursday 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Friday- Saturday 6 a.m. to midnight
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Cost: $4.00 for adult fishing, $2.00 for kids fishing under 12, $1.00 for spectators
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License required: No
WHERE: 14775 US-1, Juno Beach, FL 33408 | WHO: 561-855-6185
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Live Bait is Gross! | If live bait is just too gross for you to use, there are a lot of great lure options out there that do a fairly good job, I recommend at the very least using casting and jigging spoons to get started, they are inexpensive and can get the job done.
7 | Edward B. Knight Pier | Located off the beaten path in beautiful Key West, Florida, the Edward B. Knight Pier, known to locals as the White Street Pier, is home to some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets you will ever see. As for fishing, the Edward B. Knight Pier, is equally beautiful, offering anglers the opportunity to haul in Tarpon, Jacks, Snapper, Snook, and even Redfish. Word to the wise though, the pier does not offer fresh water for cleaning your catch, so make sure to bring plenty or just enjoy a wonderful day of catch and release in picturesque Key West.
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Hours: 24/7
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Cost: Free & dog-friendly
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License required: No
WHERE: White St, Key West, FL 33040 | WHO: 305-809-3700
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Drink lots of Water | Being out in the Florida elements and fishing, you might forget to drink enough water, don’t. Make sure you bring enough water in your cooler to help keep you properly hydrated on your pier fishing adventure.
8 | Jacksonville Beach Pier | Located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, the Jacksonville Beach Pier was built during the heart of the Roaring 20’s in 1925 and has been rebuilt and repaired many times over due to its love for battling oncoming Hurricanes. At nearly a quarter mile long into the Atlantic, the Jacksonville Beach Pier and the sea have quite the love hate relationship, but it’s because of this lovers’ spat that pier anglers can fish highly active, deep waters. At roughly 22 feet deep at the end of the pier, anglers have access to a great variety of fish; you can wrestle with Pompano, Black Drum, Bluefish, Redfish, Flounder, Trout, Striped Bass, Sheepshead, and due to the deep water, Kings, Barracuda, Tarpon, and Mahi.
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Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.; 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. Dec through Mar, hours may be adjusted seasonally
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Cost: $3.00 for adult fishing, $1.00 for sightseeing, Free for children under 6
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License required: No
WHERE: 503 1st St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 | WHO: 904-241-1515
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Bring an Umbrella | A good number of piers do not have any sort of coverage from the sun or the rain, so make sure to pack a large umbrella that can be anchored to the pier to keep you out of the elements.
9 | Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier | Another Atlantic Coast pier just south of Boca Raton, we have the 976-foot Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Managed by the city, the Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier offers great opportunities for those looking to learn the sport of pier fishing, hosting free workshops throughout the year at the pier’s North Pavilion. Known for King and Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Snapper, Permit, Blue Runners, Bluefish, Barracuda, and Croakers, the pier is lighted at night, so anglers can reel in some doozies during those coveted post sunset hours.
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Hours: Monday to Thursday 6:00 am to midnight; Friday to Sunday 24 hours
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Cost: $4.00 for fishing, $1.00 for sightseeing
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License required: No
WHERE: 200 NE 21st Ave, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 | WHO: 954-480-4407
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Pack food | Sure a lot of piers have food available, but for the ones that don’t or if you’re looking to save some money, you can’t go wrong with packing a lunch and plenty of food to snack on for the day.
10 | Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier | At 1470 feet long, the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier gives rookie and seasoned anglers alike access to fantastic deep-sea fishing without being on a boat. Located on beautiful Pensacola Beach, the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier gives you the opportunity, depending on the season, to reel in King and Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Pompano, Mahi-mahi, Flounder, Whiting, Blue Fish, Tarpon, Bonito, Red Fish, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to face off against a raging Sailfish! With restaurants, gift shops, as well as bait and tackle, you’ll have everything you need for a successful pier fishing adventure while at Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier.
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Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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Cost: $7.50 for adult fishing, $6.50 senior and military fishing, $4.50 for youth fishing, $1.25 for sightseeing
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License required: No
WHERE: 41 Fort Pickens Rd #2005, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 | WHO: 850-934-7200
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Bring a change of clothes | Nobody said pier fishing isn’t messy, so if you’re deciding to go out for dinner after fishing to somewhere maybe on the fancier side, I recommend bringing a clean change of clothes.
11 | Fort De Soto Piers | With two piers to choose from, a 1000-foot Gulf Pier and a 500-foot Bay Pier, at Fort De Soto, anglers of all skill levels will have plenty of options, and fish for that matter, to keep busy. Located between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay in Fort De Soto State Park, offers anglers the opportunity to bring in both deeper water fish at the Gulf Pier, as well as fish that enjoy calm, shallower waters at the Bay Pier. Depending on the season you’ll be reeling in King and Spanish mackerel, Ladyfish, Pompano, Permit, Tarpon, Trout, Redfish, Snook, Cobia, Shark, and really whatever else the sea wants to throw your way; at Fort De Soto, if it can be lured, it’s up to you if it can be caught.
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Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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Cost: Free
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License required: No
WHERE: Anderson Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33715 | WHO: 727-582-2267
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Bring a Chair | It’s fishing, so there is a lot of patiently waiting to be had, with that being said you’ll want to bring a light foldable chair so you can fish in comfort.
12 | Naples Pier | Another great Gulf of Mexico fishing pier is the Naples Pier, located in beautiful Naples, Florida. At roughly 1000 feet long, anglers will have the chance to haul in the usual Floridian Gulf of Mexico suspects, ranging from Grouper, Redfish, to Snook, Snapper, heck in 2016 a fisherman brought into shore and released an 18-foot 700 pound Small-tooth Sawfish, and it all started from the Naples Pier, how cool is that?!?
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Hours: 24/7
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Cost: Free
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License required: No
WHERE: 25 12th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102 | WHO: 239-213-7120
Pro Pier Fishing Pointer | Ask what’s working | Most anglers are personable, so feel free to spark up a conversation and ask what types of things they have had success using that day to reel in the fish. Another great resource are the bait and tackle shops, they are usually in the know as to what is biting and what type of rig is reeling the fish in.
Check out our Trusty Florida Pier Fishing Map!
Have a Great Time Pier Fishing! Now Get Out There And Find Your Pieradise!
No matter if you're looking to plan the fishing trip of a lifetime in beautiful Florida or you're a local that has never tried your hand at pier fishing, there is no shortage of great piers to reel in some real beauties here in the Sunshine State. And if you're thinking of exploring more of the Sunshine State, check out our daytrip ideas from Orlando, fun things to do in Florida, and other fantastic tips featured in our Travel Blog!
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