Pompano Beach Pier: the Fisher Family Pier guide

About the pier

The Pompano Beach Pier, officially the Fisher Family Pier, reaches almost 900 feet into the Atlantic near the east end of Atlantic Boulevard. The old pier was rebuilt and reopened in 2020, and the new one ends in a wide platform shaped like a pompano, the fish the city is named for. You can see the outline clearly in aerial photos.

The name honors the Fisher family and their more than 100 years of civic service in Pompano Beach. Near the pier you will also find the First Marine Amphibious Landing Monument, which commemorates the Continental Marines’ 1776 amphibious landing on foreign soil.

Walking the pier

Sightseeing on the pier is free. Walk out early and you will share it with anglers and pelicans. The end of the pier is the best place on this part of the coast to watch the sun come up out of the ocean. See our sunrise guide for timing tips.

The city lists the pier as open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM. On some event days, such as the Fourth of July fireworks, it closes, so check the city’s pier page before you go.

Fishing from the pier

Anglers pay a daily fishing fee, and you do not need a Florida fishing license to fish from the pier. The bait shop sells bait, food and drinks, and rents rods if you did not bring your own. There is a limit of three rods per person, and children 10 and under need a guardian with them.

What bites depends on the season and the water, so ask at the bait shop what has been running that week. Our pier fishing guide goes deeper on tackle and timing.

Pier fees, hours and rod rental options are set by the City of Pompano Beach and can change. Check the city’s Fisher Family Pier page before you go.

Pier rules worth knowing

The city posts a list of prohibited activities. The ones that catch visitors out most often:

• No bare feet on the pier, so bring sandals.
• No bicycles, skateboards or rollerblades. There is a bike rack at the entrance.
• No animals on the pier.
• No diving or jumping, and no climbing or sitting on the rails.
• No glass, straws or Styrofoam.
• No shark fishing and no netting fish or sea life.

Parking at the pier

There is a pier parking garage plus metered street parking around the pier area. On busy weekends and event days the garage fills, and event rates can be higher than usual. If you are staying with us, the easiest plan is to leave the car in your free space at Pompano Breeze. Our parking page has the details.

Around the pier

The blocks around the pier have filled in over the last few years with restaurants, a garage and an open lawn where the city holds events, including its Fourth of July fireworks. For a meal before or after, see our list of restaurants near Pompano Beach Pier. If you want a longer outing, head north to the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, or compare it with the longer pier up the coast in Deerfield Beach.

Tips for a good pier visit

• Go at sunrise for photos and the coolest air of the day.
• Bring a hat and water. There is little shade on the deck.
• Watch the rails on windy days, as spray and slick boards are common.
• If you fish, bring a towel and a small cooler for your bait.

Visiting with kids

The pier is a good outing for children, as long as you set a few rules first. Keep little ones away from the rails and the anglers’ lines, and bring closed shoes or sandals, since bare feet are not allowed. Children 10 and under who fish must have a guardian with them. A rental rod and a bucket of bait from the shop is an easy way to try fishing without buying gear. Kids love watching anglers pull in a catch even if they never hold a rod themselves.

Go early or late in the day in summer. The deck heats up at midday and there is little shade on the walk out.

The pier after dark

The pier stays open into the evening, and the lights over the water draw a different crowd of anglers. A walk out at dusk, when the beach empties and the sky turns pink over the town behind you, is one of the nicest free things to do in Pompano Beach. Bring a light layer in winter, as the wind off the ocean can be cool.

Stay close to the beach

Pompano Breeze is a 2-minute walk from the beach, with a courtyard pool for the afternoons. Suites sleep 4 to 5 and have a full kitchen for cooking what you catch. Studios sleep 2 to 3. Check availability and book direct.