Fishing the Pompano Beach Pier

The pier at a glance

The city’s pier is the Fisher Family Pier, named for the Fisher family’s civic service to Pompano Beach, including former Mayor Lamar Fisher. It stretches nearly 900 feet into the ocean and ends in a shape modeled on a pompano, the fish the city is named for. It is open to sightseers as well as anglers, so not everyone in your group has to fish.

According to the city, the pier is open seven days a week from 7 AM to 10 PM. Walking out to look is free. Fishing is a daily rate per person, with annual and six-month memberships for regulars. The city has changed its rates in recent years, so check the current fee on the city’s pier page before you go.

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

Do you need a fishing license?

Not on the pier. The city states that a Florida fishing license is not required to fish from the Fisher Family Pier. Florida law exempts people saltwater fishing from a pier that holds a valid pier saltwater fishing license, and that license covers everyone fishing from it.

The exemption stops where the pier stops. If you decide to cast from the beach the next morning, the normal Florida rules apply. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requires non-residents 16 and older to hold a Florida saltwater license, and residents fishing from shore need a shoreline license unless they are exempt. Licenses are sold through FWC online, so it takes a few minutes to sort out before you head down.

The rules on the pier

The pier rules are short and sensible. The ones that matter most to visitors:

• A maximum of three rods per person.
• Children 10 and under must be with a guardian.
• No bare feet, and no animals.
• No bicycles, skateboards or rollerblades on the pier.
• No glass, straws or Styrofoam, and no littering.
• No diving or jumping, and no sitting or climbing on the rails.
• No netting fish or sea life, and no shark fishing.

Pack shoes you do not mind getting fishy, and leave the cooler of glass bottles at home. If you bring a toddler to watch, keep them close to you; the rail is not a seat.

Bait, tackle and rod rentals

There is a bait shop at the pier that sells bait, food and drinks, and rents rods. The city describes the rental package as a rod with bait (shrimp or squid), a bucket, a towel and a knife, which is all a first-timer needs. If you are traveling light or just want to try it for an afternoon, renting saves you packing a rod case.

If you bring your own gear, a medium spinning setup covers most pier fishing. Bring pliers, a small cutting board, sunscreen and plenty of water. A light jacket helps on winter mornings, when the wind off the ocean is cooler than it feels on the sand.

When to go

Early mornings are the quiet time. The pier opens at 7 AM, the light is soft, and the crowds arrive later. Evenings until closing are good too, and cooler in summer. Anglers on the pier will tell you that tide changes and moving water matter more than the clock, so check a tide chart and plan around an incoming or outgoing tide.

What bites changes through the year, and regulations change with it. FWC sets the size limits, bag limits and closed seasons for every saltwater species. Before you keep anything, check the current rules for that fish on the FWC website or the FWC Fish Rules app. When in doubt, take a photo and let it go.

Around the pier

The pier anchors a six-acre area the city calls the Fishing Village, with the Pier Parking Garage and a Visitor Center at 3465 Pier Street. Near the base you will find the First Marine Amphibious Landing Monument, which commemorates the 1776 Continental Marines’ landing. There are restrooms and showers along the beach, and restaurants within a few minutes’ walk of the pier. Our restaurants near the pier guide has ideas for after.

For more on the pier itself, including the view and the area around it, see our Pompano Beach pier guide.

Bigger fish, or a different view

If a day on the pier gets you hooked, the next step is a boat. Charter and drift-fishing boats run out of Hillsboro Inlet, just north, and most charter licenses cover their passengers. Read fishing charters from Hillsboro Inlet. If you would rather look at fish than catch them, see snorkeling and diving, and if you are here to watch the sun come up over the water, the pier is a fine place for sunrise once it opens.

Cooking your catch

One quiet advantage of staying with us: our suites have a full kitchen with a stove, and our studios have a kitchenette. If you keep a legal fish, you can clean it at the pier and cook it for dinner. Please double-bag fish scraps before they go in the trash, and the next guest will thank you.