There are plenty of fishing opportunities in Southern California, ranging from productive beaches and piers. There are abundant best ocean fishing spots in Southern California. Rockfish, halibut, flowers, surf bark, and a host of game fishes live in coastal waters providing local fishers and fishing enthusiasts worldwide with recreational possibilities.
Best Ocean Fishing Spots In Southern California
California offers numerous fishing opportunities pressed against the ocean. Those who choose to participate in the sport from their public pier don’t even need a license. But there are also lakes and reservoirs full of stocked fish, should you prefer a more forest or mountainous trip. Here are some of the best ocean fishing spots in Southern California.
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is often considered the quintessence of Los Angeles coastal town. It somehow manages to preserve its small-town, beach atmosphere while remaining a key location in L.A. Try a sports fishing charter for an exciting afternoon or morning on the water at Redondo Beach.
Would you instead go on your own? Rent a Redondo Beach fishing boat and bring your fishing rod, bait, and tackle. After a fishing day, Redondo Beach is a great place to relax in the sun and have a nightlife.
You can snack a lobster on Redondo Beach in autumn and winter, or you can sniff fish such as Yellowtail, Calico Bass, Sheepshead, Bonito, Perch, Dorado, Barracuda, Lingcod and Cabazon.
There are many restaurants and cafes on Redondo Beach, and the Galleria Riviera Village and South Bay will meet all shopping needs. You can walk through the famous beach pier of Redondo and play in the arcade.
Beach volleyball and surfing are immensely popular. The Redondo Beach, Performing Arts Center, is a place where you can get your culture or even wander around the power plant to see the “Grey Whale Migration” wall of the famous artist Robert Wyland.
El Capitan State Beach
Just 20 minutes north of Santa Barbra, this beach is under considerable local fishing pressure. But don’t let that stop you. A lot of fish swim in the ocean, and you’re out of the crowd a short walk towards El Capitan Creek to the South.
The sandy beach slopes moderately in the surf, directly in front of the parking and heading north. Fish between the first and second breakers as you travel along the beach to find surf schools.
Most beaches are sand but mainly rocky near the shore. Fishing on the edges can be fruitful, but if you are not careful, you can easily hang up in the rocks.
We like surfing with light tackle Carolina rigs. There are plenty of sand crabs on this beach and dig a few and bait them. The big bark in these waters loves them. Rockfish, and even the occasional halibut, can also be caught in deeper water.
Stay at one of the 132 campsites to easily reach the beach early or to fish late. Other accommodation in Santa Barbra is available. Several small fishing beaches are nearby for a change of venue. Another popular surf fishing destination is Refugio Beach.
Newport Beach Fishing Charters
Newport Beach has a reputation in Orange County for being a sophisticated and culturally friendly place, but it’s also an excellent place to enjoy fishing and fishing. The Balboa Yacht Basin has 172 slips, and offshore mooring options are available. You can book a deep-sea fishing charter or rent a fishing boat in Newport Beach while in this gem of Orange County.
After landing some fish, head to shore to enjoy numerous restaurants, clubs, and bars or the art of the Orange County Art Museum or the Newport Arts Centre. It is definitely one of the best ocean fishing spots in Southern California.
Please visit the historic Balboa Pavilion and Balboa Fun Zone for an afternoon. If you are a surfer, you definitely want to take the time to visit The Wedge — a renowned surf spot worldwide.
Newport Beach also hosts a lot of events such as the annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival, the Ensenada International Yacht Race, or the Christmas Boat Parade, which started in 1908.
Catalina Island, California
Catalina Island is certainly worth a short boat trip from the coast for a local island getaway, which provides access to the rich fishing waters.
You will immediately understand why the legendary Hollywood stars, such as Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, and Betty Grable, once chose to escape from their sights. With many mooring spots around the island and recreational and adventurous activities, Catalina is popular with the local fishermen and visitors alike.
South Carlsbad State Beach
South Carlsbad is one of the many beaches of San Diego that offers great opportunities for surf fishing. Barred surfers are abundant, but corbina, spotfin croaker and occasionally shark may also be caught.
The beach has a relatively steep structure and is concentrated in troughs and trouts. Get a bluff-top view of places during low tide. You will also find that fan casting over a wide area is a great way to cover water and find school fish.
You will find the highest quality surfing fishing as far south as Ponto Jetty. The estuary is closed to fishing, but the jetty rocks are a good fishing place.
Stay at the campground South Carlsbad, just 4 minutes from I-5. There are 223 campsites on the campground with picnic tables and fire rings. End a great day of surfing near a comfortable campfire, overlooking the rolling waves. Make sure you book early because websites often fill months in advance.
The beach slopes from steep, sandy bluffs to the surf immediately. There are six steps/ramps leading from the bluff to the beach. Take a look at the tide always as 0.4 miles from each exit north of the campsite. The stairs are closer together south of the campground.
Mission Beach
Mission Beach runs along the north end of San Diego, on the coastline of Mission Bay. Eventually, this long, narrow beach reaches Pacific Beach. You have more space for yourself early in the morning and late in the evening. It’s a very popular sandy beach, and the crowds here are thick throughout.
Two public parking lots serve this beach; Mission Beach and South Mission. The parking Mission Beach is near Belmont Park, which includes gift shops, food, beach rentals, and a roller coaster.
The southern end of this beach is South Mission and has a park with ample parking and toilets. If this car park is full, it is only 0,6 km to walk to the Mission Beach parking lot. Enjoy your workout and fish along the way.
There is a long rock jetty in South Mission, which holds many types of surf fish. Go along and try to fish on both sides according to the waves.
Suppose you want to fish in the sandy flats along the beach, fish on a flood that will eat and feed the frenzy. Surfperch is usually larger than average at Mission Beach, but throughout the entire stretch, you will still find good numbers of fish.
Oceanside, California
The beautiful city of Oceanside is located, which is not desirable for unbelievable beaches, water sports, history, and fishing, of course. Oceanside is a good place to book a fishing charter with professional captains.
If you’re fortunate, you can catch the rare and lovely Opah fish, of which only three were reported to have been found in the Oceanside region.
Ashore, you could visit the Oceanside Pier, tour the historic Mount Ecclesia, view the California Surf Museum, or explore Oceanside’s many bikes, walking, and walking paths.
The daring can try out SoCal’s only coastal diving spot, or get an aerial view from a vintage biplane. There are numerous stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, and diving opportunities back by the water.
Beach Fishing
Surfing in Southern California is a great opportunity for fishers who don’t have access to a boat or simply prefer fishing onshore. The most popular wild species along southern California beaches are Surfperch, Croaker, and Corbina, and you can also harvest healing bats, bat rays and leopard sharks.
Morning, evening, and the next high tide are the best times of day for beach fishing, and several species can be found all year round, but in the summer months, the most productive fishing occurs. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Point Vicente, and Redondo Beach are just a few of the best ocean fishing spots in Southern California.
Offshore Fishing
There is a wide range of possibilities for fishers willing to go a little farther from the coast. Waters up to 300 meters deep inhabit bass, pompano, whites, owls, and many more fish, while more deep waters harbor sole, lingcod, midshipman, and more.
More than two dozen species of rockfish, 1500 feet deep or a few feet from shore, are also found in coastal waters, depending on the species and the period of the year.
Nine-Mile Bank, Santa Catalina Island, Avalon Bank, Hidden Reef, and Butterfly, among many others, are offshore hot sites around Southern California. Nautical charts are a useful tool for finding fishing grounds, and many guides and charters are available in many towns and cities along the coastline.
Final Words
Warm sand, lovely sunsets, and miles of beaches on the Pacific Coast combine with countless fish species. There are endless fishing opportunities off the coast with the best ocean fishing spots in Southern California, and nothing beats the fun of surf fishing.
