About this pier
The horseshoe-shaped Redondo Beach Pier extends into King Harbor from the city of Redondo Beach, Los Angeles County, offering a distinctive layout compared to the long, straight piers common elsewhere on the coast. This stretch of waterfront has hosted pier structures since 1889 — today's reinforced-concrete Horseshoe Pier is roughly the seventh on the site, succeeding a 1920s wooden Horseshoe Pier among other earlier wharves. A major fire on May 27, 1988, burned through about 100 yards of that predecessor (faulty wiring after winter storm damage), destroying most restaurants and shops; a Y-shaped remnant stayed open while the city debated rebuilding, and the current pier was dedicated in February 1995. It now combines working fishing rail with seafood restaurants and shops along the horseshoe curve. Its position next to King Harbor's breakwater gives part of the pier calmer, more protected water than fully open-ocean piers nearby, so anglers can choose sheltered harbor water or more exposed open-ocean casting in the same visit.
What you can catch
Redondo Beach Pier sits within CDFW's Southern Management Area, the region running from Point Conception to the Mexico border. The mix of open-ocean and harbor-adjacent water here supports a broad range of species: surfperch and jacksmelt near the pilings, mackerel and bonito schooling around the pier's outer curve, and halibut working the sandy bottom nearby. Because part of the pier sits near the harbor breakwater, anglers also occasionally pick up calico bass and sculpin around the rockier structure close by.
License and regulations
No California sport fishing license is required to fish from Redondo Beach Pier, since public piers are exempt under state law. Size limits, bag limits, and seasonal closures for individual species remain fully enforced regardless of license status. The state also limits public pier anglers to two rods per person. Because pier access and regulations can change, check CDFW's current Beach Fishing list before your trip.
Tips for fishing here
The section of pier closest to the King Harbor breakwater tends to hold calico bass and rockier-structure species, best targeted with small swimbaits or live bait. Along the more open, sandy stretches, a sliding-sinker rig with squid or anchovy is effective for halibut and rays. A Sabiki rig near the pier's end is a quick way to catch mackerel for bait or the table, and fishing early tends to beat both the crowds and the wind. Because the harbor side and ocean side can fish very differently on the same day, it's worth walking the full horseshoe before settling into one spot.
Before you go
With restaurants, shops, and restrooms all within steps of the rail, Redondo Beach Pier is one of the more comfortable piers for a longer fishing session or a family outing. Parking is available nearby, though it can fill up on weekends given the pier's popularity as a dining destination too. Broader King Harbor waterfront projects are reshaping parts of the harbor area (including plans that may affect the separate Sportfishing Pier to the south), but they do not change the Horseshoe Pier itself — still, confirm current regulations and pier status through CDFW before fishing.