About this pier
The Venice Fishing Pier sits along Venice Beach in the city of Los Angeles, within Los Angeles County, at Washington Boulevard — south along the boardwalk from Muscle Beach (roughly a mile and a half away), not right next door. An earlier wooden pier dates to Abbot Kinney's early-1900s Venice development; today's concrete pier was built in the mid-1960s specifically for public recreational fishing rather than commerce. Closed in 1986 over structural concerns, it reopened in 1997 after a community-driven restoration that gave it a distinctive 120-foot-diameter circular end, with fish-cleaning stations and wheelchair-accessible cutouts. That no-frills layout, between Santa Monica and Marina del Rey, makes it a convenient stop for anglers exploring the broader Los Angeles coastline and easy to combine with a bike ride or stroll along the strand.
What you can catch
Venice Fishing Pier falls within CDFW's Southern Management Area, covering the coast from Point Conception to the Mexico border. The open sandy beach here supports strong surfperch fishing, particularly barred and walleye surfperch working close to the pilings, along with corbina and yellowfin croaker cruising the surf zone on calmer days. Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel move through in schools seasonally, and halibut are a realistic target for anglers fishing bait along the sandy bottom toward the pier's end.
License and regulations
No California sport fishing license is required to fish from Venice Fishing Pier, since it's a public pier and covered by the statewide exemption. Minimum size limits, daily bag limits, and seasonal closures for individual species remain fully enforced regardless of license status. The state's two-rod limit for public piers applies here as well. Because pier conditions and rules can change, check CDFW's current Beach Fishing list before fishing.
Tips for fishing here
Early mornings before the boardwalk crowds arrive tend to offer the calmest, most productive fishing, especially for surfperch near the pilings using sand crab or mussel bait. A Sabiki rig near the pier's outer end is a reliable way to catch mackerel, which double as bait for larger halibut or bonito. Because the surrounding beach and boardwalk area draws large weekend crowds, securing a spot along the rail early is wise, and keeping tackle organized helps in tight quarters. Bringing a small cooler with ice is worthwhile if you plan to keep any legal-sized fish, since the walk back to your car can take a while on busy days.
Before you go
Parking near Venice Beach fills up quickly, especially on weekends, so plan to arrive early or use nearby paid lots. Bring your own bait and tackle, since there isn't an on-pier shop here as there is at some neighboring piers. The pier's simple layout and lack of amusement attractions mean it stays comparatively quiet even when the boardwalk itself is packed. As always, confirm current fishing regulations and pier status through CDFW before your trip.