Where to Surf Fish: Top Surf Fishing Locations

The art of surf fishing requires patience and an appreciation of great views. Learn about a few of the best places to surf fishing in the world and why you need to check them out yourselves.

Top Surf Fishing Locations

Surf fishing is a leisurely activity enjoyed all over the world. You may have a favorite beach of your own to surf fish from, but there are many popular destinations known for surf fishing specifically. Visit some of the best surf fishing locations listed below.

These are the Best Destinations for Surf Fishing

1. Outer Banks Surf Fishing Locations
2. Florida Surf Fishing Locations
3. Australia Surf Fishing Locations
4. Delaware Surf Fishing Locations
5. Hawaii Surf Fishing Locations

Outer Banks Fishing Locations

The Outer Banks, North Carolina have some of the most outstanding bodies of water to go surf fishing in.

The Oregon Inlet is one of the most popular places to be during both the off-season and spring season. All along the shore of the beach, lines of pole holders can be seen for miles waiting to catch the big prize.

With two sides of the Oregon Inlet, the northern and southern beaches are both ideal for surf fishing. This allows ample space for fishers to enjoy the location and set up camp.

Cape Point, North Carolina is another great surf fishing location. There are two major currents flowing in, the Labrador Current and Gulf Stream, so there are plenty of fish ready to grab. The land formation creates a point out towards the Atlantic Ocean that separates north and south facing beaches.

Finally, the Hatteras Inlet is an incredibly scenic and fan favorite surf fishing spot for the views alone. Luckily, there are also plenty of fish here. Shore-side activities are always taking place in the Inlet, making it the perfect place to spend the afternoon surf fishing.

Located in the southern tip of the island, Hatteras Inlet is known for scoring some of the biggest fish and has plenty of space to set up for the day.

The most common fish to be caught in the North Carolina Outer Banks are Spot fish, Flathead Grey Mullet, King Mackerel and Spotted Sea Trout.

Florida Surf Fishing Locations

If you were looking to go surf fishing somewhere a little more slow paced and relaxing, you have to check out these places in Florida:

Along any of the causeway islands are ample opportunities to score massive amounts of fish when surf fishing. The Sanibel Causeway is one excellent getaway to pass your time fishing. Because Sanibel Island has beaches, river moths, and mangrove shorelines in every direction, there is no limit to great fishing spots.

Just before the Sanibel Causeway, Punta Rassa is a popular spot for surf fishing. Punta Rassa is also famous for other fun activities such as camping and kite-boarding. Two of the most popular fishing spots in Punta Rassa are under the causeway bridge and anywhere along the side of the road when driving by the water.

There is a Pier on Fort Myers Beach that has become a very popular fishing spot for both tourists and locals. Fort Myers Beach is a unique surf fishing spot because fishermen have the opportunity to go fishing for both saltwater fish along the beach and freshwater fish in nearby bodies of water.

To capture  freshwater fish near the Fort Myers Beach, check out places such as the Caloosahatchee River, Intracoastal Waterway, and other, sometimes man-made, lakes and ponds to fish in as well.

Common fish to be caught in the Florida area include bass, crappie, blue gill, catfish, shellcrackers, and Oscars.

Delaware Surf Fishing Locations

Delaware is the place to be when surf fishing, especially over the summer. Delaware hosts their own surf fishing competition called DSF’s Summer Surf Fishing Slam series. If you’re not into competing, there are still a lot of places for you.

Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier is a quarter-mile-long pier that is open 24/7, making it one of the best fishing spots available in Delaware. If you go early enough, you might even be able to catch the flying fish that frequent the edge of the pier

Surf fishing in Herring Point is great for surf fishing because of the excellent spots on the beach that are readily available for fishing at any given time. With proper permits, fishers are also allowed to bring their trucks carrying all their bait and equipment right to the shoreline.

The Indian River Inlet is an exciting place to be when surf fishing. Due to the fast action currents that are consistently plowing through the inlet, catching fish brings a new sense of thrill. From here, past fishers have occasionally caught sharks and even spotted whales.

Delaware is great if you are looking to catch croakers, stripers, and bluefish.

Hawaii Surf Fishing Locations

When you get tired of exploring the beautiful islands of Hawaii, you might want to take a break on the beaches and just relax. On the shorelines of Hawaiian beaches, surf fishing is a relaxing form of fishing that can be done from the comfort of your beach chairs.

When looking for a spot to surf fish, you don’t want to make the mistake of going somewhere that is over populated because where there are people, there is a good chance fish will not be there. Oahu’s southwestern shore is where a majority of surf fishing takes place from Ewa Beach Park to Oneula Beach Park.

Like Delaware, Hawaii has its own shore fishing competition each year, The Fenceline to Fenceline Shoreline Fishing Tournament, and is held at Ewa Beach.

On the Big Island especially, there are endless options for where you can go surf fishing. A good tip fishers pick up when visiting other places is to follow the locals. This is because the locals most probably have a better idea of where the good spots are, and you could learn a thing from them too!

The majority of catches in Hawaii include oio, papio and omilu fish.

Australia Surf Fishing Locations

With miles and miles of open coastline, there are extensive opportunities to go surf fishing in the great land of Australia. There are more than 5,000 different kinds of species of fish here and they are located in all parts of the continent.

Fishing in Cairns, Queensland means you have a good chance of catching something huge. Off the coast swim huge fish, and fishermen often have great luck fishing in these parts of Australia.

Where they love seafood, they love fishing. In Port Lincoln, South Australia there are a great number of beaches and rock fishing spots where some of the biggest fish of your life can be caught. This small town makes the majority of their money from fishing.

From large fish to small fish, there is no saying what you might catch during your time of surf fishing in Australia. Common fish to be caught in Australia include Swordfish, Anapper Fish and Yellowfin Tuna

When to Go Surf Fishing

Finding the perfect time to go surf fishing is a very important step in order to catch the most fish and get the most out of your experience. Here is a short guide of surf fishing tips to help you out with knowing when the best times to go fishing are.

Best Time of Year for Surf Fishing

Although surf fishing can be enjoyed all year long, the best seasons to go surf fishing are spring and fall. A large factor that plays a role in the best time to go surf fishing is the location of where you might be fishing at.

During the spring and fall seasons, fish are more likely to be by the shore, but this does not mean they will not be around during summer and winter. During the “off” season, there is a high chance that the beaches will not be flourishing with as many fish as it might in the spring and fall seasons.

Best Time of Day to Surf Fish

Fish have nocturnal feeding habits so in order to find the best time to catch fish, we must follow their schedule. To catch the best fish and get the real experience of surf fishing, you have to be an early riser.

The best times to go surf fishing is early in the morning, preferably before dawn until 9 to 10 am. Then, in the evening, an hour or two before dusk is the next best opportunity to catch a big score.

In the summer time the sun can be brutal and it is important to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun while out on the beach for hours by using sunscreen, hats, and other forms of protection.

Best Tides for Surf Fishing

The best times for surf fishing are two hours prior to the high tide and the two hours that follow. During this window of time are when high tides are at their peak. These are the recommended times because this is when it is the easiest time to cast out since you will be able to reach out to more rough, deep water.

What you want to make sure that you avoid is the slack tide. Slack tide is the time in between high tide and low tide and is a ineffective time to go surf fishing. This is because the water becomes unstressed and is completely still so fish are easily scared away when a fishing line protrudes the water.

Check Out the Top Surf Fishing Destinations

Visit these top surf fishing destinations and see how many fish you can catch! If you’ve visited these beaches before, tell us more in the comments.

For more on surf fishing, like the best surf fishing reels, surf rods, and other essential gear, or info on all things fishing, visit Fishmasters!