North 1st Street Beach Access, Cocoa Beach Fishing

North 1st Street Beach Access is one of Cocoa Beach's many street-end gateways to the ocean, in the city's grid of stub-end streets. It suits anglers who go early, travel light and read the beach before casting.

• Open Atlantic beach from a dune crossover at the end of a city street
• Whiting and pompano on the bottom, bluefish and jacks in season
• Metered parking nearby; restrooms are not listed at street ends
• Popular with beachgoers and surfers, so expect company

The access is at the east end of North 1st Street, off A1A in Cocoa Beach. The City of Cocoa Beach says its stub-end streets east of A1A each have metered parking and a dune crossover.

• Parking: metered spaces on and near the street; pay as posted
• Walk the crossover to the sand and then along the beach to find open water
• The mapped parking lots around here are numerous, so confirm the street-end spaces on arrival
• Hours are not confirmed

The beach fishes like the rest of the Space Coast's open surf.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting on the warming bars
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting and croakers, with the odd jack or small shark
• Fall (Sep-Nov): bait schools bring bluefish, jacks and Spanish mackerel inside the break
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano on cool clear days and bluefish after cut bait

Keep the rig simple and the lead heavy enough to hold.

• Two-hook pompano rig with a 3 to 5 oz pyramid sinker and sand fleas or shrimp
• Fish bites in shrimp flavor help when natural bait is scarce
• Cut mullet or a gold spoon cast past the breakers for bluefish and mackerel
• A long rod and a sand spike give you reach and rest

Two tides a day move through, and the trough changes with each swell.

• Fish the last of the incoming tide and the first of the outgoing
• Look for a gutter or a color change beyond the first break
• Calm, clear mornings favor pompano
• Rough, tea-colored surf after a blow slows everything

This is a busy beach, and the main hazards are people and water.

• Keep casts away from swimmers and surfers; fish the quiet edges and the early hours
• Rip currents run along this coast; do not wade deep
• Leave the beach when thunder is heard
• Stingrays lie in the shallows, so shuffle your feet
• Some lifeguard areas may restrict fishing; read the signs

Expect only the basics at the end of the street.

• Metered parking
• A dune crossover to the sand
• Restrooms are not listed at the street end
• No bait shop on the beach; buy bait along A1A before you walk down

• Be on the sand at first light and finish before the beach crowds arrive
• Pay the meter and watch the time limit
• Walk to a quieter stretch rather than casting near the main swim areas
• Bring a sand spike and a cart for soft sand
• Pack out all line and hooks

The City of Cocoa Beach manages its beach accesses. The city does not list fishing at this street end, so fishing here is not confirmed: read the posted signs and obey any rules for lifeguarded or swim areas.

• Metered parking applies
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything