Surfside Public Beach Fishing

Surfside Public Beach is a quiet stretch of Atlantic surf where the Town of Surfside's own code allows surfcasting, but only between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Anglers who fit that window get an uncrowded beach, an open trough and the classic southeast Florida surf mix.

• A beach where the town code expressly allows night and dawn surfcasting
• Pompano, whiting, bluefish and Spanish mackerel in the cooler months
• Jacks and blue runners much of the year, snook on summer nights
• Metered town parking open around the clock, a short walk from the sand

Surfside sits on the barrier island along Collins Avenue (A1A), between Miami Beach to the south and Bal Harbour to the north. A hard-packed beach path runs about a mile behind the sand, from about 88th Street to 96th Street.

• Getting there: follow Collins Avenue (A1A) to Surfside and head for the beach entrances at the ends of the streets
• Wheelchair access: the town lists wheelchair access at the 88th and 96th Street entrances
• Parking: six town lots on Abbott Avenue, 95th Street, 94th Street and Harding Avenue, and 93rd Street, open 24/7 with pay stations
• Rates: $5 an hour with a three-hour maximum that cannot be renewed, so plan sessions around it
• Fishing hours: surfcasting only from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

This is open Atlantic surf over sand, so the fishing follows the seasons and the bait along the beach.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting early in the season, jacks and blue runners, the first snook along the trough
• Summer (Jun-Aug): snook cruising the beach at night and first light, jacks, rays on the sand after dark
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run brings jacks, snook and the odd tarpon close in; bluefish arrive as the water cools
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano, whiting, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on the fronts, with blacktip sharks migrating along the coast

A 9 to 11-foot surf rod with 15-20 lb line and a heavier shock or bite leader covers the beach.

• Pompano and whiting: a double-drop rig with small circle hooks and colored floats, baited with sand fleas, clams or shrimp, fished in the first trough
• Bluefish, jacks and Spanish mackerel: spoons, jigs and plugs cast into bait at first light, with a short wire bite leader for bluefish and mackerel
• Snook: a live mullet or pilchard on a fish-finder rig, or a bucktail or swimbait worked through the trough after dark
• Bring a sand spike, a small cart and a headlamp you can dim
• Carry pliers and a dehooker for rays and sharks

The Atlantic here has two tides a day, with a modest range, and the trough matters more than the height.

• Fish the rising tide and the first of the fall, when water fills the trough and pushes bait onto the beach
• The last hours of darkness and first light, before the 8 a.m. cutoff, are the pick of the window
• A light onshore breeze stirs up sand fleas for pompano; a big swell makes it unfishable
• Winter cold fronts turn on bluefish, mackerel and pompano a day or two after they pass
• Clear, calm summer nights suit snook hunting in the trough

The beach is open sand with no structure to lean on, and you will be fishing in the dark or at dawn.

• Check the warning flags: a red flag with a no-swimming symbol closes the water, and rip currents can run with no sign from shore
• Portuguese man-o-war and jellyfish wash up here; do not touch the blue floats or tentacles
• Shuffle your feet if you step into the water: stingrays rest on the sand
• Never wade out after a hooked fish at night; sharks feed along the beach
• Leave at the first thunder in summer
• The 88th and 96th Street entrances have wheelchair access, but soft sand makes the last stretch hard going

Surfside is a residential town beach with few facilities on the sand, so come self-sufficient.

• Six metered town lots, open around the clock
• Wheelchair access at the 88th and 96th Street entrances; the town lends a beach wheelchair to residents and people staying in Surfside hotels
• Residents and approved guests can also reach the beach through the town community center on Collins Avenue
• No bait shop on the beach; bring bait, ice and water with you
• Expect the sand to be dark at night; bring a headlamp you can dim
• The town's business district is on Harding Avenue, a short walk inland

• Plan dawn sessions to start in the dark and finish by 8 a.m., when fishing must stop.
• In winter, look for sand fleas in the swash at first light and use them fresh for pompano.
• During the fall mullet run, fish where the bait schools are getting hit, not where it is quiet.
• Keep your light low and pointed at the sand from April to October, when sea turtles nest here at night.
• Stay well away from crawling or nesting turtles and from staked nests, and fill in any holes you dig.
• Watch your parking time: the three-hour maximum cannot be renewed.

The beach is managed by the Town of Surfside, and its code sets unusually specific fishing rules.

• No fishing from any public property at any time, except surfcasting from a public beach between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• Dogs are not allowed on the beach
• Sea turtles are threatened or endangered and protected by federal, state and local law; never disturb nesting turtles, nests or hatchlings
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Shore-based shark fishing needs a free FWC permit and specific gear and handling
• Snook and tarpon have their own permit and release rules; check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything