Lake Worth Beach Pier Fishing

Lake Worth Beach Pier is the City of Lake Worth Beach's ocean pier and one of the best-known kingfish piers in Palm Beach County, reaching 960 feet out into deep, clear Atlantic water.

• Deep water off the end for kings, cobia and little tunny
• Winter Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano
• Snook around the pilings in the warmer months
• Bait shop with rod rentals, shaded benches, and a restaurant and lifeguarded beach at the base

The pier stands at the city's beach and casino complex at 10 South Ocean Boulevard, where Lake Avenue meets A1A on the barrier island.

• Getting there: cross the Lake Worth Lagoon on Lake Avenue; the pier is beside the casino building.
• Parking: metered city beach lots beside the casino, enforced around the clock; the beach lots are tow zones from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
• Fees: pay the small walk-on or fishing fee at the pier entrance.
• Walk: short and flat from the lots to the entrance.
• Hours (city code): 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. during sea turtle season (March to October) and 6 a.m. to midnight in the cooler months; the city closes the pier in storms and high seas.

A pelagic-rich pier all year.

• Spring (Mar–May): kingfish and cobia, blue runners, Spanish mackerel early
• Summer (Jun–Aug): snook, jacks, barracuda, the odd yellowtail snapper in clear water, tarpon at dawn
• Fall (Sep–Nov): mullet run with snook, jacks and bluefish; kingfish return
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, little tunny
• Year-round: blue runners and jacks are around most days, and a sailfish is occasionally hooked off the end in winter

Regulars fish a light plugging rod and a king rig.

• Kingfish: live blue runner or goggle-eye on a wire stinger rig under a float from the end
• Mackerel and bluefish: spoons and small plugs on wire, retrieved fast
• Pompano: jigs or sand fleas on a dropper rig near the beach end
• Snook: live pilchards or jigs around the pilings at dawn and in the evening
• Kings and cobia have to be lifted to a high deck: ask at the entrance what landing gear the pier allows, since netting or trapping fish within 500 feet of the pier is banned.

Tides here are Atlantic tides, two highs and two lows a day; NOAA's gauge on this pier shows a mean range of a little under 3 feet. The current along the end can run hard when the Gulf Stream edge swings inshore.

• Clean, blue water and a light southeast wind are ideal
• Dawn is prime for pelagics
• A northeast swell dirties the water and pushes weed; wait a day after it drops
• Winter fronts trigger mackerel and bluefish runs
• When the current rips along the end, fish heavier floats and let baits drift

The deck is flat and railed and is reached from the beach promenade.

• Lightning from summer storms; leave at the first rumble
• The city closes the pier in storms and high seas; never go around a closure
• Crowded on weekends; watch backcasts
• Rip currents along the beach
• Sun and heat; shade is limited to the shaded benches
• Handle kingfish, bluefish and barracuda carefully; their teeth cut deep
• No sitting or standing on the rails, and children under 10 must be with a responsible person
• Surfers use the beach on both sides of the pier; keep casts clear of them

The pier and the beach and casino complex at its base are well served.

• The city's bait shop at the pier, with rod rentals
• Shaded benches on the pier
• Restrooms and picnic facilities a few steps from the pier
• Benny's on the Beach, a restaurant at the base of the pier
• More food and shops in the casino complex
• Lifeguards year-round on the city's quarter-mile beach
• Downtown Lake Worth Beach restaurants are a short drive back over the bridge

• The end fills early during king runs; get there at opening.
• Bring a sabiki to catch runners for live bait.
• Watch for flying fish and bait showers as signs of pelagics.
• Pompano bite closer in, near the surf trough.
• Evening sessions before closing are good for snook along the pilings.
• In a big swell the city shuts the pier; check its social media before a long drive.

The William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier is run by the City of Lake Worth Beach under its city code.

• Walk-on and fishing fees are paid at the entrance; hours are set by code and posted
• No shark fishing from the pier, and no netting or trapping of fish within 500 feet of it
• No cutting bait on the rails or benches, no open-flame lanterns and no pets on the pier
• Fishing on the city's beach is limited to the pier
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and tarpon have their own seasons and handling rules; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything
• Release goliath grouper as FWC rules require