Fishing Piers and Shore Fishing Spots Near Clearwater Beach, Compared

Where can you fish from land near Clearwater Beach?

Every public option within a reasonable drive of Pier 60. Fees and hours come from the city, county and state pages listed in the sources, checked October 2026. Distances from Pier 60 are map estimates, not timed drives.

Is Pier 60 open for fishing, and what does it cost?

Yes, by most of what the city publishes. Pier 60 is the 1,080-foot pier near the Memorial Causeway roundabout, in the middle of Clearwater Beach (the city lists Pier 60 Park at 370 Mandalay Ave.). It has a bait and tackle shop and rod rentals. The 2024 hurricane season shut the section from the bait house to the gate, and Bay News 9 reported that fishing returned on September 1, 2025, after more than $300,000 in bait shop repairs.

The catch: the city's beach rules page still says the bait house and fishing pier are "closed until further notice." Other city pages disagree. The Pier 60 Park listing offers daily, weekly and yearly passes, and the city calendar has the Make a Difference Fishing Tournament for adults with disabilities on the pier on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., so expect a busy rail that morning. A call to 727-444-8270 settles it.

These are the rates Bay News 9 reported at the reopening. The city doesn't post prices online, so check before you go. If you'll fish six days or more, the weekly pass is cheaper than buying day passes.

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the county tourism office, says the pier's lights make it good for night fishing. The clock is the problem. The city lists Pier 60 Park hours as 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the bait house was reported to close at 9 p.m. after Labor Day and 10 p.m. from March. The nearest city lot, the Pier 60 Parking Lot at 160 S. Gulfview Blvd., charges $3.50 an hour from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and bans parking outside those hours. Rigs, bait and seasons are in our Pier 60 fishing guide.

Can you fish from the Memorial Causeway and the bridges?

Not from the city's bridges. City Code Sec. 33.091: "Fishing is prohibited from the Clearwater Pass Bridge, Island Estates Bridges and any other city property where posted." The Memorial Causeway bridge is a state road bridge, and Florida Statute 316.1305 lets the Department of Transportation post no-fishing signs on those; ignoring them is a noncriminal traffic infraction. No city or county page lists a public fishing spot on the causeway, so go by the signs. City code also bans sitting or standing on the railing of any public pier, bridge or seawall (Sec. 21.09).

The legal alternative is on the mainland. The city runs two small docks over Clearwater Harbor on the downtown waterfront, just south of the center of town:

• Magnolia Drive Public Dock, 201 Magnolia Dr. Pavilion, benches and rod holders; the city pitches it as a sunset spot.
• Turner Street Public Dock, 119 Turner St. Pavilion, benches and rod holders along the edges.

Both are free and open sunrise to sunset. Cast netting and fish cleaning aren't allowed on either dock. The city doesn't list a pier license for them, so carry your own license unless you're exempt.

Where can you fish around Clearwater Pass and Sand Key?

Clearwater Pass, the inlet between Clearwater Beach and Sand Key, is where every tide change funnels through, so it draws anglers. Check Clearwater tide times before you go. Most of the obvious structure around it is off-limits.

• The bridge: no fishing (Sec. 33.091).
• The jetty rocks: City Code Sec. 22.33(10) bars anyone from going onto a jetty, groin or breakwater without authorization. Fish from the sand.
• Sand Key Bayside Park, 951 Gulf Blvd. City park on the bay side, just south of the pass. The city lists fishing as an amenity, with picnic tables and restrooms. Sunrise to sunset. No boat launching without a city permit, and no trailers in the lot.
• Bay Park on Sand Key, 1551 Gulf Blvd. Free parking, picnic tables, a toddler playground and tennis and pickleball courts. City code allows fishing in all city parks unless a sign says otherwise.
• Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Blvd. The county's beach park on the Gulf side isn't on Pinellas County's list of parks with fishing, and county rules allow fishing "only in designated areas." Its seawall section has been closed for equipment staging for the city's marina construction, and the county's Oct. 2 update says it stays closed until October 2026. Check posted signs or ask staff before you cast. More in our Sand Key Park guide.

Are the Dunedin Causeway and Honeymoon Island worth the drive?

For surf and pass fishing with more elbow room, yes. Honeymoon Island State Park (1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin), at the end of the Dunedin Causeway, is roughly 11 to 14 miles from Pier 60 by map, so plan on 30 to 40 minutes without traffic. The park lists flounder, snook, trout, redfish, snapper, whiting, sheepshead, pompano, Spanish mackerel, cobia, ladyfish and tarpon among surf and pass catches.

We found no official page that sets fishing rules for the causeway shoreline itself, so follow posted signs and carry a license. Dunedin's commission voted on September 3, 2026, to ban launching motorized watercraft from the causeway's south side. That ordinance covers launching boats and personal watercraft and says nothing about fishing. Our Honeymoon Island guide covers the beaches and the ferry to Caladesi Island, where fishing is allowed in designated areas.

What about the Belleair Causeway and other piers nearby?

Belleair Causeway Boat Ramp, 3900 W. Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs, is a county saltwater boat ramp, not a fishing pier. It's open 24 hours, with restrooms closed 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Belleair Bait, the on-site bait shop, opens daily 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (727-687-7151). Parking is $6 a day, rising to $12 on December 1, 2026. Launching a boat instead? See our guide to Belleair Causeway ramp fees and hours. For shoreline fishing, the county rule applies: designated areas and posted signs.

Fort De Soto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, has two piers. The Gulf Pier has a food and bait concession; the Bay Pier's far end is closed for hurricane repairs, which the county expects to resume after boat ramp work ends in late 2026. Both piers open 7 a.m. to sunset, and the county says a fishing license is required throughout the park, piers included. At 31 to 38 miles, it's a full-day trip; see our Fort De Soto day-trip guide.

Fred Howard Park, 1700 Sunset Drive, Tarpon Springs, is the northern option. The county lists fishing and a pier among its amenities, and a 1-mile causeway runs out to the beach. Open 7 a.m. to sunset, same parking rates as the other county beach parks.

Can you fish from Clearwater Beach itself?

Yes, just not where people swim. City Code Sec. 22.35(6): "No person shall at any time fish from public beaches in any designated swim area." The city's rules page lists cast netting under the same heading and describes the safe swimming zone as running 300 feet out from the high-water line, marked by buoys or pilings. Keep your line out of that zone, stay well clear of the water in front of a staffed lifeguard tower, and ask the guard if you're unsure. Guards work 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, so early mornings and evenings are easier. Unwanted fish and bait go in the trash, not on the sand (Sec. 22.35(5)). Rigs and tides are in our surf fishing guide, and every beach rule is in our Clearwater Beach rules guide.

Do you need a fishing license for pier or shore fishing?

Usually. FWC exempts anyone fishing from a pier that holds a saltwater pier license, which covers "everyone saltwater fishing from that pier" and costs the owner $501.50 a year. Neither the city nor FWC says publicly whether Pier 60 holds one, so ask when you buy your pass. Don't assume any other spot on this page is covered.

Sharks are the exception to every exemption. Anyone 16 or older targeting sharks from shore, a jetty, a bridge or a pier needs FWC's free shore-based shark fishing permit. Details are in our Florida saltwater license guide, and size and bag limits in our fishing regulations guide.

Which spot should you pick?

For most beach visitors, the pick is Pier 60 early in the morning, before the heat and the foot traffic. Licensed anglers get more room for nothing at the downtown docks or on the bay side of Sand Key. Keeping your fish? Some restaurants will cook what you catch.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fishing pier in Clearwater?

Yes. Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach has a bait house, rod rentals and day passes ($12 adult at the 2025 reopening). The city also runs two free public docks downtown, at Magnolia Drive and Turner Street, open sunrise to sunset.

Can you fish at Clearwater Beach?

Yes, outside designated swim areas. City code bans fishing in any designated swim area, and the city lists cast netting under the same rule. Stay clear of the water in front of staffed lifeguard towers and carry a license unless you're exempt.

Do I need a fishing license on Pier 60?

Maybe not. A pier with an FWC saltwater pier license covers everyone fishing from it, but no city or FWC page confirms Pier 60's status, so ask when you buy your pass. Shark fishing still needs the free FWC shore-based shark permit at 16 and older.

Can you fish from the Memorial Causeway?

The city bans fishing from the Clearwater Pass and Island Estates bridges. The Memorial Causeway bridge is a state road bridge where the state can post no-fishing signs. For a legal spot nearby, use the Magnolia Drive or Turner Street docks downtown.

Is fishing allowed at Sand Key Park?

Only where posted. It isn't on the county's list of parks with fishing, county rules limit fishing to designated areas, and the seawall section is closed until October 2026. The city's Sand Key Bayside Park, 951 Gulf Blvd., on the bay side of Gulf Boulevard near the pass, does list fishing.