If you are looking for the closest fishing pier to Miami, Florida – Dania Beach Fishing Pier is the closest big fishing pier and the one you should go fish at!
This pier is over 900 feet long and on Florida’s east coast just north of the City of Miami and Miami Beach. It’s only 3 miles south of Ft. Lauderdale. You might think this pier gets crowded being close to so may people, and you’d be right!
If you don’t like a crowd, you’re best off going on the weekdays in the morning for the fewest people fishing. You’ll have plenty of space then and probably all day during hte week. The pier has some shelter from the sun and cleaning tables too! Let’s Check it Out!
Fishing Hours?
Open at 6 am. and closed at 11 pm. every day of the week. That isn’t too bad. Most people are ready to stop by then anyway. Aren’t you? Nah, me neither. It really should be all night long IMO.
What Fish Can You Catch?
The East Coast of Florida has a LOT of fish. To me, the water seems cleaner because it’s always moving. At least it seems like the currents there would be moving the water more than the Gulf.
There are LOTS of fish to be caught on this side of Florida State. Let’s see what you can expect!
Fish Commonly Caught at the Dania Beach Pier
- red drum fish
- bonito
- blue runners
- bluefish
- amberjack
- sheepshead fish
- tarpon
- flounder
- pompano
- snook
- snapper
- Crevalle jack (jacks)
Bottom fishing will get you sharks, cats, stingrays, puffers, and a lot of stuff you don’t want to catch. If you find that’s what you’re getting, try picking your bait up off the bottom – even fishing near the top. You may then get jacks, tarpon, bluefish, or even the occasional PERMIT fish! That’s one of the ultimate fish in my book.
How Big Is the Dania Beach Fishing Pier?
The reason you’ll probably go to Dania Beach is this pier is over 900 feet long and it’s the biggest one close to Miami. About 835 feet of the pier is over water. Some of the beginning part of the pier is taken up by the huge Quarterdeck restaurant with outdoor seating on the pier under large umbrellas.
The width of the pier is about 19 feet across. There is a lot of room to fish both sides of the pier and probably enough that you don’t hook anyone in the neck who is just walking by. The pier has some benches and one covered pavilion near the end.
Fees
The pier is $3 to fish per day for fishing adults and $2 if you’re a non-resident non-angler walking around complimenting people on the fish they’re catching. Kids under 5 are free.
Is a Fishing License Necessary?
No, a day pass is included if you pay the $6 fee. If you need a license, you can get one online here – Florida saltwater fishing license before you arrive to fish. You can also do it online or visit Walmart Sporting Goods section.
Restrooms?
Yes, the park and the restaurant have public restrooms right at the pier and further down the beach.
Shade on the Pier?
I saw one covered roof toward the end of the pier. Nothing else. Bring an umbrella to keep the sun off you if you’re sun-sensitive.
Does the Pier Have a Bait Shop?
Yes, there is a small bait shop before you get out on the pier. You can buy frozen bait (shrimp and squid) and sometimes other live bait. There are cold drinks and soda. They have some minor gear you can buy and some you can rent. See below.
Is Rental Gear (Rod and Reel) Available?
Yes, when the bait shop is open during the park’s regular hours, you can rent gear from the bait shop like rod and reel for $10 for the day ($40 deposit) and buy bait frozen and sometimes live bait.
If you want, you can catch live pilchards under the pier in the early morning. These bait fish are excellent for tarpon, snook, and some of the other bigger fish.
Restaurants?
The closest restaurants to the fishing pier are listed below.
- Quarterdeck Seafood Restaurant – Open from 10 am. to 10 pm. They serve up sandwiches, salads, tacos, burgers, soups, sushi, desserts, and even custom Poke bowls! As in Ahi Poke from Hawaii. Wow. I had no idea this amazing food had made it to the mainland. This restaurant is located right on the pier and is open almost as long as the pier is every night. Located at 300 North Beach Road., Dania Beach. Florida 33004. Phone – +1 954 929-1400. Menu. GPS
Pier Restrictions
As is the norm for piers in Florida, the official city website lists very little information about the pier and what is available and what restrictions there are for using the pier. The rules of the pier are probably just like the rest of them.
Prohibited on the Dania Beach Pier
- Feeding birds, manatees, fish
- Pets – dogs are allowed on a leash, and all service dogs allowed
- Littering
- Alcohol
- Glass bottles
- Smoking
- Fishing with more than 3 poles per person and 1 bait rod.
- Skateboards, scooters, roller skates, rollerblades, surfboards, bikes
- Jumping or diving, and sitting on the railing
- Casting nets
- Loud music
Does the Dania Beach Pier have a Live Web Cam?
Yes, and it’s a good one! Here’s one on YouTube showing the beach, wave action, weather, and how busy the pier is. There are like 5 different angles showing the pier, close ups on the end of the pier, the restroom area, the start of the pier, and the ocean beside the pier. This is one of the best live cam implementations we’ve seen for a pier!
Where Is the Pier Located?
This pier can be found right beside the Dania Beach Marina.
See the map image above, or use the GPS data below to see the pier location in your favorite map application.
The address is: 300 N Beach Rd, Dania Beach, Florida 33004. The GPS coordinates of the end of the pier are 26.058022647410255 N, -80.10892573259778 W.
Where’s Parking?
There are more than 340 parking spaces (I stopped counting) between the Dania Beach Marina and the Fishing Pier. The parking is $2 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. The machine charges your credit card $4.
The piers are ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant and there are handicapped parking spots available in the main parking lot and ramps to get up onto the pier.
Cautions
Birds eating your bait or grabbing it in mid-air and hooking themselves can make for a real bad day of fishing. And as you know, that is DIFFICULT to do! Take extra care that birds don’t get hooked as you cast and when your bait hits the water.
If you do hook a bird, put a shirt over it and remove the hook if it looks like it’s easy to do. You may need to take the bird to a veterinarian. See our guide for removing hooks from birds here.
Short Video Overview of the Dania Beach Fishing Pier
I found this great video of a guy going to the pier and catching baitfish and other fish he eats (survives off of).
Pier Social Media
- Call them at this phone number: +1 904 209-0326
- The city has a page but it has no real info. Here is their map listing.
- An Instagram search turns up almost 7,000 photos.
Where’s the Closest Fishing Pier to Me?
If you live in or are visiting Miami or Fort Lauderdale, the best pier to visit is this one – Dania Beach Pier. There are a couple of other fishing piers that are close by. We’ll list them below.
If you need help with fish, don’t forget we cover all the top Florida Gamefish with huge guides for each on this page – Top Gamefish.
Piers Close By Miami and Ft. Lauderdale
- This one! (Dania Beach)
- Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier
- Titusville Fishing Pier
[Image credits: Map image from Maps.google.com. Featured image from unsplahs.]