It was damage from a storm in the ‘30s that finally led to the original wharf’s replacement by the smaller and narrower “pleasure pier” seen today. Built on the same site, the pier is home for local and visiting anglers alike. The warehouse built by Cass has become the community center near the foot of the pier that also houses the Cayucos Art Society Gallery.
In 2013, old age finally caught up with the pier and a rebuild was necessary (as seen above).
Cayucos Pier Facts
Hours: Open 24 hours a day year round.
Facilities: Benches, lights, and fish cleaning stations are found on the pier. Adequate free parking is found near the foot of the pier along with restrooms and showers. If the kids get bored, the beach also has a nice collection of playground equipment. You can rent tackle ($3 half a day, $5 all day) and buy bait just up the street at Bill’s Sporting Goods. Near the pier is the Pier Cafe, stop in and look at photos taken half a century ago when the town was a center for abalone.
Handicapped Facilities: Handicapped parking but non-handicapped restrooms. The pier surface is wood planking with a rail height of 39 inches. Not posted for handicapped.
How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
Management: San Luis Obispo County.
I see these are some older posts good tips but how is the fishing now for perch and Halibuts
Can’t really say since we no longer have a reporter for that pier.
Was at Cayucos, pier yestetday fishing, caught the smallest bull head in my life. Bunch of jack smelt. Nothing big or interesting.
How is it this year? I would like to take my son and hopefully he’ll catch some smaller fish since we don’t have large tackle.
Sorry but I have not been able to get recent reports from the pier. As a general rule there are always some smaller fish such as white croaker (kingfish) and small sanddab available. Just use size 6-8 hooks and a small piece of bait sized for the hook.
My husband just caught a big shark on small tackle! Your son will have fun we caught a bunch of fish, recently. The shark was too big to pull up on the pier as we were not prepared to catch something big
We have been fishing on the pier the last couple weeks.
Caught a bunch of Jacksmelt and white croaker during the day, not huge but still fun. At night we caught a bunch of white croaker, on the smaller side, a bunch of tiny sculpin (I think that’s how you spell it.
July 17th 2021 we went night fishing and my husband caught a blue shark! About 4/5 feet, could not pull it out of the water, it was too big his line snapped. Also watched a guy a few weeks back, we watched a guy catch a huge guitar shark. All caught on squid.
Long story short, everytime we go the fish are biting and it’s fun. Recommend going!
I felt sad when I see all these sharks and rays and skates being taken , for what just send them back to the water these idiots don’t need to be keeping those type of fish
Like that pic of a tiny leopard shark taken for what
Or all those angel sharks
Put them back and don’t condone this at all
Sharks like most fish are regulated and the small leopard shark is illegal and should have been returned to the water. At the same time, many sharks, rays and skates are good eating and leopard sharks (legal size) and angel sharks are two of the best.
Beginning of July 2023 caught a few small stripers, went back yesterday 7/21/23 didn’t catch any stripers. I caught 4 Jacksmelt, 1 Jack Mackerel, 20 California Anchovy, 1 baby Bocaccio, several dozen Pacific Staghorn Sculpin, and tons of flatfish like baby halibut or maybe speckled sanddab. Seen a few California Halibut getting caught by others. Still a pretty good place to fish I think.
Went today and lots of little sculpin. Jack smelt. BSP in the waves.
I caught a few fish here last time as well
[…] your line and reel in the excitement of pier fishing in Cayucos, a rewarding experience along the Central Coast. With its prime location near the ocean, […]
Great detailed overview of Cayucos Pier! I especially appreciated the insights on seasonal fish variety and the emphasis on live bait techniques, which match my own experience fishing there during summer halibut runs. For anyone planning a trip, the tips on spot-specific catches really help maximize success on this Central California fishing pier.
Great detailed guide on Cayucos Pier! Your firsthand story about the halibut spawn really highlights the pier’s hidden potential—I’ve found that timing and local knowledge often make all the difference in pier fishing success. For anyone interested in Central California fishing piers, this article is a fantastic resource.
Great detailed overview of Cayucos Pier! I especially appreciated the insight on how halibut spawning near the pier creates unique fishing opportunities that many overlook. For those planning a trip, checking the seasonal bait recommendations really enhances success, as noted in your fishing tips section.
Great detailed overview of Cayucos Pier! I especially appreciate the insights on the variety of species and the specific bait tips, which mirror my own experience fishing there during late summer. For anyone planning a trip, the advice on targeting halibut with live bait at the pier’s end is spot on and definitely worth trying.
Great detailed overview of Cayucos Pier! Your firsthand account of the halibut spawn really highlights the pier’s underrated fishing potential, especially for anglers willing to try different spots along the pier. For those interested, the fishing tips section is especially useful in selecting bait and rigs to maximize success on this diverse pier.
I love the idea of public piers where you can just show up and fish without worrying about a license—it makes the experience feel open and accessible to everyone. It actually reminds me of the Daily Waffle Game I play online. No sign-ups or complicated steps, you just dive right in and start solving the puzzle. Both are simple, relaxing ways to spend a few minutes and walk away with that satisfying ‘catch.
I am in my 70’s now….but I have summertime Cayucos Pier memories.
The limit on Red Snappers was 40!
My first Halibut I caught when I was 10 years old was near the cleaning sink.
While I was cleaning my red snappers I left my line in the water.
A 18 lb. Halibut snatched a snapper off the Luky Joe rig!
An old timer at the end of the pier used his homemade 3-prong gaff on a rope to hoist the fish up to the deck of the pier!
Memories of a lifetime!
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Always skipped Cayucos thinking it was a dud but that halibut action sounds legit. Might have to actually stop there next time I’m heading up the coast.