Stillwater Cove Pier

[Ken Jones]

Just to be safe — and I will check on this.

I received the following email from Darren.

Hi Ken,

I have recently been procedurally visiting and ticking off piers from your website. Today, I attempted to fish at the Stillwater Cove Pier. However, when I arrived, a game warden in the area informed me that the owners of the pier do not allow fishing at all, and told me to leave. I thought you should know, as their policies might have changed since you last updated your page on this pier.

Thanks, Darren

In response I wrote the following:

Darren,

Thanks for the heads up. As far as I know they have to keep that pier open to the public and it's one reason for the allowed parking — but I will find out. However, more and more wardens also seem to be giving out wrong information.

Ken

 

[sbbrett]

Hi Ken. I work at Pebble Beach and see that pier nearly every day, and haven't seen anyone fishing off it for some time, maybe a couple years. The parking area is designated as "coastal access" and it may be possible that Pebble Beach/Beach Club has privatized the pier as their own, allowing for beach access only. The Kayak fisherman and divers use the access regularly, especially on weekends.

 

[sbbrett]

this legal lease agreement says "The pier is open to the public for recreational purposes during daylight hours only"
See exhibit C. Lease is for ten years starting in 2019.
A call to the Pebble Beach Legal Dept. would clear it up.
Beach Club members and youth yachting camps might want to frown on fishing to keep the pier clear for their summertime activities

 

[sbbrett]

In the summer, youth sailing camps are using the pier and lower floating dock as their headquarters, so not much area to fish when they are around...

 

[Ken Jones]

I received this update from Darren — (and big thanks Darren)

Hi Ken, I contacted you about Stillwater Cove Pier yesterday. Shortly afterwards, I contacted the California Coastal Commission, and they verified what you said; fishing on that pier IS allowed. I wonder if the golf club has some sort of deal with the game warden, or if they just hired someone to impersonate a warden altogether.

From: Ammen, Breylen@Coastal Commission
Date: Fri, Mar 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Subject: Stillwater Cove Pier Fishing Question

Hi Darren,

Thanks for giving us a call with your question about fishing at Stillwater Cove Pier in Pebble Beach. The Pier is open to the public for recreational fishing (provided you have a valid CA fishing license). Notably, the pier is within the Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA), which may have been why you were told you cannot fish there. However, the Carmel Bay SMCA allows for recreational fishing (for ‘fin fish’ only; no fishing for crab or other shellfish is allowed). For your future reference, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has an interactive map where you can see areas of protected waters and what activities are allowed within them. As you can see on the map, there are several areas on the Monterey Peninsula where fishing is not allowed, this just is not one of them. If you have any trouble fishing from the pier in the future, please send me an email or give me a call.

Warmly,

 

[Ken Jones]

https://www.pierfishing.com/still-water-cove-pier-aka-matthew-mimi-jenkins-pier/

 

[TheFrood]

I remember trying to go surf fishing in pebble beach area with Surf Samurai and some others after a PFIC get together in Monterey.
Security insisted that there was absolutely no fishing allowed on the shore along 17 mile drive, in the pebble beach area, and even
called the police (sheriff's dept?) when Surf Samurai recited California state law to them (unfortunately this was before smart phones
so couldn't just look it up to show PD, hence our departure rather than getting arrested and trying to defend against it).

https://www.ucdavis.edu/blog/curiosity/what-californians-constitutional-right-fish

https://surfsimply.com/magazine/locals-only-californias-beach-access-for-all-not-just-the-affluent

 

[Red Fish]

Wow, so you can’t fish at that nice pier in Malibu any longer.

 

[TheFrood]

Wow, so you can’t fish at that nice pier in Malibu any longer.

I'm confused... You can't fish at malibu pier any more? Or paradise pier? I thought Stillwater was the pier up in Carmel at the
southern tail of 17 mile drive...

 

[Ken Jones]

The pier Red Fish refers to is the Paradise Cove Pier in Malibu (which is still open to fishing), not the Stillwater Cove Pier at Pebble Beach/Carmel.