Ventura County Fishing Information 🐟

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Ventura county offers some of the most exciting fishing in California.

If you’re looking for the best surf fishing spots in Ventura, any beach will do. Rockfish, sea bass, halibut, calico bass, white sea bass; all are possibilities. Added plus, all of Ventura’s surf fishing locations are easy to get to – and at most beaches, you can even park for free. Like most spots in California, you will need a fishing license.

The Ventura pier is open to the public daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The pier features the following activities:

Fishing from the pier deck. Species caught from the pier include jacksmelt, mackerel, sand sharks, perch, croaker, stingrays, Tom cod, halibut, and crabs. Cleaning stations are provided at locations along the pier. No fishing license is required to fish from the pier, but signs are posted on and around the cleaning stations identifying limitations on fishing activities, including size and species restrictions.

Just off Ventura, the fishing spots around the Channel Islands have actually improved in the past 20 years; added plus, around five years ago bluefin tuna began arriving in local waters. Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Anacapa islands are probably the best white sea bass fishery in Southern California. Also great for halibut. Fishing for swordfish has also gotten big, but it’s done by private boat only. Rockfish, whitefish, lingcod, and sheepshead fill a lot of coolers. What you catch off the islands often depends on the season. For instance, the first full moon closest to July 1 usually sees the white seabass action turn on. From spring to fall, yellowtail and calico bass fishing can be spectacular The late summer/early fall sees all the migratory predators like bluefin tuna and marlin pile up against the natural boundary formed by the islands and their associated underwater banks. It can get complicated. Just know that the Channel Islands are a terrific fishing spot near Ventura and Southern California.