Oceanside Beach Surf Fishing: Complete Guide & How-To

Like many north county beaches in San Diego, Oceanside beach is made up of a few smaller beaches. From south to north, Oceanside begins at St. Malo Beach at the border of Oceanside and Carlsbad and ends at Oceanside Harbor Beach. Tides play an important factor when it comes to Oceanside beach surf fishing but so do a number of factors. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about surf fishing Oceanside Beach.

Overview of Oceanside Beach Surf Fishing

Parking Info	Free and Paid – Medium Difficulty
Ease of Access	Very Easy to Mild Easy with Small Staircases
Tides	100 yards south of pier requires below 2-3 ft. Pier and north can take higher tides.
Crowds	Crowded by pier but low crowds south by rocks and houses
Terrain Type	South is all pebbly and backed by rocks/houses at anything above a 2ft tide. North is sandier.
No Fishing Areas	None
Recommended Gear and Tackle	Surf Fishing Gear and Tackle

Parking at Oceanside Beaches

Below is a quick break down of all the beaches in Oceanside with some parking recommendations. This info may change with time so take it as it is.

St. Malo Beach: A private beach below St. Malo community featuring a quiet, scenic shoreline. No public parking available but it can be accessed from north or south via sand at a lower tide.

Cassidy Street Beach: Street parking is available in the nearby residential areas, though it may be limited on busy days.

Buccaneer Beach: This cozy beach offers a park with a playground, picnic tables, and grassy areas. A small, free lot is available at 1501 Pacific Street, with some additional street parking in the area.

Oceanside Blvd Beach: Limited street parking is available on Pacific Street and nearby residential areas.

Wisconsin Street Beach: Metered parking is available in Lot 29 along North Strand, with street parking nearby on Wisconsin Street and surrounding residential streets.

Oceanside Pier: Multiple parking options include Lot 29 near North Strand and Pier View Way, the Pier View South Lot on Myers Street, and both free and metered street parking options.

Breakwater Way Beach: Family-friendly with a peaceful atmosphere, Breakwater Way Beach is ideal for beach volleyball and relaxing. Paid parking is available in Lot 20 at 998 North Pacific Street, with some street parking nearby.

Oceanside Harbor Beach: The largest beach in the area, Oceanside Harbor Beach has wide sandy areas, picnic spots, and easy access to Oceanside Harbor Village. Several harbor lots offer both paid and free options, with Lots 1, 8A, and 8B offering two hours of free parking, extended free hours at certain times, and Lot 1 allowing up to 72 hours.

Surf Fishing Guided Session

Oceanside Surf Fishing YouTube Video

What Fish Can You Catch Surf Fishing in Oceanside

Just about all of Oceanside is open sandy terrain with the exception of a few jetties and the naturally pebbly shoreline at higher tides. This beach primarily holds species like corbina, spotfin croaker, barred and walleye surf perch, yellowfin croaker, guitarfish and more. Where there’s sand, you’ll find these species in San Diego. You can also find halibut here but it wouldn’t be my first option.

Common Species	Peak Season	General Season
California Corbina	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Spotfin Croaker	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Yellowfin Croaker	May-Aug	May-Oct
Barred Surfperch	Nov-Apr	Year-Round
Walleye Surfperch	Nov-Apr	Year-Round
Shovelnose Guitarfish	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Sting Ray (Round Ray)	Jun-Aug	Year-Round
Bat Ray	Jun-Aug	Year-Round
Leopard Shark	May-Aug	Apr-Oct
California Halibut	Jan-May	Year-Round
Soupfin Shark	Mar-Jul	Year-Round

Bait and Gear & Tackle For Each Species

Corbina/Croaker/Perch

From May through August, sand crabs should be your number one choice of bait for all the light tackle species (corbina, croaker etc.). As mentioned above, target these species where its sandy whoich is just about everywhere in Oceanside. If sand crabs aren’t available (usually from October-April), opt for clams or mussel meat. See the drop-down below for my exact gear and tackle for light tackle surf fishing.

Lure Species (Halibut/Basses)

For lures, jerkbaits are probably the best choice for a beach like Oceanside. As mentioned in similar articles, the denser the reef and structure, the more likely I am to choose swimbaits over jerkbaits which is why there really isn’t any need for swimbaits here. See the drop-down below for my exact gear and tackle for lure surf fishing.

Sharks

Sharking here for me just depends on the time of year, time of day, tides and crowds. The Pontos area below the campground will remain the least crowded but it can’t hold as a high a tide as the north section (city beach). Both of these are good for sharks though. Avoid Terramar for sharking. See the drop-down below for my exact gear and tackle for light tackle surf fishing.

Where to Legally Fish in Oceanside

Oceanside Beach surf fishing is legal for the whole stretch of sand. You’re good to fish with no worries of MLPAs or any other added restrictions.

Tides for Fishing Oceanside Beaches

As mentioned earlier, south of the pier gets real dicey when the tide comes above 2 feet. You end up getting pushed up against boulders and you have to stand on pebbles etc. If the tide is above 2 feet, you’re best off fishing near the pier or north of it.

Beach	Max Tide Height To Fish
St. Malo	2 ft
Cassidy Street	2 ft
Buccaneer	2ft
Oceanside Blvd	2 ft
Wisconsin Street	2-3 ft
Oceanside Pier	Any Tide
Breakwater Way	Any Tide
Harbor Beach	Any Tide