Venice Fishing Pier

Pier in Sarasota nearshore waters

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NearshoreUpdated October 11, 2026

Access
From shore
Best months
March to July, September to November
Species
Spanish mackerel, King mackerel (kingfish), Snook, Sheepshead, Mangrove (gray) snapper, Florida pompano, Cobia

The City of Venice's pier on the south beach, which the Coast Pilot calls one of the few prominent features on this stretch of coast: 720 feet long, about 2.5 miles south of Venice Inlet, with two fixed red lights reported at its end. NOAA's Venice weather station (VENF1) is at the pier, and NOAA's elevation model shows about 13 feet at the end. The end was damaged in the 2024 hurricanes; repairs kept the original piles, caps and beams, replaced the decking, railings and end, and the pier fully reopened on September 29, 2025.

How to fish it

Throw small spoons or fish natural baits from the end for Spanish mackerel in spring and fall. FWC notes kingfish are often around piers. Fish the pilings for sheepshead and snapper, and the surf near the beach for pompano and snook. Tarpon pass by in summer, but FWC recommends not targeting them from piers, because a big fish can't be landed without leaving a long trailing line. Read the posted pier rules before you rig.

Watch out for: Crowded in season, with spray and rough surf in onshore wind; the pier may close for storms or repairs. A city and Army Corps renourishment project from the South Jetty to just past the pier began in late May 2026, with moving work zones and some parking closed. Boaters should stay well off the pier and the anglers' lines.
Rules here: FWC's line between its Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor regions (27°04.727' N) is about 0.4 mile north of the pier, so Charlotte Harbor rules apply to snook, redfish and trout caught here. FWC's shore-based shark rules apply on piers, local news reported in 2019 that the city banned shark fishing from this pier, and the city posts its own pier rules, so read them before you go. The rules to check in Sarasota nearshore waters

Wind and waves

Now and the next 48 hours, at the middle of Venice Fishing Pier

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On the map

Venice Fishing Pier and the places around it

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Position

It's drawn on the map as a line.

Not for navigation: check it against a current chart before you rely on it.

Places nearby

The closest named places, as the crow flies

Check the rules before you keep a fish. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change, sometimes at short notice. Our "Can you keep it today?" lists give them as of the day we last checked; these are the official pages.