The coast of Maryland is an incredible place to go fishing and crabbing and is known for its large and small mouth bass, bluefish, crappies, and of course crabs. Fishing is deeply ingrained in the culture of coastal Maryland and there are of course too many piers to count and visit, so we gathered the best fishing piers for you to enjoy all that the coast of Maryland has to offer.
From the popular fishing piers such as Matapeake State Park Fishing Pier, Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park, Solomons Island, and Ocean City Pier, to the smaller scenic spots such as Romancoke Pier, King’s Landing Pier, and Cox Point Park Pier, we’ve got you covered on all the information you need to start pulling fish out of the water!
Matapeake State Park Fishing Pier
Location: 1112 Romancoke Rd, Stevensville
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
This pier has one of the most beautiful scenic views. It looks out over Annapolis and has a fantastic view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The waters have a variety of fish such as rockfish, catfish, black drum, and perch. There is a beach by the pier and a clubhouse which features restrooms, a grill, and picnic areas. This pier really is the all in one package if you’re looking for a good spot to fish and to relax while doing it. However, being the all in one package also means that there is a little more traffic on the pier than some of the smaller locations on this list.
Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park
Location: 29761 Boling Broke Point Dr, Trappe
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
The Bill Burton Fishing Pier is one of the most unique piers in the state and is one of the longest as well. The pier was originally built in 1935 to be a bridge between Talbot county and Dorchester County over the Choptank River. Today it is one of the most popular fishing destinations in the state due to its abundant perch, striped bass, catfish, and croakers. This park also has plenty of park and picnic areas for you to enjoy your catch in, as well as a trail that loops around the park so that you can get a beautiful view of the Choptank River. With each side of the pier indifferent counties, each side almost has its own feel, despite sharing the same waters. This is a great location to sit back, enjoy the day, and fish out of the water one after the other.
Ocean City Fishing Pier
Location: 401 S Atlantic Ave, Ocean City
Opening hours: 7am to 12am
Cost: Free
This pier sets itself apart from the others by being one of the few piers that allows you to cast right out on the open ocean giving your hook access to rockfish, kingfish, bluefish, ling cod, and cobia. There is a local bait shop located right on the water and can supply everything you need to start casting. Off the pier there is a beautiful boardwalk with shops, restaurants, and amusement parks. This pier offers a little bit of everything and allows you to enjoy both the great fishing and the amazing Ocean City. If you’re looking to experience the classic Atlantic boardwalk experience while still reeling in fish as if you were on your local waters, this is the perfect pier for you.
Cox Point Park Pier
Location: 820 Riverside Dr, Essex
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
Cox Point Park Pier is a small and serene pier that is perfect for fishing and enjoying the view of the Back River. The pier is known by locals for its plentiful catfish and perch. This location is perfect for the fisherman looking to fish in peace and quiet. The park even has a boat ramp that is free of charge if you are looking to take to the water for the best catch. Nearby the pier there is a pavilion area and a playground which is great for bringing the kids along.
King’s Landing Park
Location: 3255 King’s Landing Rd, Huntingtown
Opening hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
King’s Landing Park hosts a pier that is 200 feet long and extends into the Patuxent River. Canoe and kayak access are available at the pier an there is a scenic boardwalk that gives a great view of the river. The park is well known for its river bass and catfish. The theme of this park is simplicity, lacking the restaurants, beaches, and other amenities of the other piers on this list. However, this mean that there is nothing to distract you from the fantastic fishing that this little pier has to offer. This pier is perfect for that fisherman looking to get right to the fishing and to experience that “local fishing spot” feeling while travelling.
Romancoke Pier
Location: 9700 Romancoke Rd, Stevensville
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
The Romancoke Pier is 600 feet long and offers a kayak ramp. This is one of the piers in Maryland that has less traffic, offering a scenic view and a quiet place to cast your pole. This pier has been known for its bass and catfish.
Solomons Island
Location: 14159 Solomons Island Rd S, Solomons
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
Solomons Island is a major boating hub located on the Patuxent River and has everything that you could want out of a fishing pier. It has a lively surrounding area with shops, restaurants specializing in seafood, parks, and historical sites such as the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge. This area is a popular tourist destination and fishing spot, boasting bluefish, bass, catfish, and perch. This pier is perfect for those who want more than just a fishing experience. This location is great for sampling all that Maryland’s coast has to offer.
North Beach Pier
Location: 9123 Atlantic Ave, North Beach
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: $15 dollar entrance fee for non-county residents
This pier has a scenic, small-town feel and offers an abundant amount of rockfish, bluefish, and perch. This pier does have a fee, but it is well worth it. The fishing is great, there is a beautiful flower-lined boardwalk, and there is a flawless beach next to the pier perfect for lounging after the big catch. Despite having a fee, this is one of the best piers for getting a scenic view, experiencing the small-town fishing vibe, as well as getting the benefits of a big fishing hub like Solomons Island with all there is to see in North Beach. This spot has a little bit of everything for the travelling angler.
Point Lookout Park Fishing Pier
Location: 11175 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
This park boasts a scenic pier between the peninsula of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. This pier is great for catching rockfish, bluefish, perch, and bass. The park is also a historical site as it was once a prison camp that imprisoned confederate soldiers during the Civil War. There is a museum on site for learning more about the Civil War and the prison camp itself. The view out on the Chesapeake bay and Potomac River is one of a kind and this park has an identity that sets itself apart. The pier that the park boasts has less traffic than the more popular piers on this list, but is also a bit more popular than the smaller piers on our list. This pier offers a quiet fishing spot, a little bit of history, and plenty of fish.
Jonas and Anne Catherine Green Park
Location: 2001 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Annapolis
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
This park is located on the Severn River and has a underwater, oyster-covered reef that attracts a wide variety of fish such as catfish, perch, and croakers. There are a number of parks along the waterfront and a picnic area near the pier which has grills so that you can fry up your catch right on the water while it is still fresh. If you’re still hungry, there’s a waterfront restaurant that offers a variety of seafood dishes. Unlike most of the other parks on this list, you will need a fishing license to fish from this pier.
Conclusion
Maryland is the perfect place if you’re looking for both a mix of river and ocean fishing. There are so many more piers than we were able to name in this list, the state is full of them! Each pier offers a little something different in terms of experience and fish, but all of them have beautiful scenic views and waters full of fish just waiting to be pulled out of the water. When it comes to choosing which piers you’d like to visit, I recommend narrowing down the variety of options by deciding on which kind of experience you’d like and, of course, which fish you’re trying to catch. With so many piers and species of fish, Maryland is the perfect place for the travelling angler.
