San Onofre & North County Surf
San Onofre / Oceanside · near Oceanside / San Clemente · San Diego
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Corbina/croaker summer · perch year-round
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required for surf fishing. The long sandy beaches of northern San Diego County (San Onofre, Oceanside, Carlsbad) are prime surf-trio water. Sand crabs are the key bait. Some stretches are within state beaches (parking fees).
What is here
- Features
- Prime North County surf-trio sand · Corbina, croaker & perch · Long, uncrowded beaches · Summer surf action
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Fishing detail
- Water type
- surf
- Water
- salt
- Methods
- Surf casting · Bait
- Boat
- shore
- Target species
- Barred surfperch · California corbina · Spotfin & yellowfin croaker · Halibut
- Intl tip
- License required. Chase the surf trio (perch, corbina, spotfin croaker) with fresh sand crabs dug on the beach. Fish the troughs, cuts, and incoming tide, dawn/dusk. Long uncrowded beaches; some are state beaches (parking fees). Summer for corbina. Combine with the North County beach towns. Rewards stealth and patience.
The guide
The long, sandy beaches of northern San Diego County — San Onofre, Oceanside, Carlsbad — are some of the best surf-fishing sand…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to San Onofre & North County Surf — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.372, -117.566