Operated by the City of San Diego and the Crystal Pier Motel

Location

From downtown San Diego take I-5 North to the Grand Ave/Garnet Ave exit. Merge onto Mission Bay Dr, turn left onto Grand Ave., turn right onto Mission Blvd., turn left onto Garnet Ave and take that to the Pier's Location at 4500 Ocean Blvd.

General Info

Crystal Pier is very unique compared to other piers in San Diego, and even in comparison to all the piers in California. It is the only pier with it's own hotel (more of a motel) thats actually on the pier.  Its a small pier, only being 872 feet long. It is located on a long sandy beach, with no rocks or reefs nearby. Because of its featureless beach, there is not as wide of variety of fish. However, it is probably the best pier in the County for catching sand dwelling species.

Schedule and Operating Hours

The pier is open from 7 am to sunset daily, but available to hotel guests 24 hours a day.

Facilities

Parking is limited here, with metered street parking available. During the summer when the beach is crowded, finding parking can be nearly impossible during the day. 

There are restrooms on the pier, scattered park-style benches, and one fish cleaning station. There is some lighting on the pier during the night hours, but not much.

Fishing Information

As mentioned above, there is not as many fish species available here as some of the other piers. This is due to the lack of rocks or reefs, and also that the pier is not very long. So you are mainly limited to inshore fishing in the surf for sand dwelling fish. The fishing though is very good here, and this is probably the best pier in the county for catching surf perch. Both barred surf perch and walleye surf perch are prevelant. Shovelnose guitarfish and halibut also patrol the surf line here.

There are some pelagic species to be found at the far end of the pier, but its simply not as deep as other piers. Leopard sharks and bat rays can be caught if you're prepared for them.

Special Regulations

Be sure to bring a valid California Fishing License with you when angling at the Cyrstal Pier. It is not officially listed as a public fishing pier where you are exempt from having to have a valid state fishing license.

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