The Outer Banks is one of the best places on the East Coast to fish from a pier. Use the map below to find every ocean fishing pier along the OBX, with locations, hours, daily fees, and what is typically biting at each spot.
Open this map full-screen in Google Maps — handy for saving it offline before you lose signal.
Tide state makes or breaks pier and surf fishing — check today’s local tables at our tide site OBX Tide Charts before you head out.
Outer Banks Fishing Piers (North to South)
The best-kept secret of OBX pier fishing: you don’t need a fishing license. Every operating pier carries a blanket license — your pier pass covers you the moment you pay it. Day passes run roughly $12–15 for adults (kids fish cheaper, often free under 5), rod rentals about $20–30 where offered, and king-rig fees extra on the kingfish piers. In peak season some piers run all night; off-season, roughly dawn to 10 p.m. Prices and hours drift season to season — the pier house always has the current answer.
- Kitty Hawk Pier (MP 1) — The exception: hotel-operated with limited public access, better known today for events and its surf cam than walk-on fishing. Check with the pier before planning to fish it.
- Avalon Fishing Pier (Kill Devil Hills, MP 6) — The 1958 classic: 696 feet of weathered wood with an arcade, bait shop, and the Stonefish Bar upstairs looking over the Atlantic. Summer hours run early-morning to late-night, and it’s one of the kingfish piers — August king runs start before sunrise.
- Nags Head Fishing Pier (MP 11.5) — 750 feet with the Pier House Cafe and the Off the Hook Beach Bar at its foot. Under new ownership and open as of July 2026: the fishing pier runs 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily with pier passes and a tackle shop on-site, and the live HD pier cam is back up.
- Jennette’s Pier (Nags Head, MP 16.5) — The flagship: 1,000 feet of hurricane-proof concrete run by the NC Aquarium — part fishing pier, part education center, with a bathhouse, exhibits, and a Fishing 101 program that includes gear, bait, and the fishing fee. Open year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas; 6 a.m.–10 p.m. May through October.
- Outer Banks Fishing Pier (South Nags Head, MP 18.5) — The quiet end’s pier — tackle shop, gift shop, and Fish Heads Bar & Grill built right on it. Seasonally open around the clock, and the after-fishing hangout is already on our restaurants map.
- Rodanthe Pier (Hatteras Island) — Deep water close to the pilings and a fraction of the northern crowds — the anglers’ favorite for spring and fall runs. Rod rentals at the tackle shop; rebuilt after every storm that’s tried to take it.
- Avon Fishing Pier (Hatteras Island) — The big-drum pier — about 600 feet, open seasonally since 1963, with tackle, snacks, and the island’s most serious fall fishing.
Pier details last verified July 2026 — fees and hours change seasonally; the pier’s own phone or site is the final word.
Pier Fishing Tips for the OBX
What you can catch by season, whether you need a fishing license when fishing from a pier, gear basics, and the best times of day to fish. Check our Outer Banks Tide Charts to time your trip with the tides.
More OBX Guides
Planning the rest of your trip? See our Outer Banks Beaches, Outer Banks Restaurants, and Outer Banks Lighthouses guides, or browse all our Things to Do in the Outer Banks.
Want to check conditions before you drive out? Our Outer Banks webcams guide links the live pier cams at Nags Head, Avalon, and Avon.