Where to Fish from Point Lookout

Point Lookout sits on the west side of Jones Inlet, with the Atlantic on one side and Reynolds Channel on the other, so the ocean beach, the inlet and the bay are all close at hand. From shore, the Town of Hempstead lists Town Park at Point Lookout as a surf-fishing location and runs a fishing pier at the West Marina on the bay. The Super Hawk party boat sails from the East Marina on Lido Blvd, and anyone 16 or older fishing from shore or a private boat needs New York's free marine fishing registry.

Before you cast: the marine registry

New York has no saltwater fishing license. It has the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, which anglers 16 and older must join to fish for saltwater species. The registry is free, though a license agent may charge a $1 print fee and online or phone enrollment carries a $2 print-and-mail fee unless you choose email. It lasts 365 days. Enroll online through DEC, by phone at 1-866-933-2257, or at the Hempstead Town Clerk's office (516-812-3513), and carry the card while you fish. It is not needed aboard a licensed party or charter boat.

Town Park at Point Lookout: surfcasting

The Town's 2026 fishing brochure lists Town Park at Point Lookout, on Lido Blvd, as a surf-fishing location. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (May 23 to September 7 in 2026), Town beaches are open only to Town of Hempstead and Nassau County residents, with a NYS DMV license or ID as proof, and parking is charged. Check the Town's beach page for this season's rules and fees. The Town does not publish night-fishing hours for the park, so call 516-431-3900 before planning an evening on the sand.

Jones Inlet

NOAA's Coast Pilot calls Jones Inlet the principal entrance from the Atlantic to the inside passages of Hempstead Bay, used mostly by pleasure craft and fishermen. The Army Corps of Engineers dates the east jetty, on the Jones Beach side, to 1951; the Point Lookout Historical Society records 1953, the date the village gives the west jetty on its own side. DEC says blackfish are "commonly found around natural and artificial structures," and black sea bass at "rock bottoms near pilings, wrecks, and jetties." The Town publishes no public-access rule for the Point Lookout jetty, which sits at the east end beside Civic Beach, free for Point Lookout residents through the Civic Association. Check access with the Point Lookout Civic Association or Town Park (516-431-3900) before fishing near it; the rocks are slick and uneven, so wear cleats and never fish them alone or after dark. Long Beach tells its beachgoers to stay off its jetties altogether. The houses that face this water are covered in our guide to living on the inlet.

The bay side: West Marina fishing pier

The Curtis E. Fisher West Marina Fishing Pier, 1401 Lido Blvd, sits on Reynolds Channel. The Town lists fishing, a boat launch ramp, parking, restrooms and water there (516-431-9200). The marina season runs April 1 to November 30 and pier hours are not published, so call ahead outside those months. More on this shoreline in our guide to living on the bay.

Bait, fuel and rental boats on Bayside Drive

Ted's Fishing Station, 143 Bayside Drive (516-431-4193), sells fuel, bait and tackle, rents boats and books charters. Long-time residents knew it as Ed's. In season Ted's also runs The Shell Shack bar and food truck, Thursday and Friday from 3pm and weekends from noon. Ted's does not publish its rental boat sizes, so call before you book. Scotty's on the Bay (the old Scotty's Fishing Station), 72 Bayside Drive, has been on the water since 1929, with a fuel dock and bait and tackle; its site says free boat docking is available until 6pm, a courtesy for diners in season, not public dockage.

Nickerson Beach and Long Beach

Nassau County's Nickerson Beach Park (officially Eugene H. Nickerson Memorial Beach) is at 880 Lido Blvd in Lido Beach (516-571-7700 in summer, 516-933-4444 in winter). Nassau County sells a seasonal fishing permit for the 6pm-8am hours; residents need a Leisure Pass for resident rates, and it isn't sold at the beach. Check Nassau County Parks for this year's permit and fee. A few miles west, the City of Long Beach does not permit fishing on its surfing beaches.

Jones Beach, across the inlet

Jones Beach State Park allows fishing at Field 6, Field 10 and West End 2 from April 1 to December 31; in January only Green Island is open. Night fishing, and fishing at Green Island and the Work Docks, needs a Night Sport Fishing permit, listed at $35 with a New York driver's license and $60 out of state; check NYS Parks for the current fee. Field 10 has fishing piers and a bait and tackle shop, with fishing and crabbing until sunset. There is no driving on the sand at Jones Beach; Parks says plainly there are no drive-on locations there.

Farther east: Gilgo and Captree

For beach buggies, the NYS Parks 4WD Beach Access permit, for fishing only, covers Gilgo from April 1 to December 31, around the clock, according to the 2026 Long Island Permits Guide. It needs a vehicle registration, a driver's license and a marine registry number, is sold in winter through March 31 and again from the Tuesday after Labor Day, not in summer (see the guide for exact dates), and comes with a required gear list, from shovel to tow rope. Call the Robert Moses office at 631-669-0449 for current access. At the end of Ocean Parkway, Captree State Park has two large fishing piers and what Parks calls the largest public fishing fleet on Long Island (park 631-669-0449; fleet information 631-669-6464, captreefleet.com).

Party boats and charters

The Super Hawk is the charter the Town lists as leaving from Point Lookout. It sails from the Angie M. Cullin East Marina, 1501 Lido Blvd; the Town lists it as a 75-foot boat for 130, with moonlight sails. It runs twice-daily trips May through October, so call about the off-season. Trips include bait, tackle and rods, the crew targets sea bass, fluke, porgies and bonito, and reservations are by phone with a credit card (516-607-3004). See its site for current trips and fares.

The larger fleet is on Freeport's Woodcleft Canal, the Nautical Mile. Captain Lou Fleet, 31 Woodcleft Ave (516-623-5823), runs the Captain Lou VII, Starstream VIII, Atlantic Pearl, Mama Lou and Contender for half- and full-day fishing, night trips, whale watching and sunset cruises. The Town lists the Atlantic Pearl, whose tuna trips start in September, as sailing from 111 Woodcleft Ave, so confirm your boat's dock when you book. The Freeport Gem, which the Town lists as a 75-foot private charter boat for 140, docks at 540 Guy Lombardo Ave; call 516-369-1646 for group size.

Running the inlet by boat

Both Town marinas sit at the inlet end of Reynolds Channel, a short run from the ocean. NOAA's Coast Pilot warns that Jones Inlet should not be attempted without local knowledge, because the channel and depths are constantly changing, and in May 2025 The Fisherman quoted a local charter captain who said following the markers could lead into the inlet's shallowest water, that shoaling was causing breaking waves mid-channel, and that he knew of multiple boats that had hit bottom. Conditions shift; check the Coast Guard's current Local Notices to Mariners. Inside, a 5 mph limit is enforced in Reynolds Channel between Middle Island and Point Lookout. NOAA tide station 8516385, Jones Inlet (Point Lookout), gives the predictions.

New York's Brianna's Law requires anyone running a motorboat, jet skis included, to carry a state-approved safe boating certificate; NYS Parks says renters 18 and older may take out a rental boat without one after the dock's safety briefing.

Where to dock

The Town's Department of Conservation and Waterways, 1401 Lido Blvd (516-431-9200), runs both Point Lookout marinas, and slip applications, payments and transient requests go through the Town's online marina portal.

• Curtis E. Fisher West Marina, 1401 Lido Blvd: 175 slips, a launch ramp for boats up to 21 feet, a kayak launch and the fishing pier. Dockmaster 516-897-4127.
• Angie M. Cullin East Marina, 1501 Lido Blvd: 182 slips plus two commercial fishing slips, free self-serve pump-out and free EV charging. Dockmaster 516-897-4128.
• Transient slips: the Town lists five at the West Marina, based on availability; order one through the portal or call the West Marina dockmaster. Water and electric are available but not guaranteed.

Both marinas run April 1 to November 30. Town residents get priority for seasonal slips; ask Conservation and Waterways (516-431-9200) about non-resident availability and this season's fees. In Freeport, the Village of Freeport runs the Guy Lombardo Marina (516-518-8146). On the water, the Town Bay Constables are at 516-897-4100 and the Coast Guard's Jones Beach station at 516-785-2995.

What runs when

According to DEC's saltwater fish pages, striped bass migrate north in spring and back south in fall, fluke come inshore in spring, bluefish arrive in spring and summer, porgies come inshore in spring, black sea bass come inshore in summer and move offshore in winter, and blackfish come inshore in spring and move off as the water cools through fall. Seasons, sizes and limits change; DEC last revised its saltwater regulations on May 12, 2026. For blackfish, the south shore is DEC's New York Bight region, not Long Island Sound, and the dates differ, so take them from DEC.

Illustration: a striped bass on a boat. Not a photograph of a Point Lookout catch or boat.

Common questions

Do I need a fishing license in Point Lookout? Not a license, but anglers 16 and older must join New York's free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry. It is not required aboard a licensed party or charter boat.

Can you surf fish at Point Lookout? The Town lists Town Park as a surf-fishing location, but from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Town beaches are open only to Hempstead Town and Nassau County residents with proof of residency. Check the Town's beach page for this season's rules and fees, and call 516-431-3900 about night hours.

Can I fish the beaches in Long Beach? Not the surfing beaches; the City does not permit fishing on them.

Can I drive on the beach to fish? Not at Jones Beach. Gilgo allows it with a NYS Parks 4WD fishing permit.

Where can I keep a boat in Point Lookout? At the Town's West or East Marina on Lido Blvd, April 1 to November 30, through Conservation and Waterways at 516-431-9200.

Which tide station covers Point Lookout? NOAA station 8516385, Jones Inlet (Point Lookout).

The rest of what we keep on hand for neighbors, from the tide gauges to the Town's numbers, is on our Essentials page. If a season on the water appeals, start with our rentals; if you already own here and wonder what the house is worth, ask us or call (516) 476-2009.

Photo at top: Point Lookout from the air: the village, the Town Park and Jones Inlet. Point Realty drone photograph.