About the Public Access Fishing Site Register

NOAA Fisheries estimates recreational fishing catch by surveying a random sample of anglers as they complete their fishing trips. Helping us determine where to send our samplers is the public access fishing site register.

Maintained by NOAA Fisheries, in cooperation with our state and regional partners, this register provides detailed information about every publicly accessible fishing site including marinas, boat ramps, piers, beaches and jetties.

The register is a comprehensive, online database of public recreational fishing sites on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts (Maine through Mississippi), and Puerto Rico.

How to Use the Site Register

NOAA Fisheries created the register as part of our program for gathering catch data. All the characteristics we collect tell us something we need to know about each site – such as how often people fish during different parts of the year, what types of fishing occur, and what amenities might attract anglers to visit – to ensure that we’re getting an accurate picture of all the fishing activity that’s taking place. That, in turn, enables us to properly sample the activity and produce representative estimates.

The site register is also available as a resource for anglers and others. All the information in the register is available for public use or repurposing. If we can help you to share the register with your stakeholders, please let us know.

Send Us Updates

Working together, we can keep this register accurate and updated. If you see information that doesn’t look right, or if you’re aware of a fishing site we don’t have listed, please let us know and we’ll investigate. Email us at SR.Admin@noaa.gov.