Is there a best time of day to look for pier fishes?

[Skyfall]

I need one more fish from the pier, it’s available all day. But is there a time of the day when other fishes don’t spawn as much? Or is it pure luck?

 

[raqball]

Not on my Island... It's random but you can increase chances using bait...

 

[Clock]

The pier fishes are all day, its based on random chance and luck, but like what the other poster said, you can use bait to increase the chance of pier fish.

 

[Insulaire]

Go fishing on mystery islands instead-- much higher rate of spawning and rare fish. You can use bait there but you really don't need to, there will be a new dock fish on one of the three sides in the time it takes to circle the beach and back

 

[Rosch]

And speaking of mystery islands, you might luck out and get the Big Fish island where only large fish can be caught.

...or get the worst luck and have the trash/sea bass-only islands.

 

[th8827]

On the Mystery Island, the area around the plane counts as the pier.

 

[texas toast]

I'm not sure if this is actually true or not, but I have found that when it's raining I catch a lot more rarer fish on the pier, I also use bait which helps a lot.

 

[Skyfall]

Thanks guys! Will try mystery island.