Surf-zone fishes in Daechon Beach, situated at the mouth of Cheonsu Bay, Korea, were collected by a beach seine during the spring and neap tides in August 1999. Short-term variation in species composition was analyzed based on tidal range, tidal level, and time of day. Of 24 species identified, juvenile pelagic fishes predominated in the number of individuals captured. Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that the number of individuals was significantly higher during the spring tide than during the neap tide. During the spring tide the fishes were more abundant at the low level than at the high level, while during the neap tide there was no significant difference. The mean density of pelagic fishes did not show significant differences between high and low tides. Demersal fishes were caught mainly in the water below the low level of the neap tide.