Salmon bite sharpens as cool upwelling grips the NorCal coast

What's Biting

What's Next

The key variable over the next few days is whether the cool upwelling water holding in the low-to-mid 50s persists along the coast. If it does — and buoy 46026's 53°F reading suggests it is well-established — Chinook salmon should stay concentrated on productive temperature fronts from Half Moon Bay northward toward the Bodega grounds.

For salmon, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater quotes Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady explaining that the 4-degree cool-down has transformed the bite below Pigeon Point. He notes the water 'looks different' when upwelling kicks in, and that visible color break — where green upwelled water meets warmer blue offshore water — is the signal to prioritize. Troll herring or anchovies along that interface starting at dawn and work through the first tidal change. The Last Quarter moon produces moderate current rather than the extreme rips of a full or new moon, which keeps bait positioned predictably along temperature edges and is generally favorable for methodical trolling.

Striper fishing in San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay should build as May progresses. The classic spring setup is an early-morning outgoing tide, working swimbaits or live anchovies through current seams at major Bay approaches and the broad flats beyond. No specific striper reports landed in this week's intel, but seasonal timing places fish firmly in position throughout the month — expect action to improve on each succeeding tide as baitfish stage more densely.

Rockfish and lingcod on the Bodega shelf and outer Bay reefs are typically productive in May as lingcod return to aggressive post-spawn feeding. Anglers planning these trips should verify current bag limits and area-specific depth rules with California state regulations before heading out — the NorCal rockfish complex carries zone-specific rules that can shift by management period.

For the weekend: buoy 46013 recorded 10 m/s (roughly 19 knots) overnight, so plan for afternoon sea breeze building on exposed grounds. Salmon trips should depart before dawn to catch the morning calm window. If winds ease by mid-morning Saturday, the incoming flood tide could line up well for nearshore rockfish and Bay stripers on structure.

Context

May is historically one of the most productive months for the Northern California saltwater fishery. Chinook salmon season typically opens in mid-to-late April in this zone, and by May the fleet is running at full capacity along the coast from Half Moon Bay northward to Bodega Bay. The current 53–54°F water temperatures sit squarely in the preferred Chinook range; these fish become less active when surface temps push above 58–60°F, making the present cool readings a meaningful advantage.

What stands out about this spring, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, is the trajectory. The season opened unusually warm — 58°F below Pigeon Point in mid-April — which suppressed early Chinook action and brought bonito into the picture instead. The subsequent 4–5 degree cool-down to the mid-50s marks a material improvement and is consistent with coastal upwelling engaging more forcefully in recent weeks. A robust upwelling year concentrates anchovies and sardines closer to the surface and inshore, stacking salmon in range of the fleet — exactly the pattern described in the Half Moon Bay fleet reports.

For striped bass, May is the traditional heart of the spring SF Bay run. Fish move up from the lower Bay into San Pablo Bay and the delta corridor as shallow-water temperatures rise and baitfish stage on tidal flats. Historical patterns in this region place May among the most consistent months of the year for Bay stripers.

No direct comparative anomaly data is available from this week's intel for the Bodega rockfish and lingcod grounds specifically, so the honest read is that this season appears on-schedule or slightly ahead given the productive upwelling signal. If current temperature conditions hold, the window from now through mid-June is typically the most productive stretch of the NorCal saltwater season before summer fog and persistent northwest wind patterns intensify.