Bluefin and albacore heating up off SoCal

What's Biting

What's Next

With water temps sitting at 61–62°F across our nearshore buoys and the offshore bite already firing to the south, the next several days hold real promise for anglers willing to make a run.

**Offshore tuna and pelagics:** Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes the spread of fish as extensive, with bluefin, yellowfin, and the first fleet albacore in years already in the books off San Diego. The article attributes the early push directly to "unseasonably warm waters off California's southern coast." These reports originate out of Mission Bay, but conditions tracking north mean boats based in San Pedro and Marina del Rey should have a realistic shot at reaching productive grounds on a day trip as the window matures. Keep an eye on sea-surface temperature charts — tuna are chasing warm-water edges, and a 2–3°F shift can move the bite zone quickly. Have surface iron, butterfly jigs, and pitch baits rigged and ready before departure.

**Yellowtail and dorado:** The same WON report puts yellowtail on 2–3 day trips working south, with early dorado making an appearance. For anglers running the Channel Islands, yellowtail are the classic early-season pelagic along island structure. Live sardine and mackerel are the primary offerings; iron jigs worked vertically along kelp edges and ledges are the proven fallback when live bait runs scarce. If warm water persists through the weekend, expect this fishery to strengthen meaningfully over the coming 2–3 weeks.

**Surf fishing:** Surf Fishing in So Cal's April season preview flags this as the ramp-up window for corbina and leopard sharks along SoCal beaches. The corbina run typically strengthens through May as nearshore temps climb above 60°F — we're right at that threshold now. The blog's corbina guide points to an 8'6" rod with 15 lb mono and live sand crabs or ghost shrimp fished in the wash; leopard sharks respond best to squid or mackerel chunks targeting the incoming tide from shore.

**Timing and tides:** Swell is running a manageable 3.3 feet per buoy 46221 and light winds are in the 2 m/s range at buoy 46025. The waning gibbous moon typically produces solid feeding windows in the first couple of hours after sunrise and again near last light. Plan offshore departures accordingly — early-morning runs give the best shot at reaching tuna grounds during peak morning activity.

Context

May in the LA Bight and around the Channel Islands traditionally marks the transition into warm-water pelagic season, but 2026 is running noticeably ahead of schedule. Bluefin tuna within day-trip range is typically a late-May or June development in most years — Western Outdoor News — Saltwater specifically calls out "unseasonably warm waters" as the driver, with a separate piece raising the possibility of El Niño conditions behind the heat. If that El Niño framing holds, historical precedent for SoCal is encouraging: warm El Niño years tend to push tuna and yellowtail into accessible range earlier, extend the dorado window northward, and occasionally bring wahoo into Channel Islands territory. The caveat is that warm El Niño conditions can scatter bait unevenly, making structure-oriented fishing — island kelp beds, seamounts, offshore banks — more reliable than blind trolling over open water.

Our nearshore buoy readings at 61–62°F sit at the warm end of the typical early-May range for the LA Bight, which historically runs 58–63°F at the surface this time of year. Offshore temperatures are likely warmer than the nearshore buoys reflect, which aligns with the pelagic activity being reported in the fleet counts to the south.

For surf anglers, corbina and leopard sharks are reliably on the May calendar, but Surf Fishing in So Cal's April season preview suggests 2026 is tracking early — consistent with the broader warm-water pattern across the region. No direct year-over-year catch comparisons are available in the current angler-intel feeds, but the directional signals from both the offshore and inshore sides point to a season that is at minimum on pace, and more likely running 2–3 weeks ahead of an average year. Anglers who typically wait until late May to target pelagics offshore have reason to move that window forward this season.