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Reports / California / San Francisco Bay
California · San Francisco Baysaltwater· April 9, 2026

Halibut Season Opens Strong in the Bay

California halibut moving onto the sandy flats in SF Bay. Drifting live bait and bouncing swimbaits both working.

Current Conditions

Water temp
56°F
Moon
Waxing Gibbous
Tide / flow
Outgoing tide creating current over flats
Weather
Foggy morning clearing to sun, W wind 10-15, 62°F

New to these readings? What do water temp, cfs, tide, and moon phase actually mean for fishing?

What's Biting

Hot

California Halibut

Live anchovies drifted on the bottom

Active

Striped Bass

Topwater in the delta

Active

Leopard Shark

Squid on bottom

What's Next

The halibut bite is ON inside the bay. Focus on the sandy flats south of the Bay Bridge. Drift with the tide and keep your bait near the bottom. This is the best window before fish disperse.

Context

SF Bay halibut fishing has been improving steadily with habitat restoration efforts.

This report is synthesized by Hooked Fisherman from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Source names are cited inline where they appear. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.