Salmon bite improves off Half Moon Bay as NorCal seas run rough
Captain Jared Davis aboard the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay reports vastly improved salmon conditions below Pigeon Point, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. Water has cooled to 54°F from the 58°F reading logged at the April 11 season opener — the four-degree drop pushed bonita offshore but firmed up the chinook bite. Unfortunately, NOAA buoy 46013 off Bodega recorded 10.5-foot seas and 10 m/s winds Monday morning, and buoy 46026 showed comparable 9.5-foot swells, keeping most private vessels at the dock. A New Moon phase now underway sharpens tidal swings and can improve low-light bite windows for both offshore and bay-side anglers when conditions allow a run. Inside SF Bay, halibut and striped bass should be in their typical late-spring pattern along channel ledges, though no specific charter or shop reports for bay-side action came through this cycle's feeds. Watch for the next swell window before booking an offshore run.
Current Conditions
- Moon
- New Moon
- Tide / flow
- 10.5-ft seas at buoy 46013 and 9.5-ft swells at buoy 46026 severely limiting offshore access; New Moon spring tides producing strong tidal swings inside the Bay.
- Weather
- Winds running 9–10 m/s with 9–10-foot seas; check local marine forecast before heading out.
New to these readings? What do water temp, cfs, tide, and moon phase actually mean for fishing?
What's Biting
Chinook Salmon
trolling south of Pigeon Point in 54°F upwelling-cooled water
Striped Bass
live bait on channel ledges during ebb tide movement
Rockfish
nearshore reef structure once swell moderates
Pacific Halibut
bottom fishing along deeper bay channel edges
What's Next
**Offshore salmon:** Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's report from Captain Davis indicates the salmon bite below Pigeon Point has improved markedly since the season opener, with water temperatures settling around 54°F after a four-degree cool-down from the warm early-season readings. If the current swell — 10.5 feet at NOAA buoy 46013 and 9.5 feet at buoy 46026 as of Monday morning — eases into the 4-to-6-foot range over the next 48–72 hours, trolling runs south of Pigeon Point should become viable for adequately equipped boats. The Bodega Bay corridor can see afternoon sea breezes freshen conditions quickly even on otherwise calm days; early departures before 7 a.m. tend to offer the cleanest offshore window.
**New Moon tidal influence:** A New Moon drives stronger tidal swings, which concentrate baitfish in rips and channel edges. In SF Bay, the outgoing ebb sweeping through the central bay and the Gate is historically a productive window for striped bass and halibut. Anglers working live bait along channel ledges and the deeper bay structure should target the first and last hour of each major tidal movement for the best action.
**Nearshore rockfish:** Late May is typically a productive month for black rockfish and vermilion along NorCal reef structure south of Bodega Bay, and lingcod-adjacent nearshore grounds from Half Moon Bay northward should fish well once the swell moderates. No fleet-specific reports emerged this cycle, but the seasonal window is open and conditions will cooperate when the ocean lays down.
**Weekend outlook:** If the current swell tracks through by Thursday or Friday, the weekend could deliver the first clean offshore window in several days. New Moon spring tides run strongest through midweek, then ease slightly toward the weekend — which may stabilize the bay bite into a more predictable rhythm by Saturday and Sunday. Salmon anglers targeting the Pigeon Point zone should plan early starts and watch for signs of the upwelling current that has been cooling the water and concentrating the bait stack offshore.
Context
Late May sits in a well-established window in the Northern California saltwater calendar. The recreational salmon season off Half Moon Bay typically opens in April and builds toward summer, with the offshore bite often improving as cold upwelling pushes in from the north and cools the nearshore zone. Captain Davis's reported four-degree temperature drop — from 58°F at the April 11 opener to 54°F by mid-May — aligns with normal late-spring upwelling patterns that concentrate baitfish and make chinook salmon more accessible to anglers working the productive grounds south of Pigeon Point.
The departure of bonita is consistent with that same seasonal transition. Warm-water species generally require sea surface temperatures well above the mid-50s, so as the nearshore zone cools into the low-to-mid 50s the bonita fishery contracts. Per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, this is precisely what occurred between early April and mid-May — a textbook late-spring shift driven by upwelling, not an anomaly.
Rough mid-May seas — nearly 10-foot swells at both the Bodega Bay corridor and offshore buoys — are not unusual for this time of year. Late-season low-pressure systems can still drive significant swell into the NorCal coast before the summer high-pressure ridge establishes itself along the California coast. The Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay charter fleets are experienced at reading those weather windows and adjusting run plans accordingly.
No direct year-over-year comparison data for 2026 is available in this cycle's intel feeds, so it is not possible to say definitively whether this season is running early, late, or on schedule. The temperature trajectory described by Captain Davis is broadly consistent with a normal upwelling-driven spring. Anglers wanting a longer historical baseline should follow landing reports from the Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay party-boat fleets as the season develops through June.
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.