Stripers and blues swarm SoCal Bight amid warm late-summer water

What's biting

What's next

Expect the warm-water pattern to hold through the weekend, with both CO-OPS stations still reading in the mid-to-upper 70s and keeping the coastal push of stripers and blues active close to shore per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's account.

The waxing gibbous moon builds toward full over the next several days, typically strengthening tidal exchange along the Bight and worth planning around for the weekend push. Surf Fishing in So Cal notes that king tide events later in the tide calendar can meaningfully swing surf conditions, worth tracking as the fall tide cycle develops.

Anglers working the surf and nearshore structure should watch for stronger exchange to concentrate bait and predators tighter to structure as the moon fills out.

Context

Water in the upper 70s at this point in September is consistent with a warm-water pattern for the LA Bight and Channel Islands, which typically holds late-summer surface temperatures into early fall before a cooling trend sets in through October. The region is in its late-summer-to-fall transition window, when coastal species pushes can extend later than usual if surface temps stay elevated.