California fishing reports
410 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
SoCal May Surge: Surf Bite Builds as Early Tuna Push Into Range
Water temps holding at 64°F across LA Bight buoy stations are energizing a surf bite that Surf Fishing in So Cal describes as 'starting to come together in a big way' after a patchy April, with the best fishing of the season potentially still ahead. Corbina and leopard shark headline the inshore action along Southern California beaches, with corbina responding well to sand crab presentations during calm mid-tide windows. Offshore, the headline story is an unusually early pelagic push: Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reported bluefin and yellowfin tuna already within one-day range southwest of San Diego by late April, with the first San Diego fleet albacore in several years gaffed April 30 aboard the Tribute out of Mission Bay. The same source flagged California water temps running 10-plus degrees above normal — anomalous even by El Niño standards — raising genuine optimism for early yellowtail and pelagic action extending into Channel Islands range. Waxing crescent moon provides favorable low-light windows through the end of the week.
Central Coast salmon bite improves below Pigeon Point as spring upwelling kicks in
Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, working out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, reports vastly improved salmon conditions below Pigeon Point — water temperatures have settled at 54°F, down from the 58°F recorded when the season opened April 11, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. The cooler shift pushed bonita out of the area but is drawing salmon back into productive range. NOAA buoys confirm the trend: buoy 46026 recorded 50°F surface water with 6.9-foot wave heights Tuesday morning, buoy 46042 read 51°F with 7 m/s winds, and buoy 46028 showed warmer 59°F water farther south — a temperature gradient worth tracking as the season builds. Rough offshore seas are a real factor this week, giving larger charter vessels a clear advantage when swell is elevated. A waxing crescent moon brings modest tidal movement, which typically concentrates bait along kelp edges and rocky structure through the weekend.
Delta striper and bass season hits stride amid strong tidal-reversal flows
USGS gauge 11455420 recorded a reverse flow of -54,800 cfs in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on May 18 — a strong tidal-push signature that shifts fish out of main channels and into protected secondary sloughs, tule banks, and dock structures. Water temperature data was unavailable this cycle. Delta-specific angler intel did not come through in this feed window, so conditions here blend gauge readings with established mid-May seasonal patterns for this system. Striped bass are typically at or near their annual peak in the Delta by the third week of May, staging along current breaks and rip lines. Post-spawn largemouth are beginning their early-summer transition to shaded cover, and channel catfish are responding to warming shallows. The waxing crescent moon favors early morning and evening bite windows. Verify current conditions at your launch ramp before heading out, as reverse flows can shift fish locations from day to day.
NorCal Chinook Bite Improves as Cold Upwelling Returns to the Coast
NOAA buoy 46026 registered 50°F water off San Francisco in the early hours of May 19 — the cold upwelling signal NorCal Chinook anglers have been waiting for. Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, working out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, told Western Outdoor News — Saltwater that salmon conditions have become "vastly improved" below Pigeon Point after water temperatures dropped from 58°F at the April 11 season opener to 54°F. Davis noted that the four-degree drop "makes a huge difference on the water" and confirmed that bonita, which had been showing in the warmer early-season water, have moved offshore — clearing near-shore zones for salmon. Buoy 46013 near Bodega Bay registered winds of 12 m/s overnight, making offshore runs choppy; morning departures ahead of the afternoon sea breeze are the recommended window. Inside the Gate, Bay halibut and striped bass enter their seasonal spring window, though no charter reports surfaced this week to confirm current bite intensity for either species.
Central Coast Salmon Heat Up as Spring Upwelling Takes Hold
Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, working out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, calls conditions below Pigeon Point 'vastly improved' — a meaningful turnaround since the April 11 salmon opener, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. The catalyst is a temperature drop: water near Half Moon Bay has fallen from 58°F to 54°F, which Davis says pushed bonita off the grounds while pulling salmon back into productive form. NOAA buoy 46042 confirms the Central Coast chill at 52°F, with 7.9-ft seas running at the same station. Buoy 46028 to the south reads 59°F with similar swell heights, indicating a 7-degree north-to-south gradient that typically concentrates baitfish along transition zones. Rough surf will sideline smaller private boats this week, but sportfishing operations reaching the grounds south of Pigeon Point are finding the salmon bite. Rockfish offer an accessible fallback for anglers who can work calmer inshore structure.
Late-spring Delta warmup sets up striper and largemouth windows
The USGS gauge at site 11447650 recorded 67°F water and 15,300 cfs on the Sacramento River on the afternoon of May 18 — a temperature that falls squarely in the productive band for both striped bass and largemouth. No Sacramento-Delta-specific reports appeared in this week's regional angler-intel feeds; NorCal Fish Reports was present in the source rotation but returned only site navigation rather than current conditions. With that caveat noted, the seasonal picture is encouraging: at 67°F, striped bass remain active throughout the tidal channels and tributary confluences of the Delta complex, and largemouth are making the post-spawn transition to early-summer structure along tule edges and dock pilings. Flows near 15,300 cfs represent a moderate late-spring level on the Sacramento — enough current to concentrate baitfish on downstream seams without blowing fish off structure. The waxing crescent moon provides low overnight light, which typically sharpens the pre-dawn bite window for topwater presentations.
High Delta Flows Send Stripers and Bass to Slack-Water Edges
USGS gauge 11455420 on the Sacramento River is registering 102,000 cfs as of May 18 — a robust late-spring snowmelt pulse pushing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system. NorCal Fish Reports, which maintains Delta coverage among its regional beats, had no specific catch dispatches available in this feed cycle. With direct angler testimony sparse, current conditions are pieced together from gauge data and seasonal patterns typical of this waterway. At that flow volume, main channels run strong and turbid; striped bass and largemouth bass characteristically retreat to slower backwater sloughs, flooded tule margins, and the downstream lee of riprap where bait concentrates and the current breaks. Channel catfish stage in soft-bottom pockets away from the heavy push. The waxing crescent moon favors low-light ambush windows at first and last light — typically prime for stripers working the slack edges. Check state regulations for current striped bass and sturgeon seasons before launching.
Salmon bite heats up as cool upwelling water settles across the NorCal coast
Water at NOAA buoy 46026 is holding at 50°F off the Farallones as of May 18, and the cooling trend is paying dividends for salmon anglers. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports that Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing is seeing 'vastly improved salmon conditions' below Pigeon Point after water temps fell from 58°F to 54°F since the April 11 season opener — and our Farallones buoy now reads colder still. Davis noted that 'the bonita took a hike' with the temperature shift, a clear signal the bite has swung away from warm-water species toward Chinook. Winds are running at 9 m/s on buoy 46013 near Bodega with air temps around 52°F, so skippers should assess conditions before committing to offshore runs. Rockfish and Bay halibut remain productive nearshore alternatives for anyone looking to stay inside during breezy afternoons.
Early Tuna and Yellowtail Push Into SoCal on Warm Water Anomaly
Water temps of 63–64°F across the LA Bight — confirmed by NOAA buoys 46025 and 46221 — are running markedly above historical norms for mid-May, and the bite is reflecting it. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports that bluefin, yellowfin, and an albacore (the first San Diego fleet albacore in years, gaffed April 30 aboard the Tribute out of Mission Bay) have pushed into day-trip range southwest of San Diego, with yellowtail and early dorado mixed in on 2- and 3-day runs further south. The offshore warmth appears broad and persistent; WON also notes water temps running as much as 10°F above seasonal averages, with El Niño-adjacent conditions driving the anomaly. On the beach, Surf Fishing in So Cal reports that May "has delivered" after a mixed April, with corbina and leopard shark active along SoCal beachfronts and the season's best surf fishing potentially still ahead. Winds are near calm, and swell is running around 4.3 ft per buoy 46221.
Salmon conditions improve below Pigeon Point as Central Coast temps cool
Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady, working out of Half Moon Bay, reported 'vastly improved salmon conditions' below Pigeon Point this week, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater — crediting a four-degree water temperature drop from 58°F to 54°F. NOAA buoys confirm the cool-water trend across the Central Coast: buoy 46042 reads 51°F, buoy 46026 sits at 50°F, while buoy 46028 farther south logs 58°F, confirming a sharp thermal gradient along the coast. Wave heights are running significant at 8.9 feet at buoys 46042 and 46028, so smaller vessels should check bar and harbor conditions carefully before departure. Winds are moderate at 5–9 m/s across the region. Rockfish and nearshore halibut are typical Central Coast targets alongside salmon this time of year, though no direct charter or shop intel on those species came through this cycle — anglers should check local marinas for current deck counts and conditions.
Sacramento-Delta Bass and Stripers Finding Their Late-Spring Stride
Water at 67°F as of early Monday morning at USGS gauge 11447650 (Freeport) puts the Sacramento-Delta squarely in late-spring mode — ideal conditions for multiple resident species. Flow is running at 2,890 cfs, a moderate pace that keeps tidal-influenced channels fishable without the fast-water complications that arrive in higher-runoff years. No specific local charter or shop reports came through in this cycle from NorCal Fish Reports' Delta section, so seasonal and gauge-based context guides most of what follows. At 67 degrees, largemouth bass are wrapping up spawning activity and beginning the post-spawn transition toward deeper adjacent structure. Striped bass, which push through tidal reaches of the Delta each spring, remain opportunistic feeders at this temperature range. Wired 2 Fish's current coverage of tight-lining and finesse techniques for suspended post-spawn fish is directly applicable here — bass are often holding just off primary structure rather than actively chasing on the surface.
Delta stripers and shad in prime May window as New Moon tides surge
USGS gauge 11455420 logged a strong tidal reversal of -94,800 cfs at 12:30 a.m. on May 18, indicating a powerful flood-tide pulse pushing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — the kind of water movement that historically stacks striped bass and American shad at slough mouths and channel junctions. No Delta-specific angler reports were available from our feeds this cycle; NorCal Fish Reports was reachable but no current region text loaded. Working from the tidal data and seasonal context: mid-May is typically the heart of the Delta's striper post-spawn feeding window, with fish scattered across main channels and tributary mouths. The American shad run, which peaks April through June in the Sacramento system, should be in full swing. Largemouth bass are transitioning post-spawn in the backwater sloughs. Tonight's New Moon amplifies tidal swings, creating strong low-light feeding opportunities at dawn and dusk. Water temperature was unavailable from gauge 11455420 at time of publication.