California fishing reports
694 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Southern California marlin and yellowtail bite stays strong into fall
Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the marlin bite is the best in years across the SoCal Bight, with fish showing up in U.S. waters including the Northern Channel Islands. The same publication says a Point Loma half-day boat crew trip crushed yellowtail before finishing on white seabass, and a Sea Adventure 80 two-day charter out of Point Loma came home with around 100 yellowfin and other exotics in good weather. Closer to the beach, a kayak angler reported a tuna right outside Newport Harbor, with talk of El Niño and plenty of bonito around. Our NOAA CO-OPS readings show water at 74.5°F at station 9410170 and 72.7°F at station 9410230, which is warm for mid-October and fits that warm-water picture.
Delta bass and catfish settle into a steady mid-October pattern
Gauge readings at the Sacramento-Delta stations show water temperatures of 64 to 65°F this afternoon (USGS gauge 11446980, USGS gauge 11446700, USGS gauge 11447650). That is comfortable for bass, which tend to feed steadily in this range as days shorten. USGS gauge 11447650 reports flow near 7,800 cfs, a strong current that shapes where fish hold. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), fall bass are chasing baitfish, and adding a blade to a swimbait, such as an underspin, brings extra flash and vibration. Field & Stream notes that fall turnover rarely hits a fishery all at once, so clear, shallow bays and creek arms are worth checking first, with spinnerbaits used to cover water.
Delta bass and catfish settle into fall pattern as water cools
Delta water temperatures sit in the mid-60s this week, with gauge readings of 67°F, 66°F and 64°F across the region. That is comfortable territory for Largemouth Bass, which tend to feed more actively as water cools and baitfish move. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to shallow water as the overlooked play for fall bass, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater without leaning on electronics. Their separate fall video notes that when bass are chasing baitfish, adding a blade to a swimbait through an underspin brings extra flash and vibration. Field & Stream adds that fall turnover rarely hits a whole fishery at once, so clearer shallow bays and creek arms are worth checking first.
Bay Area water holds in the mid-50s as fall pattern settles
Water temperature sits at 54°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 and 57.7°F at station 9416841, a spread that points to cooler, more tide-flushed water at one end and warmer water at the other. Per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, the Southern California side has seen a strong fall run, with a crew trip off Point Loma finishing on white seabass after a big yellowtail season. That is not Bay water, but it shows the Pacific coast is fishing well this month. Per NorCal Fish Reports, the regional fish reports page is the place to check for recent Bay and coast counts before you launch.
Cooling Delta water sets up a steady fall pattern
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento-Delta reported water temperatures of 62 to 64°F in early-morning readings on October 17. Gauge 11447650 showed 63°F with flow at 12,900 cfs, a healthy current moving through the system. Gauges 11446980 and 11446700 read 64°F and 62°F. Those numbers sit in a comfortable range for active fall feeding. Per Tactical Bassin this week, fish chasing baitfish in autumn respond well to swimbaits with an added blade for flash and vibration. The same outlet highlights slower, shallow presentations like jigs and soft jerkbaits in October. That advice is general to the season rather than specific to the Delta, so treat it as a starting point.
Delta bass and catfish bite hinges on fall water shifts
Delta water is sitting in the mid-60s this morning. USGS gauge 381142122015801 read 66°F and gauge 381126121554801 read 65°F, while gauge 11447650 read 63°F at 12,500 cfs. That is a comfortable fall range, with fish still feeding and not yet pushed into a winter pattern. Field & Stream notes that fall turnover rarely hits a fishery all at once, so clear, calmer bays and creek arms are the places to look first, with search baits like spinnerbaits to find active fish. Tactical Bassin says that when bass chase baitfish in fall, a paddle tail on an underspin adds flash and vibration. Treat that as a general fall approach, since neither source is Delta specific.
Settled fall water sets up a steady morning bite window
Water temperatures along the Northern California coast sit in the mid-50s this morning. NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 reads 56.8°F and station 9418767 reads 55.9°F. A spread of under one degree points to a fairly uniform nearshore water mass, so there is no sharp temperature break to hunt. Mid-October is typically a transition period here. Summer upwelling fades, the water settles, and fish tend to feed through the day instead of holding deep. Steady readings like these favor consistent fishing over a short, explosive window.
Delta bass and panfish settle into a steady fall pattern
Water in the Sacramento-Delta area is running cool and steady for mid-October. USGS gauges 11446980 and 11446700 both read 65°F, while USGS gauge 11447650 reads 63°F with flow at 3,600 cfs. Those temperatures sit in the comfortable range for bass feeding ahead of winter, and the slightly cooler water at the third site points to a mild temperature gradient across the system. Tactical Bassin's recent fall content describes bass chasing baitfish and recommends a blade on a swimbait to add flash and vibration, plus shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater. That is general fall bass advice from a blog, not a Delta-specific report, so treat it as a starting point for lure selection.
Delta bass and crappie settle into a fall pattern
Water on the California Delta is cooling into its fall range. USGS gauge 381126121554801 and gauge 381142122015801 both read 66°F, while gauge 11447650 reads 63°F on the Sacramento side. Tactical Bassin (blog) notes that bass chasing baitfish in the fall respond well to a bladed swimbait or underspin, since the added flash and vibration draw reaction strikes. The same source also points to shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as overlooked October tools. Fishing the Midwest describes October as a prime month, with fish relocating toward the green weeds that remain as other cover dies off.
Bay Area fall bite: halibut and yellowtail on the radar
Water in the Bay is running warm for mid-October, with NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 reading 54.9°F and station 9416841 reading 57.6°F. That spread matters: the warmer side favors more active feeding, while the cooler side keeps fish a little more deliberate. Down the coast, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes a strong fall run out of Point Loma, where a half-day boat's crew trip found white seabass after a big yellowtail season. That is Southern California testimony, so treat it as a sign of what the warm-water fall pattern is doing on the coast, not a Bay report. Halibut are a reasonable target for this time of year in the Bay's channels and edges, and a slow presentation near the bottom is the standard approach when water is cooling.
Delta waters cool into prime fall window for smallmouth
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento-Delta read 63 to 65°F water on the afternoon of Oct. 16, a comfortable fall range that keeps fish feeding through the day. Gauge 11447650 shows 9,630 cfs, a strong, moving river, while the two northern gauges (11446980 and 11446700) read 65°F but report no flow value. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), fall bass are chasing baitfish, and adding a blade to a paddle-tail swimbait on an underspin is a strong way to add flash and vibration. Their October piece also points to shallow water, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, as an overlooked option.
Delta water holds in the mid-60s as fall pattern sets in
Gauge readings on the Delta show water temperature at 66°F at gauges 381126121554801 and 381142122015801, and 63°F at gauge 11447650 on the Sacramento side, where flow is running 9,630 cfs. Negative flow readings at gauges 381142122015801 and 11455420 (-210 and -2,180 cfs) point to tidal reversal in the lower channels. Fall bass are chasing baitfish, and per Tactical Bassin (blog) adding a blade to a swimbait is one of the best ways to catch them while that happens. The same source highlights shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as overlooked October options.