California fishing reports
215 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Salmon Surge as NorCal Coast Cools Into Prime Conditions
Water temps at NOAA buoy 46026 are sitting at 53°F on May 31, right in the productive zone for Chinook salmon. The clearest on-water signal comes from Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, where Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing reports conditions have improved dramatically below Pigeon Point after water temps shed four degrees from the 58°F mark logged at the start of salmon season. That cooling traces directly to northwest winds and upwelling — the same mechanism Allen "Bushy" Bushnell highlights in his WON Central Coast update, describing nutrient-rich water rising toward the surface and drawing salmon into productive range. Buoy 46013 is logging 10 m/s northwest winds, confirming the upwelling engine is still running. Today's full moon adds significant tidal movement throughout the Bay, making early-morning pushes worth timing carefully. Salmon prospects along this coast look as strong as they have all season.
Strong Upwelling Ignites the Central Coast Chinook Salmon Bite
NOAA buoy 46042 is reading 55°F off Monterey Bay, and Chinook salmon have responded in kind. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's Allen "Bushy" Bushnell, reporting from Monterey, says the Central Coast salmon picture has genuinely improved: northwest winds drove upwelling last week that dropped sea temps four to five degrees, pulling cool, nutrient-rich water to the surface and concentrating baitfish. Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing echoes that optimism, telling Western Outdoor News — Saltwater that conditions below Pigeon Point are "vastly improved" after water temps fell to 54°F — down from 58°F at the start of salmon season in April. Davis notes the bonito "took a hike" once the cooler water moved in, a trade-off salmon anglers will gladly accept. Buoy readings span from 53°F near the Farallones (buoy 46026) to 60°F further south (buoy 46028), confirming a clear thermal gradient along the coast. The full moon this weekend adds tidal push to an already productive setup.
Post-spawn bass and active stripers mark late-May Delta window
USGS gauge 11455420 at Rio Vista logged a tidal reversal of -89,300 cfs in the early hours of May 31, a strong flood-tide push consistent with the full moon's amplified spring tidal range. No water temperature was recorded at the gauge, but late-May Delta conditions typically put surface temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s °F, well within the prime feeding window for largemouth and striped bass. With the moon at full, tidal currents are running hard through the main channels and sloughs, concentrating baitfish at current breaks and channel edges. Largemouth bass are transitioning through post-spawn behavior typical of late May, and Tactical Bassin's recent field sessions highlight isolated offshore structure as the productive holding zone: chatterbaits, swimbaits, and finesse rigs including the neko and dropshot are all drawing bites in comparable post-spawn conditions elsewhere. No direct Delta charter or tackle shop reports were available from named sources this week.
NorCal Salmon Surge as Upwelling Cools Bay-Area Waters
NOAA buoy 46026 is reading 53°F this morning as northwest winds drive active upwelling along the NorCal coast, and Chinook salmon are responding. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports that Half Moon Bay boats are finding 'vastly improved salmon conditions' below Pigeon Point, with Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady noting water temps dropped to 54°F after opening at a warm 58°F earlier this season. Davis credits the cooler, nutrient-rich upwelling water for drawing Chinook into productive range. A companion Western Outdoor News — Saltwater report covering the Central Coast confirms a four-to-five-degree temperature drop fueled by strengthening northwest winds, concentrating bait and setting up salmon from Half Moon Bay north toward Bodega. Winds at NOAA buoys 46026 and 46013 are running 10-12 m/s this morning. Full moon tides today will push strong currents through bay gates; plan around slack-water windows for the smoothest bite.
Eastern Sierra trout ready for June as low-snowpack runoff fades early
Reno Fly Shop (NV) reports the Truckee River 'in great shape' for mid-May 2026, with flows running slightly above historic levels but still wadeable throughout, and midday hatches of PMDs and caddis firing reliably when the wind stays down. That adjacent-basin signal is the strongest on-the-water intelligence available for the Eastern Sierra right now: USGS gauge 10265200 returned no data this cycle, leaving local flows unconfirmed. Cutthroat Anglers (CO) adds broader Western context, flagging historically low snowpacks across the region in 2026, which typically translates to an earlier runoff peak and a faster drop to summer-low conditions on Sierra streams. The May 31 full moon may push surface feeding into lower-light windows at dawn and dusk. Anglers heading to Eastern Sierra trout waters should verify local conditions and access before committing to a trip: the low-snowpack season often opens high-elevation reaches earlier than typical.
Chinook Salmon Season Gains Momentum Along CA Central Coast
Chinook salmon are staging a genuine comeback on California's Central Coast, with Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reporting from Monterey that conditions are 'actually looking pretty good' after years of near-closure. Regional correspondent Allen Bushnell credits the turnaround to northwest winds and upwelling that pulled surface temps down four to five degrees last week — confirmed by NOAA buoy 46042 off Monterey at 56°F, buoy 46026 at 54°F, and buoy 46028 off Cape San Martin at 59°F. That cold, nutrient-dense water is feeding baitfish and positioning the forage stack salmon need. At Half Moon Bay, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady (per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater) describes water below Pigeon Point as 'vastly improved,' having cooled from 58°F at the April opener to 54°F now. Rockfish remain a steady secondary target on structure; halibut are seasonally active on nearby sandy flats but no specific reports have come through yet.
Sacramento Delta bass and stripers enter prime post-spawn feeding window
USGS gauge 11447650 clocked the Sacramento River at 68°F and 11,000 cfs on the evening of May 30, placing the Delta squarely in its late-spring transition. At 68°F, striped bass have largely completed their upstream spawn and are scattering back through the lower Delta on post-spawn feeding runs, staging along current breaks and tule margins. Largemouth bass are in a similar recovery phase: Tactical Bassin's post-spawn report highlights isolated offshore structure as the key, with fish responding best to chatterbaits, neko rigs, and drop shots when the reaction bite slows. Tonight's full moon adds a productive nighttime dimension — surface action after dark along channel edges is worth a targeted session. Channel catfish are also benefiting from the warm water. No Delta-specific charter or shop reports were available in this cycle; seasonal patterns and the USGS gauge reading are the primary data points driving this outlook.
Central Coast Chinook surge as upwelling reshapes the bite
Chinook salmon are showing strongly along the Central Coast, with Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reporting a genuine upgrade in conditions after northwest winds drove upwelling that dropped sea surface temperatures four to five degrees. Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay confirmed water temps fell to 54°F below Pigeon Point, a stark improvement from the 58°F readings that opened the season in April. NOAA buoys are backing that picture: buoy 46042 (Monterey) reads 59°F while buoy 46026 shows a cooler 51°F farther offshore, reflecting the active upwelling cell. The nutrient-rich cold water is pulling baitfish to the surface and setting up feeding lanes the Chinook are beginning to exploit. Conditions are rough — buoys 46028 and 46026 report wave heights between 10.8 and 11.5 feet with winds near 11–12 m/s — so offshore runs should wait for a calmer window. A Waxing Gibbous moon this week favors low-light bite windows at dawn.
Delta Stripers and Bass Enter the Late-May Post-Spawn Window
USGS gauge 11455420 registered a strong tidal backflow of -63,800 cfs on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at midday on May 26, reflecting an active flood-tide push through the slough network — a reliable trigger for feeding activity along current breaks and tule edges. Water temperature was unavailable from the gauge this period. NorCal Fish Reports covers Delta conditions in their weekly roundup, though no Delta-specific catch details surfaced in this week's available feeds. Late May typically marks the tail end of the striped bass spawn, with fish transitioning back from upriver staging areas into the broader tidal network and entering a post-spawn feeding recovery. Largemouth bass are in classic post-spawn mode: males guarding fry in shallow tule margins, females recovering and pushing toward adjacent mid-depth structure. The waxing gibbous moon supports amplified tidal swings and stronger dawn and dusk feeding windows through the week. Confirm current conditions at NorCal Fish Reports before launching.
NorCal Chinook turning on as upwelling cools the coast
Water temperature at NOAA buoy 46026 has dropped to 51°F, a reading that lines up with the Chinook salmon improvement playing out along the NorCal coast right now. Per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing reports water temps falling to 54°F below Pigeon Point, down four degrees from the 58°F recorded at the season's start on April 11, saying it 'makes a huge difference on the water.' From Monterey, Allen Bushnell (Western Outdoor News — Saltwater) adds that northwest winds have intensified upwelling, pulling cool, nutrient-rich water to the surface and concentrating baitfish that draw Chinook into feeding position. The timing looks right for late May. For now, seas are running 9.8-11.2 feet across both offshore buoys, so offshore access is on hold until the wind backs off.
Sculpin Running on LA Bight Grounds as WSB Season Hits Its Peak
Water temps holding at 64-65°F across the LA Bight per NOAA buoys 46025 and 46221, with 3.6-foot swells at the outer buoy. A Memorial Day half-day trip report on BD Outdoors Forums from the Victory on May 25 put five sculpin, whitefish limits, and five miscellaneous rockfish on the board, working the sculpin grounds before wind built to sporty levels in the afternoon. Overnight charter trips to San Clemente Island targeting white seabass and rockfish are booking into June and July per AllCoast Forum, consistent with late May sitting inside the traditional peak window for WSB along the Channel Islands. Forum discussion on BD Outdoors is generating buzz around local bluefin: anglers are rigging tungsten jigs ahead of June trips on the Searcher, though that bite has not been corroborated by a charter or shop report as of this update. Light westerlies and a waxing gibbous moon favor evening windows through the weekend.
Chinook salmon come alive on the Central Coast as upwelling reshapes the bite
Water temps at NOAA buoy 46042 are reading 56°F off Monterey, and that cool reading is precisely the signal salmon chasers have been waiting for. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the Central Coast Chinook situation has shaped up to be "actually looking pretty good," with northwest winds driving an upwelling event that pulls nutrient-rich cold water to the surface and concentrates baitfish from the Santa Cruz area southward. Up at Half Moon Bay, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady (via Western Outdoor News — Saltwater) says water below Pigeon Point has fallen to 54°F after the season opened four degrees warmer, a swing he calls game-changing. The waxing gibbous moon and building northwest swell running at 6.6 ft at buoys 46042 and 46028 are keeping conditions sporty, so plan early-morning departures before afternoon wind builds. Rockfish and lingcod hold on structure throughout the region as typical for late May saltwater conditions.