California fishing reports
694 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Bay water holds mild as fall halibut and yellowtail talk builds
Water in the Bay is sitting in the mid 50s this week. NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 read 53.8°F at 11:12 UTC, while station 9416841 read 57.2°F at the same time. That spread of a few degrees is the story for planning: the warmer water is where bait and active fish are more likely to hold, and the cooler reading marks water that may fish slower. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes a strong fall bite to the south, with a San Diego half-day crew trip crushing yellowtail before turning to white seabass. That is Southern California, not our region, but it shows the warm-water fish are still feeding on the coast this October. Treat it as a regional signal, not a local report.
Eastern Sierra trout settle into small-bug fall patterns
Per Reno Fly Shop's late September Truckee River report, the river was moving into fall conditions. Cooler temperatures had trout focused on small bugs: Blue Winged Olives, midges and a few remaining caddis. The shop suggested Pullover BWO, BH Zebra Midge and Griffith Gnat patterns among others. By mid-October that fall pattern should be well established across the eastern Sierra, so favor light tippets and small, subtle flies.
Delta bass and catfish fish on a cooling fall pattern
Fall is the shift that matters this week in the Sacramento-Delta. Three USGS gauges (11446980, 11446700, 11447650) read 64 to 65°F in the afternoon, which is a comfortable range for Largemouth Bass to feed through the day. Gauge 11447650 shows 11,600 cfs, so the river side is moving plenty of water. Tactical Bassin's October video points to an overlooked shallow approach for fall bass, working jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater without leaning on electronics. Fishing the Midwest adds that living green weeds tend to hold the baitfish and gamefish as other cover dies off.
Delta bass and catfish settle into a steady mid-October pattern
Water temperature across the Delta is holding in the mid-60s, with USGS gauge 381126121554801 reading 65°F and gauge 11447650 reading 64°F. That is comfortable territory for Largemouth Bass, which tend to feed more actively as the water cools from summer highs. Tactical Bassin points to shallow water as an overlooked October option, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater fished around subtle cover and no electronics needed. The same outlet notes finesse presentations, including tiny topwater baits, swimbaits and small jigs, can still produce on tough days.
Northern California halibut and yellowtail chatter as fall water holds mild
CO-OPS station 9418767 read 53.6°F water at 23:12 UTC today, a cool, typical autumn number for the Bay and coast. Fall is when anglers start weighing a shift from summer patterns toward cooler-water habits, and the water is already there. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports yellowtail action out of San Diego, where a half-day boat crew trip crushed yellowtail before turning to white seabass. That is Southern California water, so treat it as a regional seasonal signal and not a Bay Area catch report. Coastal Angler Magazine posted reader photos of bull redfish from the Gulf, which says nothing about Northern California and is not a local indicator. NorCal Fish Reports carries the latest saltwater counts for the region, and that is the page to check before committing to a trip.
Fall shallow-water bass bite builds across the Delta
Water across the Sacramento-Delta is sitting in the low 60s this morning. Gauge 11446980 reads 61°F, gauge 11446700 reads 62°F and gauge 11447650 reads 63°F. That cooling trend fits the fall pattern Tactical Bassin (blog) describes this month, with bass working shallow and falling for old-school presentations like jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, even without electronics. Gauge 11447650 is moving 6,780 cfs, a strong current that will shape where fish hold.
Delta bass and catfish bite settle into fall rhythm
Water in the Delta is sitting in the low-to-mid 60s, which is the range where fall bass fishing tends to settle in. The Sacramento River gauge 11447650 shows 63°F with 6,780 cfs flowing, and gauge 381126121554801 in the interior Delta reads 65°F. Per Tactical Bassin, October bass respond to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater fished shallow, and finesse presentations help on tough days.
Calm bay water sets up a steady mid-October bite
Water in the Bay is sitting in the mid-50s this morning, with NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 reading 53.6°F and station 9416841 reading 55.8°F. That is comfortable for resident fish and typical of mid-October, when the water is cooling but not yet cold. Per Western Outdoor News, the fall bite across Southern California has been strong, with a Point Loma crew trip hammering yellowtail before switching to white seabass. Farther north, NorCal Fish Reports is the place to check for the latest local counts. Yellowtail is the only named species with fresh testimony this week, and that report comes from San Diego, so treat it as a regional signal and not a Bay report.
Delta waters hold in the low 60s as fall bite sets up
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento-Delta reported water temperatures of 62 to 63°F early this morning, with gauge 11447650 showing 14,100 cfs of flow. That is a comfortable fall range for bass, and the cooling trend is the story this week. Tactical Bassin points to October as a time when shallow water fish well on jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater. Fishing the Midwest adds that fish tend to relocate to the last green weeds as the rest die off. Both are general fall guidance rather than Delta reports, so treat them as a starting framework.
Delta bass settle into the fall transition pattern
Delta water is cooling into a comfortable range for bass. A USGS gauge (381126121554801) reads 64°F, and gauge 11447650 reads 63°F with flow near 14,100 cfs. Tactical Bassin's October video notes a shallow approach overlooked by many anglers, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater on fall bass. That fits the cooling trend here. Largemouth Bass are the likely target in this system, and Tactical Bassin also highlights finesse presentations on tough days.
Halibut and yellowtail talk anchors a calm Bay fall window
Water at the San Francisco Bay tide station read 55.6°F early this morning, a comfortable fall number for the Bay and the nearshore coast. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater has been running fall yellowtail stories out of San Diego, and a Eureka report noted albacore of 25 pounds or better, which shows warm-season fish are still being found along the California coast. For Northern California, the practical read is that fall is the stable, often calmer stretch of the year, and a mid-50s reading says the Bay is not yet in its cold winter phase. Plan trips around the tide windows below rather than chasing the clock.
Delta bass and crappie settle into a steady fall pattern
Water in the Sacramento area is holding in the mid 60s, with USGS gauge 11446980 at 64°F, gauge 11446700 at 65°F and gauge 11447650 at 64°F with flow near 11,600 cfs. That is comfortable territory for bass, and a cooling trend is what moves fish into their fall feeding mode. Tactical Bassin (blog) is pushing shallow jig, soft jerkbait and topwater presentations for October bass, fished around hard structure like dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn from finicky to aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front arrives.