California fishing reports
694 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Delta bass settle into a steady October pattern
Water temperature in the California Delta sits in the mid 60s this week, with USGS gauge 381126121554801 reading 66°F and gauge 11447650 reading 64°F. That is comfortable territory for Largemouth Bass, which tend to feed steadily as water cools out of summer highs. Tactical Bassin (blog) is pushing a fall theme right now, with a piece on the shallow trick anglers overlook in October and another on fall jig fishing near hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Their Southern California crankbait feature also points to reaction baits as an answer when pressure is heavy.
Yellowtail and halibut stories carry NorCal's fall outlook
The one validated reading for the Bay Area is a CO-OPS water temperature of 53.2°F at station 9418767, observed late on October 13. That is typical of cool fall water along the northern California coast, and it keeps baitfish and predators active near the coast rather than pushed offshore. The freshest on-the-water testimony in our intel comes from Southern California. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes a Point Loma half-day crew trip that crushed yellowtail before switching to white seabass, which points to a strong fall pattern for that species on the Pacific side. Halibut and redfish came up in other pieces, but those reports were not from this region, so we treat them as context rather than local fact.
Fall bass settle into cooler Delta water this week
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento-Delta reported water temperatures of 61, 62 and 64°F on the morning of October 13. That is a comfortable range for largemouth bass, which tend to feed more steadily as fall cooling sets in. USGS gauge 11447650 showed 7,140 cfs, a solid flow that keeps current moving through the main channels. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to shallow fall bass on jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, fished around hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks.
Delta bass settle into fall pattern as water cools
Delta water is holding in the mid 60s this week, with USGS gauge 11447650 near Sacramento reading 64°F on 7,140 cfs and the gauges near the western Delta reporting 64 to 65°F. That is comfortable territory for largemouth bass, which typically turn aggressive and feed up as temperatures slide out of summer. Fall bass coverage from Tactical Bassin (blog) points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around hard structure such as dock pilings, laydowns and rocks, and notes that finesse presentations can win on tougher days.
Delta bass and trout turn on as water cools into fall
Water in the Sacramento area is sitting in the low 60s this morning, with USGS gauge 11446980 reading 63°F, gauge 11446700 at 62°F and gauge 11447650 at 64°F. That is a comfortable range for fall feeding. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), October is the time to slow down and fish shallow with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, since bass sit near hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie go from finicky to aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front blows through.
Yellowtail and white seabass bite carries SoCal into mid-October
Fall is showing its hand off Southern California, and the yellowtail bite is the headline. Western Outdoor News reports a Point Loma half-day boat crew trip that "whacks white seabass after crushing the yellowtail," a sign the season has been strong enough for a captain to reward his crew with a fishing day of their own. The same outlet notes a 2-day charter out of Point Loma found plenty of yellowfin action and great weather, with the recent hurricanes to the south bringing no serious wind or waves into the Bight. Western Outdoor News also reports that kayak anglers around Newport Harbor are talking about El Niño and bonito, and that marlin have been seen throughout the Bight, including the Northern Channel Islands. Closer to the beach, Surf Fishing in So Cal is running a piece asking whether warm water is good for surf fishing. Its short answer is that it depends on where you fish and what you target. Our readings from NOAA CO-OPS station 9410170 show water at 75.4°F, and station 9410230 reads 70.3°F. That is a warm Bight for mid-October, and it fits the warm-water story anglers are telling.
Warm October water keeps Central Coast anglers on alert
Both NOAA CO-OPS stations are reading warm water this morning, with 63.5°F at station 9413450 and 64.4°F at station 9412110 as of about 4 AM Pacific. That is a comfortable fall reading for the Central Coast, and it fits what Western Outdoor News has been describing farther south. This week's reports from there include a Point Loma half-day boat crew trip that followed a strong yellowtail season. A reader report from Newport Harbor mentions El Niño talk and a heavier outfit with 40 to 80 gram metal lures to get distance. Those are Southern California accounts, so treat them as a sign of how warm the coast is running and not as a Central Coast catch report.
Halibut and yellowtail steal the show as fall settles in
Water temperature sits near 55°F across the Bay region, with NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 reading 55.4°F and station 9416841 reading 55°F. That is cool, steady water, and it keeps fish moving toward bait rather than scattering. Western Outdoor News reported a Point Loma half-day boat crushing yellowtail before a crew trip turned up white seabass, a sign that fall fish are feeding hard in Southern California. For Northern California, per NorCal Fish Reports, the saltwater page is the place to check for fresh counts before you commit to a launch. Western Outdoor News also noted big albacore off Eureka, which shows how strong the offshore push is along the coast right now. We'd treat halibut as the realistic inshore target for the Bay and Bodega side this week.
Delta bass and crappie settle into the fall transition
Delta water is holding in the mid-60s this week, with USGS gauge 11447650 reading 65°F and 8,560 cfs, while two gauges near the western Delta read 67°F. That is a comfortable range for bass and crappie as the season cools. Per Tactical Bassin, fall bass fishing rewards shallow work, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn aggressive once the first cool fronts arrive, a shift that tends to show up quickly.
Sacramento-Delta fall bite shifts as water cools into mid-60s
Gauge readings across the Sacramento area show water holding at 65°F this week (USGS gauge 11446980, 11446700 and 11447650), a comfortable range for freshwater species as summer heat fades. Tactical Bassin notes that fish position in predictable ways in fall, relating to hard structure like dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks, and that jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater can all work shallow in October. Wired 2 Fish adds that crappie go from finicky to aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front arrives.
Delta bass and crappie settle into the fall transition
Water across the Delta gauges is sitting in a narrow, comfortable band. USGS gauge 381126121554801 read 65°F, gauge 11447650 read 65°F with 9,690 cfs, and gauge 381142122015801 read 64°F with 103 cfs. Gauge 11455420 shows a strong 98,200 cfs moving through the system. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), October is a time to slow down and target shallow structure with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, and finesse presentations can win on the tough days. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn from finicky to aggressive once the first cool front arrives. Those pieces are written for fisheries elsewhere, so treat them as seasonal guidance for the Delta rather than local catch reports.
Delta crappie and bass shift to fall patterns as water cools
Water temps across the Sacramento-Delta gauges sit in a narrow band this morning. USGS gauge 11446980 and gauge 11446700 both read 62°F, while gauge 11447650 reads 65°F with flow at 9,690 cfs. That is a comfortable fall range, and it matches what Tactical Bassin describes this month: shallow fish, jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater working around hard structure like dock pilings and laydown trees. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front arrives. Largemouth Bass are Active on that pattern.