California fishing reports
588 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Albacore runs and cooling water mark the early October coast
The water at NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 read 55.4°F at 10:24 p.m. PDT on October 5. Western Outdoor News reports that Eureka's recent albacore run was about size more than numbers: most fish were 25 pounds or better, some pushing 40, spread along the 125-line from the 46-line down to the 38-line, along a hard break. The same outlet's Santa Cruz report calls nearshore fishing very good and says big bluefin are a real possibility once the weather calms.
Offshore bite runs hot across the Bight this October
Offshore action is running hot across the Bight, and the water is warm for early October. NOAA CO-OPS station 9410230 at La Jolla reads 71.8°F and station 9410170 at San Diego reads 77.5°F. Western Outdoor News says the offshore bite is the best in years across the Bight, with game fish turning up around the Northern Channel Islands. The same desk reports at least three 400-pound-plus fish landed in the past two weeks, one weighing 449 pounds, by San Diego-area captains. Bring heavy tackle and plan for big fish.
Albacore and nearshore bluefin hopes shape the NorCal coast this fall
The NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 logged 55.6°F water at 4 p.m. Pacific today, the most current hard number for the coast in this pull. Western Outdoor News reports the nearshore bite around Santa Cruz as very good, with a real chance at big bluefin once the weather lays down. Its Eureka report describes albacore mostly 25 pounds or better, some near 40, spread along a hard break. Those reports come from outside the SF Bay and Bodega waters this region covers, so read them as coastal signal rather than a local count.
Truckee trout turn to small bugs as fall cools the river
Reno Fly Shop (NV) reports the Truckee River is moving into fall conditions, with cooler water pushing trout toward small food. Guide Charlie Robinton's late-September on-the-water report names Blue Winged Olives, midges and a few remaining caddis as the bugs to match. The shop's suggested flies run small: Pullover BWO, BH Zebra Midge, Griffith Gnat and Ready Baetis.
Early October on the Delta: fall transition is the window to plan around
Early October marks the summer-to-fall shift on the Delta, and the bass reporting coming in points the same direction. B.A.S.S. News describes this stretch as the transition when bass move with changing water temperature, photoperiod and baitfish availability. Elite pro Jay Przekurat calls fall one of the best times of year for trophy smallmouth, though his notes come from northern lakes. Smallmouth Bass is the species to plan around here, and fish are more likely to be relocating toward cover and bait than holding on summer spots.
Shoreline striper bite leads Central Coast nearshore action this week
NOAA's latest Monterey reading (station 9413450) is 62.8°F, with Port San Luis (9412110) at 65.5°F, a 2.7°F gap with the southern station warmer. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports nearshore fishing out of Santa Cruz has been very good, with a shoreline striper leading the week's catches. Shoreline striped bass are the lead bite in these reports, so start there. The tide gives you a clear morning window, with Port San Luis peaking near 7:10 a.m. and Monterey near 7:30 a.m.
Delta water starts its fall cooldown as early October arrives
Early October is when the Sacramento-Delta typically turns from summer heat toward fall cooling, and that transition is the main force shaping fish behavior right now. Falling water temperatures usually pull fish out of the deep summer holding water and into feeding lanes along structure and current edges. Plan trips around the cooler morning and late-afternoon windows rather than the hottest part of the day, when fish tend to sit tight.
Striper push and a strong offshore bite keep the SoCal Bight moving
Stripers are swarming throughout the Southern California Bight, and Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes the offshore bite around the Northern Channel Islands as the best in years. Our readings this morning put water at 76.5°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9410170 in San Diego and 70.5°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9410230 in La Jolla, a six-degree split on the same coast. The same report says at least three fish over 400 pounds were landed in the past two weeks, including a 449-pound catch weighed in San Diego, so the heavier offshore fish are biting too.
Morning falling tide sets up the shoreline window this week
Water at NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 read 55°F at 4:12 a.m. Pacific, and Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports a shoreline striper highlight at Santa Cruz this week, with nearshore fishing described as very good. That is one catch and one report, so read it as a signal worth testing on the shoreline rather than a confirmed bite.
Stripers and blues swarm the SoCal Bight as marlin bite heats up
Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the best marlin bite in years working through the Southern California Bight, with stripers and blues swarming alongside it out toward the Northern Channel Islands, per a Santa Barbara-area commercial boat owner who noticed the fish while working other waters. NOAA CO-OPS readings show a clear nearshore split this week: 75.9°F at the Los Angeles station (9410170) against 72.7°F at Santa Monica (9410230), the kind of gradient that tends to hold bait along current edges up and down the Bight.
NorCal stripers hold tight to the surf as coastal waters cool into fall
Water temperature at NOAA's Bodega Bay station (9416841) measured 55.6°F this afternoon, marking the seasonal slide into fall cooling along the Northern California coast. Nearshore striper fishing has held up well to the south on the Santa Cruz stretch of Monterey Bay, where Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports anglers working the surf behind diving birds and bait schools for shoreline stripers.
Santa Cruz stripers hold tight to the shoreline as fall sets in
Water temperatures along California's Central Coast are split this week: one NOAA tide station reads 60.3°F while a second logs 65.5°F, the kind of patchy thermal mix typical as fall sets in. Captain Allen "Bushy" Bushnell, reporting for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater out of Monterey Bay, says striped bass have been working close to shore near Santa Cruz, with fish showing nearshore as anglers follow the diving birds and bait.