California fishing reports
588 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Northern California coast eases into its fall cool-down
The Northern California coast off SF Bay and Bodega checked in at 54.5°F this morning per NOAA's CO-OPS station 9416841, holding in the range typical for the back half of September as the region eases toward its fall pattern. With the moon waning past full, tidal swings are staying moderate this week, favoring anglers who plan trips around the moving water rather than chasing a single peak.
Central Coast nearshore bite stays strong as fall cooldown begins
Central Coast water temperatures are split this week: NOAA CO-OPS station 9413450 reads 60.3°F while station 9412110 holds nearly four degrees warmer at 63.9°F, a normal gradient as the region moves deeper into its fall transition. Western Outdoor News' latest report out of Monterey Bay describes strong nearshore fishing continuing from the Santa Cruz area down through the bay this week, with bigger offshore game becoming a more realistic target once the weather settles down.
Eastern Sierra trout switch to small fly patterns as fall settles in
Reno Fly Shop's late-September report on the Truckee River describes the water transitioning into fall conditions, with trout keying on Blue-Winged Olives, midges, and a few remaining caddis as things cool down. The shop's suggested patterns for the stretch, including Baetis and BWO imitations, Zebra Midges, and a Griffith's Gnat, reflect how selective fish have gotten as the bigger summer bugs fade. That matches the broader pattern across Eastern Sierra tailwaters and freestones right now: the big hatches are winding down, and fish are shifting to smaller, subtler offerings.
Cooling water marks the fall transition along the NorCal coast
Water at the Bay-area tide station reads 53.6°F this morning, a seasonally cool mark that fits the fall transition now settling over the Northern California coast. To the north, Eureka boats found the fall albacore run still firing over the weekend, working fish 25 to 40 pounds along the tuna grounds from the 46-line down to the 38-line, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater. Closer to the Bay, the same outlet reports a shoreline striper landed near Santa Cruz, a sign linesiders are still working the nearshore structure as the water cools.
Stripers and big-game action spread across the SoCal Bight
Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports stripers swarming throughout the SoCal Bight this week, from San Clemente out to the Channel Islands, alongside some of the strongest big-game action captains have seen in years. NOAA CO-OPS readings show a real split across the Bight, 76.3°F at one station against 69.1°F at the other, a gradient worth reading as localized upwelling rather than a uniform warm-up. Next high tide lands near 10:53 AM local at both stations.
Santa Cruz stripers hold tight to the surf as swell builds
Monterey Bay buoy 46042 logged a 9.8-foot wave height this morning with water at 62°F, while nearby tide stations read warmer: Monterey at 61.5°F and Port San Luis at 64°F, versus a cooler 58°F offshore at Cape San Martin (buoy 46028). Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports striped bass holding tight to the beach around Santa Cruz this week, with anglers working the surf as birds and bait push in close to shore.
Striper bite holds near Santa Cruz as NorCal water cools
NOAA CO-OPS stations bracket the region this week at 53.8°F and 55.6°F, a normal early-fall split between the sheltered water and the open coast. To the south in Monterey Bay, Allen Bushnell's report for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater flags a strengthening shoreline striped bass bite around Santa Cruz, alongside big bluefin potential once conditions cooperate. It's an early sign the fall push is underway along the central coast.
Striped bass push through the SoCal Bight as warm water lingers
NOAA's San Pedro tide station (9410170) is reading 75°F this morning, with Santa Monica (9410230) trailing at 73°F, keeping the LA Bight solidly in warm late-September territory. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's latest SoCal Bight report flags striped bass activity swarming the region this week, with action extending out toward the Channel Islands. It's a promising signal heading into the weekend, though anglers should treat it as an early-week read rather than a confirmed pattern until more reports come in.
Shoreline stripers show near Santa Cruz as NorCal water cools
Water temperatures split across the region this morning: NOAA CO-OPS station 9416841 read 53.4°F and station 9418767 read 57.6°F, both logged around 10am, a gap consistent with typical late-September upwelling along this stretch. Per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, Allen Bushnell reported a shoreline striper landed near Santa Cruz this week, with the angler working the surf line behind diving birds and bait. That pattern, bass keying on bait pushed tight to the beach, lines up with the cooler water now showing at the northern station.
Big-Game Gains Continue Off San Diego as Bight Water Warms
NOAA's CO-OPS gauge off San Diego (station 9410170) read 76.3°F this morning, while station 9410230 farther north came in cooler at 71.2°F, the kind of temperature split typical across the SoCal Bight in late September. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports at least three trophy-class gamefish over 400 pounds landed off San Diego in the past two weeks, with strong big-game activity continuing throughout the Bight, including waters off the Channel Islands.
Delta stripers set to stir as fall turnover begins under full moon
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is moving into its fall turnover this week, with a Full Moon driving the strongest tidal exchange of the lunar cycle through the system's channels and sloughs. That stronger push typically stirs baitfish and predators alike as the Delta shifts out of its late-summer pattern.
Stripers hold steady on California's coast as water cools
Water temperatures at our two regional NOAA tide stations read 54.7°F and 53.6°F as of Sunday evening, the seasonal slide that marks late September along the Northern California coast. Farther south near Santa Cruz, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's Allen Bushnell reports shoreline striped bass activity holding steady this week, with fish working close to the beach as bait and birds concentrate along the shoreline.