California fishing reports
588 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Full Moon Tides Reshape SF Bay and Bodega as Stripers Show South
Both NOAA CO-OPS stations covering San Francisco Bay and Bodega Bay are reading water in the mid-50s (55.8°F at station 9418767, 55°F at 9416841), with a high tide moving through late this evening ahead of a swift ebb toward a low near dawn. That swing lands on a full moon, so expect a stronger-than-usual push between high and low water. To the south, Western Outdoor News reports Allen Bushnell finding shoreline stripers holding tight to the Santa Cruz beaches this week, working the surf line behind bait and diving birds, the same fall pattern anglers working NorCal's inshore structure should be watching for.
Striped bass show along Santa Cruz shoreline as Central Coast cools
NOAA CO-OPS station 9413450 read 62.1°F this morning and station 9412110 read 63.5°F, both holding in the low-to-mid 60s that mark the Central Coast's shift into fall. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports shoreline striped bass activity picking up around Santa Cruz, with fish following bait pushed tight to the beach. Under this week's full moon, tidal swings are running stronger than normal, which tends to sharpen that kind of shoreline feeding.
Striped bass move shallow as big tides push into SF Bay and Bodega
Water temperatures logged this morning span a wide range across the region, 39.4°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 9418767 and 54.1°F at station 9416841, reflecting how sharply water character can shift along this stretch of Northern California coast heading into fall. South along the coast in Santa Cruz, Allen Bushnell's report for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater flagged striped bass working tight to the beach alongside big seabass, with fish following bait and diving birds close to shore.
Striped bass push into the SoCal Bight under a full moon
San Pedro is reading 75.4°F and La Jolla 71.4°F this afternoon (NOAA CO-OPS), a comfortable late-September spread for the LA Bight and Channel Islands. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports striped bass swarming the SoCal Bight over the past several weeks, with sightings pushing out to the Northern Channel Islands, alongside other big predators working the same water. Today's full moon is stacking a strong low tide behind it, due near 3 p.m. at both stations.
Santa Cruz stripers show as Central Coast bait pushes inshore
Water on the Central Coast is holding at 63°F this week, and Western Outdoor News — Saltwater's latest Santa Cruz report has striped bass showing along the shoreline as anglers follow diving birds and moving bait. The same report calls nearshore fishing very good right now, with bigger game reportedly building offshore once conditions settle. For surf and jetty anglers on the Central Coast, steady mid-60s water and bait pushed tight to the beach is exactly the setup that gets stripers feeding close enough to reach from shore.
Stripers moving through Santa Cruz as SF Bay water cools
Water temps at NOAA's San Francisco and Point Reyes-area tide stations are holding in the mid-50s (55.4°F and 55°F) this week, right in range for late September in the Bay Area and Bodega Bay corridor. Per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, captain Allen "Bushy" Bushnell reported shoreline striped bass showing near Santa Cruz this week, with fish following diving birds and bait along the beach, a pattern anglers up the coast into the Bay watch closely this time of year.
Fall transition takes hold across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is holding in the high 60s, with USGS gauges in the western Delta reading 69°F while a station further upstream reports 66°F on a flow of 15,600 cfs. A gauge closer to the confluence logged a sharp reversal, roughly -70,700 cfs, marking a strong flood tide pushing back through this freshwater tidal reach. That kind of swing is typical of the Delta's tidally driven hydrology, where current direction flips with the tide even well inland.
Shoreline striper bite holds up as NorCal water cools into fall
NOAA CO-OPS stations 9418767 and 9416841 are reading 51.1°F and 52.9°F respectively this morning, cool water typical of Northern California's fall transition. Just down the coast at Monterey Bay, Allen "Bushy" Bushnell's report for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater notes solid nearshore fishing around Santa Cruz this week, including striped bass working the shoreline.
Marlin and striper action stretches through the SoCal Bight
Water in the LA Bight is running warm for late September, with NOAA CO-OPS station 9410170 reading 76.8°F and station 9410230 at 73.9°F early this morning. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports marlin sightings scattered throughout the Bight over the past several weeks, extending as far as the Northern Channel Islands, with striped bass and bluefish also showing up on the same grounds. That's an unusual mix for this stretch of coast this late in the season, and it points to warm water still holding offshore structure together.
Stripers show along the coast as Bay Area water cools toward fall
Water temperatures across our two regional tide stations are holding at 56.3°F and 55.4°F this morning, seasonal numbers as Northern California eases toward fall. South along the coast near Santa Cruz, Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports nearshore fishing has been very good this week, with a shoreline striper catch among the highlights and bigger offshore potential once the weather settles. High tide rolls through tonight between roughly 9:30 and 10:20 p.m., with both stations ebbing toward a predawn low near 4 to 5 a.m., a workable window for anyone fishing the last of the outgoing water before first light.
Santa Cruz stripers keep shoreline anglers busy on the Central Coast
Water temperatures along the Central Coast sit in the low-to-mid 60s this week, 61.3°F at Monterey Bay and 63.5°F at Port San Luis per NOAA CO-OPS, typical for late September as surface temps ease off their summer peak. Nearshore fishing has been very good at Santa Cruz, per Western Outdoor News — Saltwater, with shoreline striped bass among the notable catches as anglers work the beaches following the birds and bait.
Stripers and blues swarm SoCal Bight amid warm late-summer water
NOAA CO-OPS readings show San Diego (station 9410170) holding at 77.9°F and Los Angeles (station 9410230) at 75°F, keeping the Bight in late-summer territory as the equinox passes. Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports stripers and blues swarming throughout the SoCal Bight this week, with captains working the Channel Islands finding some of the best structure-adjacent action in recent memory.