What’s your first thought when someone mentions the Bay Area? Is it the Golden Gate Bridge and unforgettable San Francisco? Is it Silicon Valley, the beating heart of modern technology? Or is it top-notch angling action? If you’re all about that fantastic bite, fishing in the Bay Area is some of the best you’ll find in the country and beyond.
Nestled between San Francisco, Suisun, and San Pablo Bays, with Bodega Bay a bit further north, the diversity of fishing grounds here is astounding. Whatever your age, skill, and angling preference, the Bay Area has a perfect spot for you.
Best Fish to Catch in the Bay Area
In addition to breathtaking nature and mild weather year-round, the Bay Area is the perfect meld of freshwater and saltwater opportunities. From Stripers to Tuna, from Halibut to Scorpionfish, you can find just about anything swimming in these waters. Let’s see some of the fish battles you shouldn’t miss out on.
Chinook Salmon – Always Fun, Always Delicious
There’s no local angler that hasn’t come face-to-gills with the King of all Salmon at least once in their lifetime. These fish are the most prized catch here, and you can usually target them from May–November. Just be sure to check the local seasonality before you hit the water.
Salmon fishing is so popular in the Bay Area because Chinook from the north and the south gather here. In the fall months, they enter the California Delta and continue their upstream voyage to their birthplace streams and rivers, where they spawn.
There’s actually a famous route that Salmon take to their spawning grounds, known as the “Salmon Highway” (from Marin County, through San Francisco Bay, all the way to Carquinez Strait). This line offers some of the most productive fishing grounds around. These interception fisheries are the bread and butter of all passionate Salmon chasers.
Another reason why Chinook are so coveted is their sheer size – anything from 10–40 pounds is fair game. And when you have an aggressive 40-pounder on the line, you better believe you’ll have to work to get that trophy into the boat. But the delicious meal made from your catch will be worth the effort.
Can’t Get Enough of Bottom-Dwellers
It’s hard to pick just one favorite bottom-dweller when we’re talking about fishing in the Bay Area. California and Pacific Halibut, a variety of Rockfish, Lingcod – they’re all on the menu. Each of them has a slightly different seasonality, and if you’d like to go for a combo, the best time to go out is in summer and fall.
Bottom fishing is one of the best ways to explore the riches of the area. In San Francisco Bay alone, you can find a more-than-solid California Halibut bite pretty much year-round. These Halis are smaller than Pacific ones (usually in the 10–20 lb range), but they taste amazing.
Rockfish species and Lingcod are equally loved by bay anglers, even though they’re far from beautiful. What they lack in looks they make up for in taste, and these fish make for fabulous table fare. If you’re after trophy size hookups, go beyond the Gate, into the ocean waters.
Everybody likes the bottom-dwelling crew of the Bay Area, and you’ll easily find a local who knows a thing or two about catching them. For a lot of anglers here, bottom fishing is a way of life, so why not give it a go?
Striped Bass – A Fish for Everyone’s Pleasure
If there ever was a low-key staple fish of the Bay Area, it must be Striped Bass. Stripers are loved by many and there are many of them to love. The bays and rivers in the region are brimming with them, and you can snag a Striper any time of the year. Just like with Salmon, location is crucial to landing a good one.
Stripers winter in the San Francisco Bay, but they can get quite slow and lazy in the cold water. Come spring and summer, you’ll find them swimming upstream to the Delta, just in time for spawning. After that, Bass will return to the bay in late summer and fall, just in time for some premium action.
The bay is also the home of resident Striped Bass that are eager to gulp down your bait with abandon all year. You can fish for them from beaches because they like to feed close to the coast. You also can hop on a boat and go to the deeper bay waters where bigger specimens come out to play.
These fellas are fun to catch for families and seasoned fishermen alike because they come in all sizes, and youngsters have a blast when catching smaller fish. In a nutshell, Striped Bass is truly a fish for every occasion.
Sturgeon Fishing Done Right
It’s no secret that Sturgeon fishing in NorCal is phenomenal. These prehistoric monsters of the murky waters are on the bucket list of many an angler, and rightfully so. Sturgeon is THE fish to chase if you’re looking to earn your bragging rights. And if you’re fishing in the Bay Area, wintertime is your best chance of finding a true trophy.
Both White and Green Sturgeon swim around the waters of the bays and rivers, but only White Sturgeon are open for harvest – their green brethren are endangered. Thankfully, there are plenty of white mammoths out there, ready to take you on. These guys can be anywhere from 5–12 feet long, weighing between dozens and hundreds of pounds.
Because Sturgeon love colder waters, they’re most active between December–March. These strange-looking creatures stick to sandy and muddy bottoms, where they spend their days chasing their next meal. Add a well-presented bait to the equation, and chances are you’re in for a battle. Sturgeon’s headshakes and acrobatic jumps will make the whole experience all the more thrilling.
Even with an “average” Sturgeon on the line, your fishing day is about to become pretty epic. Just be ready to fight it with everything you’ve got because it won’t give in easily.
Tuna! Get Your Tuna!
Even though you can’t exactly find Tuna in the bays, the arrival of Albacore Tuna to the offshore waters of the Bay Area is a long-expected event. Every year, starting in July, you can find hard-fighting Albies anywhere from 10–70 miles into the Pacific Ocean. They stick around until late October and this 3-month period is the gala of the offshore fishing season.
Deep sea fishing for Tuna is very popular in the Bay Area, even though getting to them takes a bit of time. Charters usually organize long (10+ hours) days on the waves, so that their customers can have plenty of time to get to the fishing grounds and enjoy the action. Albacore Tuna are beloved for their sheer speed and strength, and as such, they pose the ultimate fishing challenge.
They might not be as gigantic as Yellowfins and Bluefins, but having a 70–pounder on the hook is enough to get your blood pumping. If you’ve always dreamed about having a showdown with a Tuna, Albacore is a great place to start. Their raw power will blow your mind and you’ll be grateful for it.
And More…
Ok, we’ve talked about the top favorite catches in the Bay Area, but the list doesn’t end there. The region’s marine life is so rich that you can fulfill just about any angling dream you’ve ever had.
Sharks are always around in the bay, with Leopard Shark as the most common catch, and maybe the most cuddly one too. Aside from beautiful Leopards, there are 10 more species of Sharks to target, if you’re in the mood for landing an apex predator.
Crabbing is another activity we’d strongly recommend, especially for newcomers. From November–July, going after Dungeness Crab is all the craze, and both adults and kids will have a lot of fun enticing the delicious crab into the snares with rotten chicken pieces. If you’re looking to do something new and unusual, crabbing just might be the way to go.
How to Go Fishing in the Bay Area
When you hit the waters of the Bay Area, it’s all about diversity and abundance, whether we’re talking fish species, spots, or techniques. You can find a fair share of anglers on the water any day of the year, and most of them go about fishing in their own way. Here are some types of fishing that are most popular.
Pier Fishing
There are dozens upon dozens of fishing piers in the Bay Area, and most of them are suitable for fishing. Local anglers know it well and make the most of it every chance they’ve got. Whether it’s on a lake, in the bay, or directly on the ocean, pier fishing is one of the favorite pastimes in the area.
What can you catch? Well, it depends on where you go. If you’re casting your line in the bay waters, you can look forward to Striped Bass, Flounder, Salmon, and Sturgeon. Pacifica, Municipal, and Johnson Piers boast some of the best action around. Pier fishing is convenient, free, and requires only basic fishing gear – perfect for a day of relaxation and fishing fun.
Surf Fishing
Whichever beach you visit in the Bay Area, you’ll probably see people sitting there, with their lines in the water, enjoying the simple life. Surf fishing, in its simplicity and variety, offers solid year-round action to everyone.
Locals love fishing from the beaches because there are a lot of different species to target and, let’s be honest, it’s absolutely gorgeous. You could get your hook into California Halibut, Surfperch, Striped Bass, and Leopard Sharks, to name a few. There are plenty of fishing spots around San Pablo Bay, Sausalito, San Francisco, and Bodega Bay to catch more fish than you’ll need.
Fishing with a Charter
No matter where you are or how long you’ve been fishing, going out with a professional guide is always useful. Having a charter captain take you fishing is like infinitely improving your chances of winning the lottery because your friend knows all the numbers.
Local angling experts organize an array of different trips, from half-day family excursions to all-day Tuna adventures. You can book a boat for your group or simply jump on a big party boat where you get to fish with plenty of other anglers. Whether you want to explore the Delta, Half Moon Bay, or San Francisco, local charters are at your disposal.
Bay Area Fishing Spots
Oh boy, where do we start with this one? There’s hardly a place in the Bay Area where fishing isn’t at least solid, so picking the best ones feels like playing favorites. Still, there are some premier fishing grounds that stand out so much that they simply can’t be overlooked.
- San Francisco Bay. We have to start with the gem of the region. Fishing the San Francisco Bay is the stuff angling dreams are made of thanks to the richness of these waters. From Stripers to Sharks, from Salmon to White Seabass, the bay is a smorgasbord of angling opportunities.
- California Delta. Also known as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, this area is the haunt of every passionate Salmon chaser in the state. Going after Striped Bass and Sturgeon in these brackish waters is incredibly productive as well. Feeling competitive? Join one of many local fishing tournaments and see if you can snag the biggest fish out there.
- Clear Lake. Let’s jump into the freshwater realm for a beat. Clear Lake is California’s biggest freshwater lake, and it’s got the goods to prove it. There’s no better spot to target Largemouth Bass, which is why the lake is beloved by Bass aficionados. It’s a great place to take a break from all the city hubbub as well.
- Half Moon Bay. Some 30 miles from San Francisco, you’ll find Half Moon Bay with direct access to the abundant Pacific. Here, Salmon fishing starts earlier than in the rest of the Bay Area, and you can find good catches as early as April. Add to that Rockfish, Lingcod, and Halibut, and you’ve got yourself a party.
- Bodega Bay. Moving further up north, we’ve got Bodega Bay that sports an equally excellent bite both from land and from a boat. All the joys of fishing in the Bay Area come together here, and anything from Surfperch from the shore to sizable Salmon and Rockfish is fair game. Oh, and did we mention that the bay is absolutely stunning?
When to Go Fishing in the Bay Area
The main fishing season in the Bay Area takes place from spring to fall. Rockfish and Lingcod fishing usually opens in April, and it’s also when the Flounder bite starts picking up.
Traditionally, the most popular game fish around these parts is Salmon. The best season to target these fish in San Francisco is from July through October. However, bear in mind that the regulations have been pretty strict in recent years, so it’d be wise to check if the season is open at all before you commit to a fishing trip.
During winter, you’ll have fewer species to chase after, but it’s still possible to catch the likes of Sturgeon and Striped Bass in the bay. Also, Shark fishing is always an option.
Bay Area Fishing Regulations
The state of California takes the health of its fisheries very seriously, and they ask anglers to do the same. Every angler aged 16 and older fishing from a beach or from a boat needs a valid California fishing license. If you’re fishing from a pier, most of the time you don’t need a license, but be sure to check local regulations before you go out.
Charter captains will provide gear, boat, and insider tips – you’re only responsible for buying your fishing license before you start your trip. If you’re going on a Sturgeon hunt, you’ll need a special Sturgeon Fishing Report Card.
Fishing in the Bay Area – Everything You Could Ever Want
Coming to the Bay Area for a fishing spree at least once in a lifetime is a must. When you’ve got angling conditions that are this good paired with nature that is nothing short of spectacular, missing out on it all is just not an option. Cast your line here once and new fishing horizons will be opened for you forever!
I you’re interested to learn more about fishing in California, read our blog.
How often do you go fishing in the Bay Area? Do you have any insider advice for the visiting anglers? Is there a great fishing spot we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments.
