Mission Bay is one of San Diego's highlights, and probably the best place in the city to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Aside from SeaWorld, cycling, and picnicking, which are all great fun, fishing in these prolific waters holds a lot of promise. Don't believe us? Let a Mission Bay fishing charter take you and show you just how good the bite is.
The bay is quite shallow and it doesn't go deeper than 25 feet, though most areas are shallower than that. This means that you can find all sorts of inshore species here, starting with beloved Spotted Sand Bass, closely followed by Calico, Halibut, smaller Barracuda, Croaker, Bonito, and many more. The quality of fish is great, though they might be tricky to find.
Mission Bay is quite big and it's up to you how much time you want to spend exploring it. A standard half day trip that lasts 4–5 hours gives you enough time to target various species and have a blast. If you'd like more time on the water, you've got options for 6–8-hour expeditions, some of which might take you out of the bay and into the Pacific.
There are several boat launches in Mission Bay and we'd recommend talking to your captain well in advance to make sure you know where to meet. Dana Landing Marina is the most common meeting point for crews of Mission Bay fishing charters and anglers.
Rules & Regulations
Before you start your angling adventure, you'll need a valid California fishing license. Every person who is 16 and older needs to have their license on them. If you plan on getting a license that lasts more than 2 days, you'll also need to get an Ocean Enhancement Stamp.