Artificial Lure here with your San Francisco Bay fishing report.
We’re sitting on a mellow late‑spring pattern. The National Weather Service has us in the low to mid‑50s at first light, topping out low 60s this afternoon. Light onshore breeze early, building to 10–15 knots west in the afternoon, small chop on the Central Bay. Skies mostly clear with some marine layer teasing the Gate. Sunrise is right around 5:50 a.m., sunset about 8:20 p.m., giving plenty of swing time on the tide.
According to NOAA tide tables for the Golden Gate, we’ve got a predawn low, a solid mid‑morning flood, then an afternoon ebb that really moves. That mid‑morning flood has been the sweet spot: cleaner water pushing in and bait stacking on the edges of the channels.
Striped bass action has picked up again after a little lull. Local party boats out of Fisherman’s Wharf and Berkeley have been reporting steady schoolie bass with a few legals to the mid‑20‑inch range, plus the occasional 30‑incher. South Bay shoreline regulars are sticking schoolies around the San Mateo and Dumbarton stretches on the top of the flood and first of the ebb, especially where there’s current wrapping points or bridge structure.
Halibut fishing has been the star. San Francisco and Berkeley fleet logs the last couple of days show solid scores on keeper halibut, with boat averages running a fish per rod or better when the wind behaves. Most are 22–30 inches with some bigger slabs in the mix. The best bite has been in 15–35 feet along the Berkeley Flats, Alcatraz, and up toward Angel Island on that incoming tide, then sliding a bit deeper once it starts to rip.
Live bait continues to be king. Live anchovies and shiner perch are the go‑to on three‑way rigs or sliding sinker setups, 20–25 lb fluoro leaders and sharp 3/0–4/0 hooks. When bait’s scarce, guys are doing well dragging tray herring and frozen anchovies, especially if you brine them so they hold up. For artificials, white or chartreuse swimbaits on 1–2 oz heads, glow scampi‑style grubs, and 4–5 inch paddle tails in sardine or anchovy patterns have all been producing, especially for bass.
From the shore, bloodworms, pile worms, anchovy chunks, and grass shrimp under a sliding sinker are the old standbys. Early morning topwater for stripers can be sneaky good along the Rock Wall and Crissy when the wind lays down: small walkers and pencil‑style plugs in bone or chrome, worked fast over rip lines.
A couple of current hot spots:
– Berkeley Flats: drifting live bait from just outside the marina north toward the old pier line has been consistently giving up halibut with bonus stripers. Try to line up your drifts to follow the contour rather than cut across it.
– Crissy Field to Fort Point: on a softer tide, trolling or casting for stripers along the drop and around the rocks has been productive, particularly first light on the flood. Just mind the current and the shipping lanes.
Overall fish activity has been best from first light through the middle of the flood, then again at the start of the evening push when the wind backs off. Once that afternoon blow really gets on it, most boats have been calling it and heading for the barn.
That’s the scoop from around the Bay. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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