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San Francisco Bay Fishing Report: Late Fall Bite Still Delivering
Artificial Lure here with the Thursday, October 30th, 2025, San Francisco Bay fishing report—thanks for joining me before sunrise!
Sun popped up at 7:32 AM, and you’ll get daylight till a little after 6:14 PM, perfect for squeezing in a full day on the water. Weather’s classic Bay fall: cool, with little morning fog and a gentle breeze out of the west, forecasted high in the low 60s. Bring a windbreaker—layers are still smart out here as fog can creep up at midday.
Tidal action is pretty mellow today. According to Tides4Fishing, the tidal coefficient sits low between 33 and 41—so current will be light with limited swing between highs and lows. That means slack water at midday and smaller moving windows for fast bites, so keep that bait dancing or drift through structure on either end of the tide for your best shot.
The late fall bite in the Bay is still delivering. Rockfish and lingcod have been the main story outside the Gate and up along Marin’s rocky ledges. Boats out of Emeryville and Fish Emeryville just finished the bay rockfish season strong with limits of both rockfish and some bonus lings—plenty of solid red rockfish and quality lings to 12 pounds landed this week. Stripers in the Central and South Bay are still on fire, with fish moving through the flats early and then hanging on deeper structure as the sun climbs. Live anchovies and shiner perch are top baits, but plastics like white swimbaits or chartreuse paddle tails have put plenty of stripers in coolers lately as well.
Halibut are still kicking around, mostly keepers in the 22 to 30-inch range. Drifting live bait (anchovies, herring, or squid strips) on a three-way rig is the go-to setup, especially on the edges of deeper channels near Alcatraz and along the Berkeley Flats. According to NorCal Fish Reports, the season pretty much ended with a bang, but those sticking it out by Angel Island and the Alameda rockwall have still been rewarded with quality ‘buts when tide and patience line up.
When the rockfish and lings are on your mind, try squid-tipped jigs or metal bars bounced along rocky points at the Marin Headlands or past the Gate at the North Bar. The slower tide today is perfect for working lighter gear near structure; less weight, more sensitivity, more fun. Down by Oyster Point, reports have been steady for schoolie stripers on cut anchovy—fish the top or bottom of the tides for best action.
For you lure lovers: try 5-inch white or glow swim shads for halibut and stripers, and don’t be afraid to throw chrome spoons or Kastmasters into running water around piers for mixed bag action. On the fly side, Lost Coast Outfitters keeps pushing the 10-foot 4wt rods as the local favorite, slinging clouser minnows in yellow/white to match the small anchovy schools still pushing around the Bay.
Want some local hot spots? Here’s your short list:
- **Berkeley Flats:** Drift live bait for halibut and stripers as the tide turns.
- **Coast Guard Pier (Fort Point):** Great for a mixed bag—striped bass, perch, and the rare summer halibut.
- **Marin Headlands/North Bar:** Best for boaters running outside for rockfish and lings.
- **Alameda Rockwall:** Early and late for halibut, especially if you find moving water.
Last tip—if you’re targeting rising fish around structure on this weak tide, keep your presentation moving, switch up baits if you stall out, and always match the size of local anchovies for best results.
Thanks for tuning in to this morning’s San Francisco Bay report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide change or bite window.
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Published on 2 days, 18 hours ago