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San Francisco Bay Fishing Report: Fall Variety and Cautions
Artificial Lure here with your November 20, 2025 San Francisco Bay fishing report—let’s dive in!
Sunrise hit at 6:56 a.m. and we’ll lose light quick, with sunset coming at 4:54 p.m. Early birds got a jump on those prime tide swings. Tides were lively today: high at around 12:12 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. with 6 feet reported on the morning flood. Afterward, expect a nice outgoing: low tide near 4:30 a.m. and the big drop again at 5:29 p.m. down close to -0.4 feet, keeping that water moving and the predatory fish active according to Tides4Fishing.
Weather’s been on the mild side: patchy fog at dawn but burning off into a clear, cool day, hovering in the high 50s to mid 60s as is typical late November. Bay winds are moderate, enough chop to keep baitfish nervous but not dangerous for small craft close to shore.
This week’s action has been classic late fall bay variety. Out on the party boats and charters, from the Golden Gate through Berkeley out to the Farallons, the rockfish and lingcod bite is still wide open. California Dawn Sportfishing reported rockfish counts over 200 per trip, plus steady sanddabs and consistently strong lingcod, with fifty fish up to 22 pounds last outing. 976-TUNA and NorCal Fish Reports are confirming rockfish, sculpin, and a solid showing of sand bass and whitefish, with lings biting best on darker swimbaits or large jigs tipped with squid strips.
Central Bay is still delivering for bay halibut seekers—slow-trolled herring pattern plugs and Pitbull Tackle sliding halibut rigs are the hot ticket if you’re bouncing bottom from Alcatraz to the Berkeley Flats. South Bay piers and mudflats have produced some leopard shark and bat ray action on squid or oily baits at night.
Striped bass are pushing into shorelines on the incoming, especially dawn and dusk. Hit the Embarcadero piers and Crissy Field with 3-5 inch paddle-tail swimbaits, bucktail jigs, or chunk anchovy. According to local guides, matching your jig head to the current is key—just heavy enough to stay near bottom, but not so much you’re dragging, especially with lively tides like today.
Surf casters at Ocean Beach and Baker Beach found perch and the odd striper at first light on Gulp grubs and sandworms. Don’t forget to bring a high-low rig and a few pyramid sinkers—recent king tides moved the sand around, changing up the holes and troughs daily.
Recent catch updates from NorCal Fish Reports highlight a reliable rockfish and lingcod bite continuing offshore. Party boats out of Emeryville have filled coolers with limits of rockies and a few late-season sheephead and sand bass mixed in.
Today’s hottest spots: try the Berkeley Flats early for halibut, then work the Marin shoreline near Fort Point and the Ferry Building piers for stripers on the incoming. Offshore, if weather holds, the Farallon Islands remain a can’t-miss for big rockfish and lings—just watch your bag limits and leave the smallest home for next year.
Top lures and baits:
- Dark colored paddle-tail swimbaits, 4-6 inches for stripers and rockfish.
- Squid-tipped metal jigs or large curly tails for lingcod.
- Live or cut anchovy, especially for shorebound stripers.
- Gulp-style artificial grubs or sandworms for surfperch.
- Classic herring-pattern trolling plugs or Pitbull sliding rigs for halibut.
One health note—CBS News recently reminded anglers about elevated “forever chemical” levels in bay fish. Catch and release is strongly recommended on the larger resident stripers and all leopard sharks. Keep the eatin’ to occasional, especially for kids and sensitive groups.
That’s your November 20 San Francisco Bay fishing update from Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for the freshest reports and tips out on the water! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Published on 1 month ago