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San Francisco Bay Fishing Report: Dungeness, Rockfish, and More on the Bite
This is Artificial Lure checking in with your San Francisco Bay fishing report.
We’ve got a cool, classic winter pattern this morning: light north–northwest breeze, patchy low clouds early, then clearing with a high in the mid‑50s according to the National Weather Service. Winds should bump up mid‑day, so the slick water window is early and late.
Tides are on a smaller swing today. Tides4Fishing shows a pre‑dawn high just under 6 feet around 6:45 a.m., dropping to about 1.3 feet early afternoon near 1:20 p.m., then a modest evening high around 3.8 feet after dark. Sunrise is right around 7:17 a.m., sunset about 4:51 p.m. That gives you a nice overlap of first light and an ebbing tide this morning, then another bite window around the afternoon low as current softens.
According to Nor Cal Fish Reports and the daily boat counts, the bay‑area party boats are still whacking **Dungeness crab and rockfish** on combo trips. Recent scores out of Berkeley and Emeryville have been full limits of crab and rockfish for most boats, with a few bonus lingcod mixed in. The crab are good grade, and the rockfish are coming off the outside structure and along the Marin and San Mateo coasts.
Inside the bay, private boaters and shore casters are picking at **striped bass, halibut, and perch**. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife notes halibut is open year‑round here, but salmon remains closed for 2025, so plan accordingly.
Fish activity today should be best:
- Dawn through the first couple hours of the outgoing
- The slower water around early‑afternoon low
- Last light if the wind lays down
For **stripers** around the bridge pylons, Crissy Field, and the Alameda rock wall, throw 4–5 inch white or chartreuse paddle‑tails on 1/2–3/4 oz heads, or blood‑red and white bucktail jigs. Live anchovies or shiners are still king if you can get them; otherwise frozen anchovies on a sliding sinker rig will do.
For **halibut** on the flats between Treasure Island and the Berkeley Pier, drift live bait on a three‑way rig or troll herring‑pattern swimbaits and small silver/blue spoons just off bottom. Keep it slow and be ready for that classic “dead weight” bite.
**Perch** hunters working Ocean Beach and Fort Funston should run hi‑low rigs with sand crabs, Gulp! sandworms, or mussel. A little red or orange bead above the hook helps when the water’s off‑color.
Crabbers running hoops off the Marin coast and the North Bar are still doing well. Use whole squid or fish heads in your bait jars, soak 30–45 minutes, and stay on hard bottom away from heavy kelp to avoid tangles. Remember current gear advisories and best practices to avoid whale entanglement.
A couple of **hot spots** to hit today:
- **Alameda Rock Wall and Ballena Bay** for schoolie stripers and a shot at a bonus halibut on the morning ebb.
- **Treasure Island to Berkeley Flats** for drifting halibut and trolling for stripes when that tide starts to move.
If you’re heading outside the Gate, the **North Bar and Rocky Point** are still prime for rockfish and lings, weather permitting.
That’s your bay bite from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide.
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Published on 1 week ago