Fishing on San Francisco Bay and Out the Golden Gate

San Francisco Bay offers many salt water fishing opportunities, whether you want to fish from your own boat or are looking for a party boat (fishing charter boat) to go out on. There's deep sea fishing, fishing along the coast, and fishing within San Francisco Bay from boats or piers.

Fishing Charters: From nearly any part of San Francisco Bay, there are "party boats" that will take you fishing for half a day or a full day. Depending on the season, the same boats may fish for halibut, salmon (but not this year), rockfish, sandabs, or striped bass.

Fishing Supplies and Bait are available in most areas around San Francisco Bay.

Fishing reports, as well as other tips on fishing in San Francisco Bay and outside the Golden Gate are available from several web sites.

Check the weather before heading out on San Francisco Bay, and especially before heading out the Golden Gate.

Books and videos about fishing on San Francisco Bay and along the coast.

What's open now for fishing, from the Department of Fish & Game.

For many anglers, Salmon has been the premiere sportfish in the San Francisco bay area. Unfortunately, radically declining salmon populations have led to the complete cancellation of the Salmon season this year.

In the spring and early summer, many Salmon are typically caught along the northern California coast. The most common fishing areas near the Golden Gate are the coast of Marin, south of Bolinas, and the Duxbury Reef area off the southern tip of the Pt. Reyes peninsula. In late summer, salmon enter the Golden Gate, go through Racoon Strait, and turn north around the Tiburon peninsula to head for the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. When the conditions are right, the salmon fishing can be excellent in this protected location on the east side the Tiburon peninsula (sometimes called California City).

Albacore Tuna stay farther offshore than Salmon (often 30 miles or more), making them more of a challenge than salmon. They are prized for their fight as well as their good eating. Albacore are found off the California coast from June through December. To find them, you need to go offshore until the temperature break where the water warms up, to at least 58.5 degrees (14.7 degrees Celsius); most boats concentrate on waters in the 63 to 65 degree range (roughly 17 to 18 degrees Celsius). See Bay Area Tuna Club more information on fishing for Albacore. The Sea Temperature Map will show you how far offshore you have to go to find the temperature break.

Halibut are caught both inside the bay and along the coast outside the Golden Gate. Fishing for Halibut means bouncing a weight along the bottom, where halibut stay. The Berkeley Flats is a prime location.

Striped Bass and Sturgeon are popular sportfish in San Francisco Bay and in the delta.

Surfperch and Sharks are also caught in the bay and along the coast.

Rockfish and Ling Cod are caught along the coast and offshore.

Looking for fishing trip?

Don't call or email us, since we just run this web site and don't operate any boats.

Instead, contact any of the Fishing Charter companies that we list. You must contact these companies individually; we do not broker their services.