Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, August 6, 2026
This San Diego fishing report covers late July, the best stretch of the year in Southern California. Bluefin tuna are the lead target and within range of both private boats and the day-and-a-half fleet, with the best action at gray light and on the meter marks. Kelp paddies hold yellowtail and dorado, and inshore bass fishing is a steady option for anyone who does not want to make the long run. Plan every offshore trip around the wind, because this fishery lives and dies on it.
What’s Hitting
Bluefin tuna are the headline, with a wide size range from footballs up to serious cow-class fish. Focus on gray light and on the meter marks. Yellowtail are on the kelp paddies and around the Coronado Islands, and dorado show in the warmer water offshore, a good sign heading into August. Yellowfin are in the mix on the longer runs.
Inshore, calico and sand bass are on the kelp and structure, and bonito and barracuda are around for light-tackle anglers.
Where to Find Them
Look for bluefin offshore in the 60- to 90-mile range, with some closer meter marks in play. Yellowtail sit under drifting kelp paddies anywhere from 15 miles out and around the Coronado Islands. Dorado are with the paddies in the warmest water you can find. A paddy is shade and shelter in open ocean, so baitfish gather under it and predators follow.
Inshore, work the La Jolla kelp, the Point Loma kelp and the structure off Imperial Beach for calicos and bonito.
Tides & Conditions
Tides are moderate off the full moon. Expect surface temps of 68 to 70 inshore, climbing into the low 70s offshore in the warm-water lobes. Mornings tend to be light with an afternoon breeze, which makes the offshore run comfortable on most days. Check the forecast before every long run and start early to use the calm morning window.
Tackle & Tactics
Match the presentation to the species:
- Bluefin: a flat-fall jig fished on the meter marks, or a live sardine on a fluorocarbon leader as light as you dare. Forty-pound gets bites when 60 does not.
- Paddy yellowtail: a surface iron, a live mackerel, or a heavy jig dropped under the fish.
- Dorado: almost anything pitched at a paddy.
- Inshore calicos: a swimbait or a plastic on a lead head worked along the kelp edge.
Local Intel This Week
The Shelter Island launch ramp and the Chula Vista Marina ramp are the main public launches for private boats. If you would rather not take your own boat offshore, the landings at Point Loma, including H&M Landing and Fisherman’s Landing, run the day trips. Shore anglers can work the Ocean Beach Pier for inshore species.
Fish concentrate on the paddies and the offshore temp breaks, so plan the run around those. Fishing Mexican waters requires a valid Mexican fishing license, and bluefin rules differ between US and Mexican zones. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
When you find a kelp paddy, do not run right up to it. Shut down 100 yards up-current and drift in while throwing a few live baits ahead of the boat. Yellowtail under a paddy scatter deep the moment they hear an engine directly overhead, so a quiet approach is the difference between a hookup and an empty paddy.
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