San Francisco Bay Area fishing report for the week of September 10, 2026. The bay has been in a good late-summer pattern this week, with halibut on the flats and the channel edges, stripers feeding at the mouth of the Delta and in the South Bay, and the salmon fleet finding fish offshore on the days the season and the weather have allowed. Rockfish and lingcod on the coastal reefs have been steady for the boats out of Half Moon Bay and Bodega.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting this week is halibut in the bay. Fish from 8 to 20 pounds are on the flats and the channel edges from the Berkeley Flats to the Alameda Rock Wall and around the Marin shoreline, with the best action on the moving tides. Striped bass are at the mouth of the Delta around the Carquinez Strait and in the South Bay near the San Mateo Bridge, feeding on anchovies and shad. Salmon are offshore for anglers who confirm the current season — the boats out of the Golden Gate have been finding fish along the coast toward Half Moon Bay and Point Reyes. Rockfish and lingcod are on the reefs off the Farallones and the coast.
Sturgeon are in Suisun Bay and the Delta, with some good reports on the deeper edges.
Where to Find Them
For halibut, the Berkeley Flats, the Alameda Rock Wall, the Paradise Cay area on the Marin side, and the channel edges near Angel Island on the moving tide. Stripers are in the Carquinez Strait and around the Benicia bridges on the tide changes, and in the South Bay around the San Mateo Bridge and the Dumbarton area. Salmon are offshore along the coast in 100 to 200 feet. Rockfish and lingcod are on the reefs at the Farallones and off Half Moon Bay. Sturgeon are on the deeper edges of Suisun Bay.
Tides & Conditions
The new moon this weekend brings big tides through the Golden Gate, which improves the halibut and striper fishing on the moving water. Winds have been northwest at 10 to 20 with the usual afternoon breeze on the bay, and the fog has been heavy on the coast some mornings. Bay water temps are in the low 60s. Offshore seas have been 3 to 5 feet with a moderate swell.
Tackle & Tactics
For halibut, drift live anchovies or shiner perch on a sliding sinker rig with a 2 to 4-ounce weight, or troll a hoochie behind a flasher along the flats. Stripers want a live anchovy or a swimbait on the tide changes, and a topwater at dawn in the South Bay. Salmon offshore are taking trolled anchovies behind a flasher on a downrigger, or mooched herring. Rockfish and lingcod want a jig or a shrimp fly rig on the reefs. Sturgeon want ghost shrimp or eel on the bottom.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Berkeley Marina ramp is the closest to the flats, the Sausalito and Richmond ramps serve the central bay, and the Oyster Point ramp in South San Francisco covers the South Bay. The Benicia and Martinez ramps serve the Carquinez Strait and the Delta mouth. Shore anglers have been catching stripers and some halibut from the Berkeley Pier area and the Pacifica Pier has had jacksmelt and perch. Fish are concentrating on the flats and channel edges on the moving tide and at the Delta mouth on the tide changes. Check current California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations before keeping fish — the ocean salmon season has been limited or closed in recent years and must be confirmed before every trip, halibut have a size and bag limit, and striped bass have a slot limit.
This Week’s Tip
Bay halibut are on the bottom, facing into the current, waiting for a bait to drift past. Set up your drift so the tide carries you along the edge of the flat, and let your bait tick along the bottom just ahead of the boat. A bait dragged behind the boat with too much line out is above the fish. Keep the line near vertical and feel for the bottom.
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