FishCondishSan Francisco, CA Fishing Report & Live Conditions
San Francisco, CA fishing report
San Francisco Bay and the Farallones offer year-round action that shifts dramatically by season. Spring and early summer bring chinook salmon staging outside the Gate, followed by striped bass moving into the bay on their spawning run, with fish pushing into the shallows around the South Bay and Central Bay structure. Halibut are a bay staple from late spring through fall, settling into sandy flats as water warms. When conditions allow runs offshore to the Farallones, rockfish are the consistent target year-round, with lingcod joining them in cooler months.
For halibut, drift sandy bottom along the main channel edges on a moderate incoming tide using live anchovies or swimbaits worked just off the bottom. Stripers respond well to topwater plugs and soft plastics around rocky structure and current seams at first light. Salmon offshore want trolled hoochies or whole anchovies at depth — watch your sonar and work the temperature breaks. At the Farallones, rockfish stack on deep rocky pinnacles; drop heavy jigs or baited rigs straight down and fish close to structure. Incoming tides generally move fish; outgoing can concentrate halibut on channel edges. Avoid offshore runs when northwest winds exceed about 15 knots.
San Francisco, CA tide times
The closest NOAA tide station to San Francisco, CA is Rincon Point, Pier 22 1/2 (station 9414317), about 2.1 miles away. The mean tide range at this station is 4.5 ft. Predictions below are referenced to MLLW in local time.
| Date | Tides |
|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 1 | ▲ High 1:37 AM 6.1 ft▼ Low 8:04 AM -0.1 ft▲ High 3:02 PM 5.7 ft▼ Low 8:25 PM 2.3 ft |
| Sun, Aug 2 | ▲ High 2:22 AM 5.6 ft▼ Low 8:35 AM 0.3 ft▲ High 3:30 PM 5.9 ft▼ Low 9:12 PM 1.9 ft |
| Mon, Aug 3 | ▲ High 3:12 AM 5.1 ft▼ Low 9:10 AM 0.8 ft▲ High 4:01 PM 6.1 ft▼ Low 10:06 PM 1.6 ft |
| Tue, Aug 4 | ▲ High 4:14 AM 4.6 ft▼ Low 9:49 AM 1.4 ft▲ High 4:38 PM 6.3 ft▼ Low 11:09 PM 1.2 ft |
| Wed, Aug 5 | ▲ High 5:37 AM 4.1 ft▼ Low 10:36 AM 2.1 ft▲ High 5:23 PM 6.4 ft |
| Thu, Aug 6 | ▼ Low 12:22 AM 0.8 ft▲ High 7:24 AM 3.9 ft▼ Low 11:36 AM 2.7 ft▲ High 6:16 PM 6.6 ft |
| Fri, Aug 7 | ▼ Low 1:38 AM 0.3 ft▲ High 8:59 AM 4.2 ft▼ Low 12:51 PM 3.1 ft▲ High 7:17 PM 6.7 ft |
| Sat, Aug 8 | ▼ Low 2:49 AM -0.2 ft▲ High 10:09 AM 4.6 ft▼ Low 2:09 PM 3.3 ft▲ High 8:22 PM 6.9 ft |
| Sun, Aug 9 | ▼ Low 3:50 AM -0.6 ft▲ High 11:03 AM 4.9 ft▼ Low 3:19 PM 3.2 ft▲ High 9:24 PM 7.2 ft |
| Mon, Aug 10 | ▼ Low 4:43 AM -1 ft▲ High 11:49 AM 5.3 ft▼ Low 4:19 PM 2.9 ft▲ High 10:23 PM 7.4 ft |
Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS, regenerated daily. For the live water level, wind, and today's fishing score, open the San Francisco, CA dashboard.
What's biting near San Francisco, CA
The species most likely to be feeding the bay and the Farallones: striped bass, halibut, salmon, and rockfish. FishCondish grades every hour of the day for San Francisco, CA and gives each species its own bite forecast, so you can see which window is worth fishing before you load the truck.
San Francisco, CA fishing FAQ
What fish can you catch at San Francisco, CA?
The species bite forecast for San Francisco, CA covers what's likely feeding there, including striped bass, halibut, salmon, and rockfish — and updates with the live conditions.
What's the best time of day to fish San Francisco, CA?
Dawn and dusk are usually the strongest windows at San Francisco, CA, especially when they line up with moving water around a tide change. FishCondish grades every hour of the day so you can pick the best one.
When is the best season to fish San Francisco, CA?
Spring and fall typically bring the most active fishing along the bay and the Farallones as fish migrate and feed heavily, with summer steady for warm-water species. It varies year to year, so check the live score before you head out.
How do I know if it's a good day to fish San Francisco, CA?
FishCondish combines wind, tide movement, water temperature, pressure trend, and moon phase into a single 1–10 fishing score for San Francisco, CA, updated in real time — a quick go/no-go read before you make the trip.
Fishing tips for San Francisco, CA
New to these waters? Start with these beginner-friendly guides: