Late Summer Bite Report for California's Pacific Coast

Artificial Lure here with your Pacific Ocean, California fishing report for Saturday, August 23rd, 2025. Conditions are setting up just about perfect for a late-summer bite, so let’s dive right in.

Out on the water, *the weather's been as classic as it gets this week*—mild offshore winds have kept the nearshore chop down, with air temps hovering in the mid-60s to low-70s. It’s mostly clear this morning, making for beautiful visibility, and the marine layer rolled off right after dawn, which was at 6:27 a.m. Sunset tonight is at 7:49 p.m.—prime opportunities for both early topwater and late-afternoon trolling.

For the tides in the region: we saw a **morning high at 4:47 a.m., low tide at 10:50 a.m., back up to a 4:44 p.m. high**, then dropping again late evening. That long, slow drop after midday is money for working structure and deeper pockets, especially off jetties and rocky reefs. Over in Pacifica, expect a similar pattern, with a 0.82 ft low at 5:35 a.m. and a bullish 7.12 ft high at 12:03 p.m.—bait and predatory fish will move with those pushes, so plan accordingly.

**Fish activity has been going off almost coastwide.** According to Nor Cal Fish Reports, party boats up and down the coast from Fort Bragg, Berkeley, to Half Moon Bay are returning with full sacks. Recent action includes boats like New Huck Finn and Lady K from Emeryville banging out limits or near-limits of *lingcod and rockfish*—expect up to 20+ keeper lingcod per trip and hundreds of chunky rockfish in the mix. *California Dawn from Berkeley and New Rayann from Sausalito* both reported halibut pushing 20 pounds alongside quality lingcod and rockfish, with the occasional striped bass thrown in for a mixed-bag treat.

Down in southern waters, Fisherman's Landing reports the *bluefin tuna bite remains hot*, with the Pacific Queen landing 126 bluefin and the Islander reporting 75 bluefin, 4 yellowtail, and even a halibut on deck. Thirty to fifty-pounders are the norm, so if you’ve got heavy gear, now’s the time. Party-boat scores are also showing limits of *vermilion rockfish, sheepshead, and sandbass* off the rocky structure closer to shore.

Let’s talk **lures and bait**: Most party boats are providing *swimbaits* for their guests, and social feeds from California Dawn confirm that big paddle-tails on lead heads are crushing lingcod and rockfish right now. Bright patterns (chartreuse/white, root beer, or sardine imitations) are producing best, especially when fished vertically over reefs. For the surf, anglers are getting morning topwater action on prop baits (like Choppos) and small walking plugs for stripers and perch. Offshore, bluefin are still hammering flat-fall jigs, Colt Snipers, and live bait—especially sardines if you’re on a sport boat.

Bait-wise, you can’t beat *live anchovies or sardines* for halibut and bass when available. Cut mackerel or squid is the go-to for soaking up a ling, while natural-colored soft plastics and weedless rigs are picking up bass in the bays and near rocky outcrops.

**A couple of local hotspots not to miss:**
- The Duxbury Reef area north of Stinson Beach is lights out right now for rockfish and lingcod. Those working jigs in 60-120 feet are being rewarded handsomely.
- Alcatraz Island’s west edge is a hot ticket for halibut and stripers, especially on the morning tide change.
- Monterey Bay’s Pajaro Flats area is seeing consistent action for halibut on live bait, and Capitola boats are landing limits of vermilion rockfish a little deeper.
- Out of San Diego, the tuna grounds west of the islands are still loaded—long range trips are where the serious pelagic action is happening.

That’s the bite for today—get out there early or hit the dusk bite, work the tide swings, and lean heavy on those swimbaits and flat-fall irons. Don’t forget to check your local advisories for marine weather and algae blooms before...