Fish Reports

YUBA CITY – The salmon season in the section of the Feather River from 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp to the Highway 99 bridge remains open through October 31. The bag limit is one Chinook salmon:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline

Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service has been reporting limits of bright Chinooks on most trips. On his latest trip, he reported two kings in the boat by 10:30 a.m. He has been catching his salmon while anchor fishing with Silvertron spinners out of Boyd’s Pump.

On a previous trip he reported, “Kevin and Wendy came all the way from Hawaii to catch salmon on the Feather River and it didn’t disappoint. They caught their limits along with Gary.”

Brian Willis at Johnson’s Bait and Tackle confirmed the top-notch salmon action. “Justin Mitchell and I have been catching limits of salmon on most of our trips from Star Bend down,” said Willis. “We’ve caught fish ranging from 15 to 30 pounds. All of the fish have been beautiful and bright. We also hooked and lost a steelhead on a Silvertron during a recent trip,” he stated.

Shore anglers are catching some steelhead on the Feather while drifting roe imitations or salmon roe from Live Oak up towards the outlet, Willis noted.

Striper fishing is also on the upswing. “I caught and released two stripers in the 20-pound range while throwing Evergreen Amazon topwater lures below Star Bend,” he added.

Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and Sept. 25, 2025 are:

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (April 16 through June 30): 17,733
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 4,201
• Steelhead: 374

EL GRANADA – Rockfishing adventures along the San Mateo County Coast continue to yield limits of colorful rockfish, along with some lingcod and an occasional halibut.

“All-depth rockfishing is now allowed off our coastline,” the Half Moon Bay Sportfishing Center reported. “The state and federal fishery management agencies have both approved changes to the rockfishing off our coastline effective September 18, 2025, to no depth restrictions through the end of the year. That means fishing the Deep Reef is in play, as well as fishing as deep or as shallow as we’d like.”

For example, the Queen of Hearts returned to the dock with 210 rockfish and 2 lingcod for 21 anglers on October 11. The boat checked in with 120 rockfish and 5 lingcod for 21 anglers on October 10.

The Center is now taking reservations for Dungeness crab and rockfishing trips beginning on November 1 through the end of the year.

Salmon fishing is closed for the rest of the year as the 7,500 fall harvest guideline has been met. News about a salmon season in 2026 will be discussed in fishery management meetings beginning in February 2026.

“Perch are hitting along the coastline, and squid and anchovies are showing up outside the harbor,” the Center stated. “Folks continue to enjoy catching rock crab off the fishing pier inside the harbor as well as on the jetty. Recreational Dungeness crab season is closed until the first Saturday in November, but the rock crab season is open all year using either hoop nets or snares.”

“If you’re interested in monkeyface eel, there’s loads of them available hidden in the jetty rocks for poke-pole anglers. Striper fishing along the beaches has slowed down, but there are still a few being landed here and there. Halibut have moved in with some good-size fish in the mix,” the Center concluded.

• Dan Bacher

FORESTHILL – Rainbow trout were hitting at French Meadows Reservoir as an early winter storm was getting ready to hit the Sierra Nevada.

“Limit-style rainbow fishing is available to both boaters and shore anglers,” reported Cal Kellogg of fishcalkellogg.com. “On my latest kayak trip to the reservoir I caught and released 16 rainbows to 18 inches. I used a bunch of different baits, but I had my best success while trolling with nightcrawlers 16 to 18 inches behind Mini Willow Leaf dodgers with three colors of leadcore at 1.8 mph.”

“If you plan to shore fish, I recommend rigging up one rod with an inflated nightcrawler about 30 feet off shore and another rod with a nightcrawler under a bobber,” Kellogg advised. “I think the next two to three weeks should yield outstanding trout fishing at French Meadows and other lakes in the High Sierra.”

SOMES BAR – I have some first-hand info to share today. We sent seven boats out fishing over the last three days covering the Coon Creek to Stuarts Bar areas. In summary, we are seeing very few steelhead.

Here are our actual totals from the seven total boat days: we netted three adult steelhead and three half-pounders, and dozens of smolt were hooked. There were several half-pounder hits on the flies that did not lead to a netted fish.

My personal boat run today with two expert fly fishermen only produced one netted adult (about 4 or 5 pounds) and zero half-pounders. So, there just aren’t many steelhead in this stretch of the mid-Klamath.

However, the general river quality is fishable. Clarity varied over the last three days but averaged about 2–3 feet in depth. River temps are in the mid-60s, and the river is flowing at 1,600 cfs in Orleans. We continued to clean off moss globules from our flies after every other cast.

The typical number of smolt interacted with on each guide day totaled around a dozen to two dozen per boat. The large number of smolt interactions is encouraging as far as potential growth for the future steelhead population, but we are obviously hit hard by the current loss of the half-pounder population and the small numbers of adults.

We have more rain predicted at the end of this week and early next week, so we are hoping that there might be more pods of fish migrating upstream with increasingly cooler water temps.

It has been tiring to fish hard all day with only one or two fish hits, but that’s fishing — so on we go.

The Klamath and Trinity rivers are closed to all take of Chinook salmon this year due to the collapse of the system’s fall-run Chinook salmon populations.

• Doug Cole, Marble Mountain Ranch Fishing Lodge and Guide Service

LIVERMORE – Anglers are experiencing top fishing for striped bass and catfish, though the trout fishing should perk up at Los Vaqueros Reservoir as the water cools and fall trout plants begin.

“Fishermen are picking up stripers while fishing from shore and rental boats,” said Carlos Robles at the Los Vaqueros Marina. “Anglers brought in stripers in the 21- to 24-inch range today. One angler also landed a 10 lb. striper. Bait fishing with anchovies is producing the best success.”

South Cove, the pier near the marina, Cowboy Cove, and Howden Cove are among the better spots to target striped bass.

Channel catfish are also hitting around the lake, including off the pier near the marina. Although Robles has seen some catfish in the 8-pound class caught, most are in the 2- to 5-lb. class. The South Cove, Cowboy Cove, and Oak Point are among the better spots to target catfish with anchovies, chicken liver, and nightcrawlers.

“A few trout — not many — are being caught by anglers fishing along the shoreline,” he added. “Most anglers report catching the rainbows on PowerBait.”

Robles expects the trout plants to resume in late October or early November. The water temperature at the marina was 68 to 69 degrees at press time.

If you are interested in renting a boat, the marina recommends calling ahead to check current wind conditions as they are unpredictable and can impact the ability to safely rent boats to visitors. Wind speeds change suddenly, and boat rentals are typically suspended when they exceed 15 mph or when heavy gusts are forecasted. Remember — rental boats are first come, first served. Weekends and some weekdays sell out quickly.

The reservoir is holding 145,000 acre-feet of water. For more information, call (925) 371-2628.

• Dan Bacher

SANTA CRUZ – While most anglers are focusing on rockfish and lingcod now that all depths are open, a few bluefin tuna are beginning to show in the Monterey Bay region.

Three bluefin tuna caught by local anglers were recently weighed in at Bayside Marine. One angler landed an 87 lb bluefin while trolling a Mad Mack lure. Another fisherman brought in a bluefin while trolling 16 miles out from the harbor.

“There was only one boat looking for bluefin today,” said Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine on October 11. “He caught his fish in the middle of the bay on a Mad Mack.”

“However, the majority of anglers caught a mix of rockfish and lingcod up the Santa Cruz County coast,” said Fraser. “The deep-water rockfishing was also great straight out of the harbor.”

Anglers landed the bottomfish while fishing bars, jigs, swimbaits, shrimp flies, and live bait.

Some quality striped bass were caught near the San Lorenzo River mouth on Lucky Craft lures, Fraser noted. Some big halibut have been weighed in at the store lately. For halibut, Fraser recommended drifting live bait or trolling lures from Four Mile Beach to Davenport.

Charter boats out of Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey reported excellent fishing for rockfish on recent outings. The boats are returning with daily limits of rockfish, along with a few lingcod. Anglers are using shrimp flies baited with squid strips, jigs, bars, swimbaits, and other offerings to nail the bottomfish.

The Checkmate returned with limits of rockfish (200) and 7 lingcod for 20 anglers on Saturday, Oct. 11. On the same day, the Caroline tied up at the dock with limits of rockfish (170) and 8 lingcod for 17 anglers. The Checkmate also returned with limits of rockfish (200), including limits of vermilion, and 8 lingcod for 20 anglers on October 10. The Caroline reported 150 rockfish and 32 lingcod for 18 anglers the same day.

Effective August 28, 2025, recreational regulations allow take of rockfish, cabezon, greenling, and lingcod in all depths for state waters in the Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco, and Central Groundfish Management Areas through December 31, 2025:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary

• Dan Bacher

ANGELS CAMP – While kokanee salmon fishing has petered out as the fish go upriver to spawn, fishing for rainbow trout is excellent at New Melones Reservoir, according to Kyle Wise of Headhunter SportFishing.

“I had two new clients out this morning, and despite yesterday’s adverse weather conditions, including winds, lightning, and rain, the morning bite proved to be exceptionally productive,” Wise reported. “They rapidly caught their limit of ten fish by 9:30 a.m. while using Tspoons and Speedy Shiners smeared with Pautzke’s Garlic/Herring Fire Gel, down to a depth of 100 feet.”

After his previous fishing adventure, Wise reported, “I ran another birthday trip, and what a morning our two clients had. Find the bait balls and find fish. We were able to catch limits of trout and a few kokanee, plus a brown to cap the morning off.”

Boaters interested in participating in the seal program can obtain a quarantine seal to attach to their boat and trailer at this time. Please visit the Glory Hole boat launch location between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to obtain one from a park ranger free of charge, to begin the 30-day quarantine period prior to any future boat launching at New Melones.

For questions about this suspension and the new protocol, contact a New Melones staff member at (209) 459-7290 or visit the New Melones website.

New Melones is holding 1,620,496 acre-feet of water, 68 percent of capacity and 122 percent of average.

• Dan Bacher

NAPA – If you’d like to troll for stripers on the Napa River from Cuttings Wharf, the bite is going strong on trips with Dennis Grossi of Grossi’s Guide Service.

Dennis continues to get limits of stripers for his clients on each trip. He reports trolling 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps in the sloughs and at the mouth of the sloughs. The last hour of the outgoing tide and the turn to the incoming tide have been best. Dennis noted that the fish have been averaging about 5 pounds.

• Ken Baccetti, President of the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), Isleton-Delta Chapter

RIO VISTA – The striper bite for trollers in the Delta continues to be productive, according to avid trolling expert Mark Wilson. Mark reports that he and his friends have been trolling in a number of locations until they locate the fish.

They’ve trolled from the West Bank below the Rio Vista Bridge on the outgoing tide to the bottom of the tide using deep-diving Yozuri lures, and on the San Joaquin River from Eddo’s Marina to the Antioch Bridge and into Broad Slough using shallow-running Yozuris on the incoming tide for their best action.

Mark noted that on his last trip he and his friends caught 20 keeper stripers, retaining only their limits. Green or pink-colored Yozuris did the job on this trip.

The bait fishing for stripers has been tough in the Delta. “We ended up with two keeper stripers measuring 20 and 22 inches for two guys on the San Joaquin River while jigging P-Line Lazer Minnows on my latest trip on October 11,” said Cal Kellogg of fishcalkellogg.com. “There were lots of fish marks on the graph, but the stripers wouldn’t hit live bluegill or sardines. We also released two undersized stripers and a 15 lb carp. I think the reason the stripers weren’t hitting the baits was because they were on a reaction bite.”

If you would like more information about the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), go to www.striper-csba.org. You’ll be able to access all information related to the four CSBA chapters. New members only pay $25, which includes a one-time $5 initiation fee. After the first year of membership, the annual dues are $20. Your membership helps strengthen our mission to protect striped bass and our fisheries. Some chapters will even give you a free gift just for joining.

The Isleton-Delta Chapter gives all new members two free Isleton Chapter decals and a chapter hat as a thank you for joining. Membership forms are available for each chapter on the website. Just click on your chapter of choice and go to the membership page, fill out the application, print it, and send your application and payment to the address listed. The Isleton Chapter also accepts credit cards online for new memberships, renewals, and events. The website also includes newsletters, photos, articles, and useful links to help you plan your next fishing trip.

• Ken Baccetti, President of the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), Isleton-Delta Chapter

BURSON – Shore anglers and rental boaters are catching big numbers of black bass, particularly smallmouths, at Pardee Lake as the season nears its end on November 9.

Fishing pressure has been light at Pardee, as the ban on launching private craft continues through the end of the season.

“The bass bite has been hot for those going out,” said John Blim at the Pardee Lake Marina. “Guys in rental boats have reported catching up to 30 bass while using topwater lures, spinnerbaits, and plastics. There are lots of quality smallmouths being caught. The biggest fish reported lately was an 8 lb smallmouth caught from shore a month ago.”

While the 8-pound bass is big news, another angler topped the year’s catfish catches with a 25 lb channel cat caught on a nightcrawler from shore in the middle of the day. Anglers also caught two other catfish weighing 10 and 12 pounds this season.

“The catfish action has been best early and late in the day from shore,” said Blim. “All of the big ones are being caught on nightcrawlers.”

The kokanee bite has recently shut down as the fish move upriver to spawn. However, the kokanee bite was hot for anglers going out in rental boats who brought their own downriggers to clamp onto the boats. While the lake has been known for its small kokanee, fish in the 17-inch range were the norm this season, he noted.

Trout fishing from shore has been slow over the past few weeks due to the warm weather, although fishing for holdover rainbows should improve as the water temperature cools with the onset of fall.

Fishing pressure also remains light at Camanche, due to the closure of the lake to private boats including kayaks. However, that should change with the beginning of rainbow trout plants at the reservoir.

Lake Camanche Recreation Company reported, “The air is cooling, the water is shifting, and you know what that means: trout season is almost here! Get your rods ready, because some of the best fishing of the year is just around the corner.”

The boat ramps at Camanche remain closed through the end of 2025 for launching outside watercraft, although shore fishing, mussel-free rental boats, and camping are still available.

Due to the spread of the golden mussel recently discovered in Northern California, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) will keep boat launches closed to private vessels for the 2025 season. “This decision eliminates one of the primary ways that mussels spread, helping EBMUD keep its commitment to protect the environment and the public water system on behalf of its 1.4 million customers in the East Bay,” the agency said in a press release.

• Dan Bacher

TRUCKEE – The Truckee River is seeing typical fall conditions right now. The upper section of the river is low, but thanks to increased releases out of Boca, the canyon section is flowing around 450 CFS — above average. At 100 CFS, the upper section in town is quite low, but still fishable. When flows get that low, dry fly fishing often becomes better.

This is the time of year when the October Caddis begin their yearly emergence — a fun but short-lived window to throw large caddis patterns at trout eager to maximize calories before winter. The October Caddis adults also serve as a great alternative to the waning grasshopper hatch for dry-dropper setups. Pair them with a zebra midge or BWO nymph a couple feet under the caddis and cover lots of water in search of aggressive fish.

For those looking to maximize odds on this tough and technical river, use an indicator or euro rig and get your flies down quickly with no drag. Fall fly selections like stoneflies (Pat’s Rubberlegs), BWOs (Micro Mays), zebra midges, and size 18 perdigons will all work well — provided you get a perfect drift. Worms, eggs, and October Caddis pupa are also great choices for your larger fly.

Streamer fishing has been improving as cooling water temps make trout more aggressive. Olive, white, black, brown, or yellow streamers all have their moments — presentation and water coverage are key. Trout will usually decide whether to strike the first time they see your fly.

Little Truckee River: Currently flowing around 50 CFS, anglers are strongly encouraged to fish elsewhere, especially as the browns begin their annual migration upstream. This is a 100% wild trout fishery dependent on a successful natural spawn. When water is low, fishing pressure can significantly disrupt spawning activity. While it may still be legal to fish here, ethical restraint is critical to preserving the fishery for future generations.

• Miles Zimmerman, Trout Creek Outfitters

OROVILLE – Anglers are bagging king salmon, rainbow trout, and black bass at Lake Oroville.

“On my last trip, all of the fish were biting, but the king salmon bite is slowing down,” reported Dave Koistinen of DK Guide Service. “The kings were at 85–90 ft, the trout were up around 65 ft, while the bass ranged from 20–60 ft. The fish were caught on a spoon, Cutplug, Glowbug, and white hoochie behind 8” 360 flashers and 8” Slingblades.”

“The surface water temperature was 69 degrees and 54 degrees at 85 feet. Michael Mattia was on the boat,” he concluded.

DWR launched its mandatory invasive mussel inspection program for the Oroville facilities – Lake Oroville, Thermalito Forebay, and Thermalito Afterbay – in May 2025. Inspection and vessel decontamination services remain free. More details about DWR’s mussel inspection program are available at water.ca.gov/mussels.

Launch Ramp Hours:

• Spillway: Daily, 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Bidwell Canyon: Monday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Lime Saddle: Monday–Thursday, 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, 5 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Loafer Creek/Loafer Point: Daily, 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
• Thermalito Afterbay (Monument Hill): Daily, 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset

Lake Oroville is holding 1,950,678 acre-feet of water, 57 percent of capacity and 103 percent of average. The lake level is 785.95 feet in elevation.

• Dan Bacher

TRUCKEE –

Donner Lake: Fishing remains solid across species. Kokanee anglers are still finding fish near the west end around 50 feet deep using small spoons and hoochies. Mackinaw are deeper—50 to 150 feet—taking larger plugs and slow-trolled spoons. Shore anglers are picking up rainbows around China Cove and the west-end ramps with worms, PowerBait, and spinners. The bite is best early and late, before boat traffic increases. Donner continues to be one of the steadiest options in the area.

Boca Reservoir: Fishing remains productive for both bank and boat anglers. Surface temps are in the high 50s, keeping trout active near the dam and west-end creek. Trollers working close to shore are finding rainbows and browns, while shore anglers using worms, eggs, or spoons are doing best in the evenings. Kokanee have fully colored and are now off the bite. The reservoir sits around 75% full, allowing for easy access.

Stampede Reservoir: Trout fishing continues to be steady. Rainbows and browns are showing up along the north shore early and late in the day on worms, lures, and PowerBait. Trollers are connecting with suspended fish 40–60 feet down using spoons or Rapalas. Cooler mornings are bringing trout shallower, making early hours most productive. The kokanee season has wrapped up here for the year.

Prosser Creek Reservoir: The reservoir is fishing well and offering a fun mix of bass and trout. The lake sits around 70% full, with surface temps in the low 60s. Bass are holding in coves and biting plastics, jigs, and crankbaits in 10 feet of water. Trout are suspended 20–40 feet down, with trollers finding success on Rapalas and plugs. Shore anglers near the dam are also connecting with worms, eggs, and PowerBait. While not known for large fish, Prosser offers consistent action and a great mix of species.

Jackson Meadows: The boat ramp remains closed, limiting access to shore fishing only. Trout anglers working the dam area are still finding good action using worms, PowerBait, or small spoons. Despite limited access, fishing remains worthwhile for those willing to make the trek.

• Mountain Hardware, Truckee

On Wednesday, October 8, I headed back to Orange County’s famous Santa Ana River Lakes, arriving around five o’clock in the evening for the night session. That gave me six hours to see what was biting. The wind was blowing about seven to eight miles per hour, but my one ounce egg sinker on a Carolina rig still had enough weight to cast cleanly into the lake.

I set up on the right side of the lake, just around the corner from the entrance. My buddy Ceaser joined me for his first ever fishing trip, so I had to show him the ropes. Our bait lineup included shrimp with marshmallows, nightcrawlers, and some mackerel that Ceaser had marinated in garlic.

For the first hour or so there was not much action, so I used the time to teach Ceaser how to cast, set up his rigs, and get comfortable with the basics. After about an hour, the calm broke. My rod’s bite indicator went wild, and the rod bent over hard. The fish felt huge. After a five minute fight, I realized the line had wrapped around the rod tip. The moment I tried to fix it, the line snapped and the fish was gone. We were definitely not happy about that.

Even with that loss, the next three hours made up for it. We barely had time to sit down with all the action coming our way. Most of the fish were hitting mackerel, and by the end of the night I had caught my first ever limit at Santa Ana River Lakes.

As for Ceaser, not bad for a rookie. He landed four catfish, including his personal best at eight pounds. I guess beginner’s luck is real after all.

All the action can be seen on YouTube at FishingWithCisco. Donner Lake: Fishing remains solid across species. Kokanee anglers are still finding fish near the west end around 50 feet deep using small spoons and hoochies. Mackinaw are deeper—50 to 150 feet—taking larger plugs and slow-trolled spoons. Shore anglers are picking up rainbows around China Cove and the west-end ramps with worms, PowerBait, and spinners. The bite is best early and late, before boat traffic increases. Donner continues to be one of the steadiest options in the area.

Boca Reservoir: Fishing remains productive for both bank and boat anglers. Surface temps are in the high 50s, keeping trout active near the dam and west-end creek. Trollers working close to shore are finding rainbows and browns, while shore anglers using worms, eggs, or spoons are doing best in the evenings. Kokanee have fully colored and are now off the bite. The reservoir sits around 75% full, allowing for easy access.

Stampede Reservoir: Trout fishing continues to be steady. Rainbows and browns are showing up along the north shore early and late in the day on worms, lures, and PowerBait. Trollers are connecting with suspended fish 40–60 feet down using spoons or Rapalas. Cooler mornings are bringing trout shallower, making early hours most productive. The kokanee season has wrapped up here for the year.

Prosser Creek Reservoir: The reservoir is fishing well and offering a fun mix of bass and trout. The lake sits around 70% full, with surface temps in the low 60s. Bass are holding in coves and biting plastics, jigs, and crankbaits in 10 feet of water. Trout are suspended 20–40 feet down, with trollers finding success on Rapalas and plugs. Shore anglers near the dam are also connecting with worms, eggs, and PowerBait. While not known for large fish, Prosser offers consistent action and a great mix of species.

Jackson Meadows: The boat ramp remains closed, limiting access to shore fishing only. Trout anglers working the dam area are still finding good action using worms, PowerBait, or small spoons. Despite limited access, fishing remains worthwhile for those willing to make the trek.

• Mountain Hardware, Truckee

🎣 Mid-week Fish Plants for 10/12/2025 - 10/18/2025 Private trout plants kick off, catfish plants wrap up. Hey anglers, here’s your midweek update. 8 additional spots are planting fish, bringing totals to 10,600 lbs. of trout and 2,500 lbs. of catfish across 24 locations. Cooler fall temps continue to keep the bite active statewide — expect strong action as stockings ramp up.

Hey anglers, here’s your midweek update. 12 additional spots are planting fish, bringing totals to 18,000 lbs. of trout across 36 locations. Cooler temps continue to drive strong trout action, with plants nearly doubling from last week’s 12,000 lbs. across 24 locations. Expect fishing conditions to keep improving as fall stocking ramps up statewide. Private plants and county plants are expected to start mid October.

Update for the week of 10/5/2025. Cooler temps mean active trout across California’s lakes and rivers. This week, California is expected to have 12,000 lbs. of trout planted across 24 locations. Anglers can look forward to refreshed waters and better bite potential as stocking continues strong. Expect October to turn up the trout plants as the temps cool down even more. Last week’s total hit 20,400 lbs. of trout and catfish across 30 locations.

Hey anglers, here’s your midweek update. 8 additional spots are planting fish, bringing totals to 16,000 lbs. of trout and 1,900 lbs. of catfish across 27 locations. Cooling fall temps are now really kicking in and will continue to drive trout activity higher, and with private plants ramping up for the season, October is shaping up for strong fishing opportunities.

Update for the week of 9/28/2025. Cooling fall temps have trout feeding up higher across California. You can expect more trout plants as we being October. Many private plants have been taking a break for the month of September, but will kick off major plants as we get closer to Winter. This week, California is expected to have 8,500 lbs of trout and 1,900 lbs of catfish planted across 19 locations.

Hey anglers, here’s your midweek update. 27 additional spots are planting fish, bringing totals to 19,700 lbs. of trout and 4,200 lbs. of catfish across 44 locations. Compared to last week’s 6,500 lbs. of trout and 3,200 lbs. of catfish across 17 locations, this is a big boost in both pounds and planting sites, keeping California waters well-stocked. Temperatures really began to cool across parts of California, so expect to see the trout plants really ramp up as we head into October. Many of the private plants are expected to kick off Fall/Winter plants in October.

Check out the new Issue of The Fish Sniffer magazine for September 19, 2025

In this issue of The Fish Sniffer, we are looking forward to Fall, the best season of the year for some of us. The Fall is the time when all beings start to prepare for the tough winter season. For Fishing in Northern Californi, that means the trout, salmon, bass, panfish, stripers, catfish and all other species go on the bite to fatten up for the lean winter season Lakes like Eagle, Shasta, New Melones, Folsom and Berryessa and most others will feature some of the best fishing of the year. Striped bass fishing in the Delta will take off for stripers and the Bay and Ocean will see halibut, rockfish and lingcod go on the bite.

The golden mussel problem is still impacting boaters all over the state and has caused major boat launch closures and strict new inspection and quarantine rules several lakes in our area. These rules are starting to change, and some lakes like Oroville and Bullards bar are allowing boaters to launch the same day after an inspection. Be sure to check out the regulations at any lake you want to fish before you go.

All you need to know about fresh and saltwater fishing in Northern California is now available in the new issue of The Fish Sniffer Magazine!

Fishing this fall is still going strong up and down the Bay Area coastline! All the usual suspects (halibut, lingcod, rockfish) are readily available. Sandy areas are producing halibut and rocky reefs are good places to target lingcod/rockfish. All can be caught on artificials but I prefer live bait for the best results. Any baitfish in the 6-9” range should get the job done! Targeting depths of 30-70 feet of water will give you a good chance at a nice halibut or lingcod. For anglers with offshore capabilities, albacore and the occasional bluefin tuna have also been caught. However, all those were seemingly on hold for the 4 day salmon season we had in the first week of September. I fished the first day in Half Moon Bay and the fishing was tough. Some got skunked and a few lucky anglers went home with limits. I was lucky enough to get a keeper just inside the green can trolling a Watermelon Apex at 27 pulls with a deep six diver. Video is live on youtube!

The beaches have been alive with action lately! Surf perch are showing up just about everywhere. Most are palm-sized, which makes for some fun on light gear, but we’re still waiting on those bigger models to move in. Bait has been scattered throughout the surf, yet the halibut bite has slowed down with fewer quality fish being caught. Corbina have been stealing the spotlight. Anglers are hooking into fish in the 16 to 20 inch range, especially when working sand crab beds with a Carolina rig and 10 lb test. Mussel has also been effective, but it comes with a tradeoff. It will get the attention of Corbina, Croaker, Bass and Sargo, but it also attracts plenty of bycatch like guitarfish, bat rays, and other surprise catches that can turn your session into an unexpected battle. Sand bass and spotted bay bass, better known as spotties, have also been biting hard. These fish are putting up a solid fight and adding even more variety to the SoCal bite right now. The one pictured here is a beautiful 17-inch sand bass, proof that there are quality fish in the mix if you put in the time. Here’s a tip to keep in mind: target those transition zones where rocks meet sand. Fish are more concentrated in these spots, and there are still some nice spotfin croakers being caught too. After a stretch of hot days in the high 70s and 80s, the coast has started to cool down. With that shift, more Corbina are sliding into the skinny water during tide swings. Keep your eyes on the shallows from low to high tide and you might see them cruising right at your feet. Stay safe, keep fishing, and enjoy what the SoCal surf has to offer. Tight lines, anglers! For more fishing reports, surf action, and tips, check out our page @vividsnares