03 September 2025
SF Bay Fishing Report: Steady Stripers, Halibut, and More as September Settles In
San Francisco Bay Daily Fishing Report
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This is Artificial Lure with your local San Francisco Bay fishing report for Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
Sunrise this morning was at 6:41, and you can expect sunset at 7:36 tonight. Skies stayed mostly clear with a cool onshore breeze typical for this time of year, and high temps peaked around 68. If you’re headed out later, layer up—late afternoons on the Bay have that classic chill.
Tidal action today’s been on the mellow side: low tide hit at 2:12 p.m., with a moderate high expected about 7:50 p.m., according to Tides4Fishing. The tidal coefficient sits low, so don’t expect any roaring current, but that can play to your advantage if you’re targeting structure and edges—less drift means better lure control.
Fish activity is picking up again as September settles in. Striper action isn’t as wild as peak summer but remains steady, with folks reporting solid schoolie catches along the piers and near the mouth of the estuaries. Halibut are still biting, especially in the deeper channels near Crissy Field and along the Berkeley Flats. Some savvy anglers also found late-summer leopard sharks lurking mud flats in South Bay.
It’s not all theory—Fish Emeryville put up some nice counts yesterday, with party boats still scoring keepers on halibut, plus a mix of stripers and the occasional bat ray for folks soaking bait. Nor Cal Fish Reports has seen some chunky jacksmelt, perch, and occasional rockfish hauled in by those working the high/low rigs with pile worms or cut anchovy around the piers.
For lures and baits, the standouts remain the basics: soft-plastic swimbaits in white or anchovy color for halibut, Kastmasters, and hair-raiser jigs for stripers. If you’re after something bigger, drifting live anchovy or shiner perch has been deadly. Offshore winds limit your scent trail, so don't skip the Procure gel or a small chunk of fresh bait on your artificial. Sand crabs, pile worms, and nightcrawlers are all getting it done for surfperch and mixed-bag action around the pier pilings.
If you’re chasing crab, red rock crab are plentiful near Pier 7 and along the rocks at Fort Point—remember, Dungeness are off-limits in the Bay, so double-check before keeping anything in your hoop net, just like the folks on TikTok’s recent local report reminded us.
A couple of hot spots to try:
- Crissy Field flats, especially two hours before the evening high tide, for halibut and stripers
- Paradise Park Pier and the south side of the Berkeley Pier rubble for perch, jacksmelt, and schoolie bass
Finally, a quick note from CBS News Bay Area—a reminder to limit your consumption of Bay-caught fish due to ongoing “forever chemical” advisories. If you’re out for fun and catch-and-release, you’re in the clear.
That’s a wrap for today’s San Francisco Bay report. Thanks for tuning in! Subscribe for more local fishing insights—this has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
Sunrise this morning was at 6:41, and you can expect sunset at 7:36 tonight. Skies stayed mostly clear with a cool onshore breeze typical for this time of year, and high temps peaked around 68. If you’re headed out later, layer up—late afternoons on the Bay have that classic chill.
Tidal action today’s been on the mellow side: low tide hit at 2:12 p.m., with a moderate high expected about 7:50 p.m., according to Tides4Fishing. The tidal coefficient sits low, so don’t expect any roaring current, but that can play to your advantage if you’re targeting structure and edges—less drift means better lure control.
Fish activity is picking up again as September settles in. Striper action isn’t as wild as peak summer but remains steady, with folks reporting solid schoolie catches along the piers and near the mouth of the estuaries. Halibut are still biting, especially in the deeper channels near Crissy Field and along the Berkeley Flats. Some savvy anglers also found late-summer leopard sharks lurking mud flats in South Bay.
It’s not all theory—Fish Emeryville put up some nice counts yesterday, with party boats still scoring keepers on halibut, plus a mix of stripers and the occasional bat ray for folks soaking bait. Nor Cal Fish Reports has seen some chunky jacksmelt, perch, and occasional rockfish hauled in by those working the high/low rigs with pile worms or cut anchovy around the piers.
For lures and baits, the standouts remain the basics: soft-plastic swimbaits in white or anchovy color for halibut, Kastmasters, and hair-raiser jigs for stripers. If you’re after something bigger, drifting live anchovy or shiner perch has been deadly. Offshore winds limit your scent trail, so don't skip the Procure gel or a small chunk of fresh bait on your artificial. Sand crabs, pile worms, and nightcrawlers are all getting it done for surfperch and mixed-bag action around the pier pilings.
If you’re chasing crab, red rock crab are plentiful near Pier 7 and along the rocks at Fort Point—remember, Dungeness are off-limits in the Bay, so double-check before keeping anything in your hoop net, just like the folks on TikTok’s recent local report reminded us.
A couple of hot spots to try:
- Crissy Field flats, especially two hours before the evening high tide, for halibut and stripers
- Paradise Park Pier and the south side of the Berkeley Pier rubble for perch, jacksmelt, and schoolie bass
Finally, a quick note from CBS News Bay Area—a reminder to limit your consumption of Bay-caught fish due to ongoing “forever chemical” advisories. If you’re out for fun and catch-and-release, you’re in the clear.
That’s a wrap for today’s San Francisco Bay report. Thanks for tuning in! Subscribe for more local fishing insights—this has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn