SF Bay Fishing Report: Stripers, Halibut & Rockfish Action Heats Up on Tide Swings

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Saturday, September 13 fishing report straight outta San Francisco Bay.

Today kicks off with **sunrise at 6:50 AM**, and wraps up with **sunset at 7:20 PM**. Expect partly cloudy skies, light winds coming out of the west, and an air temp floating high 60s in the morning that’ll creep into the low 70s by afternoon—ideal for working the shoreline, jetties, and piers.

Now let’s talk **tides**, because they’ll shape your session today. First high tide hits at 5:34 AM around 4.3 feet, dropping to a 2.9-foot low at 9:53 AM. The push comes late afternoon, peaking at 4:19 PM with another big high of 6.2 feet. If you’re timing your casts for active fish, that late afternoon flood is your sweet spot, especially for stripers biting in the main channel and off rocky points.

**Fish activity lately has been solid.** The folks at Lovely Martha report LIMITS of striped bass—30 for the boat—just two days ago, plus a couple of halibut showing up for good measure. There’s great action for bass and halibut close to Treasure Island and the Berkeley Flats. Youtube’s The Bay Area Plug posted two nice halibut and a handful of striped bass last week, using swimbaits and Rat-L-Traps right off local rocky shorelines. Persistence pays—if you stick with it, you’re likely to be rewarded.

Recent catches from Fisherman’s Landing (though a bit south) show the bottom bite is still going strong: plenty of **rockfish**, sheepshead, and a few bass mixing in. Up here, keep your eyes peeled for a run of salmon tucked deeper into the Golden Gate, but it’s mostly a striped bass and halibut show on the Bay proper.

What’s biting and **what gear to use**:
- **Striped Bass:** Most local sharpies are throwing **soft plastic swimbaits in pearl or chartreuse**, Rat-L-Trap style lures, and live anchovies if you can gather ‘em. If you’re fly fishing, a 10’ 4wt rod from Lost Coast Outfitters matched to deceivers or clousers will get results.
- **Halibut:** Slow-rolled swimbaits on a 1 oz jig head are still pulling up flatties. Drifting live bait—smelt, anchovy, or herring—over sand flats near Oyster Point has been productive.
- **Rockfish:** If you’re looking for action in deeper water near Angel Island or Alcatraz, drop a hi-lo rig tipped with squid strips or shrimp. Quick limits for the deep dwellers.

**A couple hot spots for your session**:
- **Berkeley Flats:** Consistent for both halibut and stripers, especially on the moving tide.
- **Treasure Island shoreline:** Reliable for halibut, a few bonus stripers, and great access for throwing artificials from land.

Big tidal coefficients today mean there’ll be extra current, which gets the bait moving and the predators hunting. If the wind stays light as forecast, you should have no trouble working any structure or open water edge. Keep those swimbaits low and slow for halibut, and work the faster retrieve for stripers when the tide’s pushing.

That’s your Bay update for Saturday—tight lines, stay safe, and remember: if it feels like a snag, always check that rod tip, you might just be hooked up.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for all your San Francisco Bay fishing reports and secrets.

This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn