San Francisco Bay Fishing Report: Halibut, Stripers, and Offshore Action

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your San Francisco Bay fishing report for Saturday, May 24, 2025. Let’s start with today’s conditions. Expect partly cloudy skies with mild morning temps rising toward the low 60s by the afternoon. There is a light breeze out of the west but nothing like the gusty days last weekend that kept some boats docked. The tide will be incoming through most of the morning, peaking around midday and turning around early afternoon. Sunrise hit at 5:51 AM and sunset will be at 8:21 PM, giving you a generous window to chase the bite. The Bay has been producing some excellent action all week, with recent party boat counts looking strong. Yesterday out of San Francisco, the Lovely Martha pulled in 8 California halibut and 2 striped bass for just 4 anglers on a half-day trip. Over in Emeryville, the Pacific Pearl tallied 16 halibut and 6 striped bass with 16 anglers. Berkeley boats have been posting similar numbers, with halibut remaining steady and stripers showing up in nice batches. Offshore, Half Moon Bay boats continue to limit out on rockfish, but the main game for most Bay anglers right now is halibut and bass[2]. If you’re targeting halibut, drifting live anchovies or shiner perch has been the ticket. Trolling or drifting with herring, sardines, or a swimbait with a flashy tail will get you bit too, especially near the edges of deeper channels and drop-offs. For striped bass, try casting 4- to 6-inch white or chartreuse swimbaits, hair jigs, or the classic red and white bucktail lure. Topwater plugs and poppers can work around dawn if you find birds and active fish at the surface. Hot spots this past week include the flats off Berkeley and Paradise Cay, where both halibut and stripers have been stacked up on the incoming tide. The deeper holes around Alcatraz and the south side of Angel Island are also kicking out solid numbers, especially during the tide swing. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the rock piles off Treasure Island have been holding mixed bass and the occasional bonus lingcod. Word on the dock is the action should keep up as long as the tides move and the winds stay light. Bring plenty of bait and don’t be afraid to switch up your presentation if things slow down. Best of luck out there, and remember to send in your fish photos for bragging rights. That’s the bite for today. Tight lines and see you on the water[2][4][1]. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.