About San Francisco Bay
Boats from the East Bay, the San Francisco waterfront, Sausalito and Oyster Point all leave through the Golden Gate and cross the San Francisco Bar to reach the Gulf of the Farallones. Fishing out of San Francisco Bay runs year-round, with groundfish and crab in the cooler months and halibut, striped bass and offshore species through the warm months. Targets include rockfish, lingcod, Dungeness crab, California halibut, striped bass, king salmon when a season is open, and albacore, which our Pacific Southwest fishing guide covers. Seasons, limits and depth rules are on our California regulations page.
Access and navigation
Public ramps and marinas around the Bay:
- Oyster Point Marina/Park – San Mateo County Harbor District marina with a public launch ramp, south of the city.
- Berkeley and Emeryville marinas – East Bay marinas, with the Berkeley Public Boat Ramp and the Emeryville Marina launch.
- Fisherman’s Wharf Hyde Street Harbor – Port of San Francisco harbor at the Jefferson Street lagoon and Hyde Street Harbor, on the city waterfront.
According to NOAA Coast Pilot 7, Chapter 7, outbound current at the Golden Gate is strongest about 4 hours after high water at the Golden Gate Bridge and can exceed 6 knots. Long ocean swell meets that outgoing water and the bar’s shallow depths. Shoaling can amplify the swell to more than twice its height in the surrounding water, and waves break more readily during a strong ebb. Steep waves of 20 to 25 feet have been reported over the bar. Plan crossings away from the strong ebb, when the bar tends to stand up.
The San Francisco Bar is a shoal with depths under 36 feet. It extends from 3 miles south of Point Lobos to within 0.5 mile of Point Bonita, and its outer edge lies about 5 miles west-southwest of the entrance. Potatopatch Shoal, the north part of the bar on Four Fathom Bank, carries 24 to 28 feet. The Main Ship Channel runs through the center of the bar, and the Bonita Channel lies between the shoal and the Marin coast. With a westerly swell running, the Potatopatch can break, and the Bonita Channel keeps you inside it, along the Marin shore.
Inbound and outbound traffic lanes fan out from a precautionary area, a circle with a 6-mile radius centered on the San Francisco Approach Lighted Whistle Buoy. The traffic separation scheme is not necessarily intended for small vessels that traditionally work outside the usual steamer lanes or close inshore. In fog and thick weather, currents on the approaches vary in direction and velocity. Many distinctive radar targets are available along the approach.
Seas on the bar can run well above what a forecast shows. Check the NWS marine forecast for the Point Reyes to Pigeon Point zone, out to 10 nautical miles, which includes a San Francisco Bar/Fourfathom Bank section. Chart layers are not for navigation, so use official charts and Coast Pilot 7, Chapter 7. On arrival, look at the water and read the official forecast. If conditions look bigger than you want, switch to the Bonita Channel or stay inside the Bay.
Fishing conditions
Offshore fishing out of San Francisco Bay centers on the Farallon Islands, 23 nautical miles west of the entrance across the Gulf of the Farallones. Rockfish and lingcod hold on the rocky ground around the islands. Hurst Shoal lies 0.6 mile southeast of Farallon Light, is covered 22 feet and breaks only in heavy weather. Several rocks covered 5 to 7 fathoms lie within 0.7 mile south and southwest of Middle Farallon, and submerged rocks surround North Farallon. Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary covers the water around the islands and runs north along the Marin and Sonoma coasts to Bodega Head (Bodega Bay). Inside the Bay, Alcatraz and Berkeley Flats are the named grounds. Angel Island, Crissy Field, Raccoon Strait and Duxbury Reef, on the Marin coast outside the Gate, are also worth knowing. The open coast runs south toward Half Moon Bay.
| Season | Main targets |
|---|---|
| Winter | Dungeness crab, rockfish, lingcod |
| Spring | California halibut, striped bass, rockfish, lingcod |
| Summer | King salmon, California halibut, striped bass, rockfish, lingcod, albacore |
| Autumn | King salmon, rockfish, lingcod, albacore, California halibut, striped bass, Dungeness crab |
Winter
Winter out of San Francisco Bay is Dungeness crab, rockfish and lingcod. Groundfish depth and season rules change during the year, and crab openers can shift. Check CDFW in-season regulation changes before you fish.
Spring
Spring brings California halibut and striped bass to in-bay grounds such as Berkeley Flats and Alcatraz. Rockfish and lingcod stay open to boats that run outside the Gate. Groundfish rules still follow CDFW depth and season limits, so confirm them before you leave the dock.
Summer
Summer fishes king salmon, California halibut, striped bass, rockfish, lingcod and albacore. King salmon seasons are set each year, so check CDFW. Albacore sit offshore along the temperature edge. The OBS SST and Chlorophyll layers in Breakpoint show where that edge sits, though cloud and fog can block satellite passes.
Autumn
Autumn fishes king salmon, rockfish, lingcod, albacore, California halibut, striped bass and Dungeness crab. Salmon and crab rules change from year to year, so read the CDFW notices before you load the boat. Albacore are offshore, while halibut and striped bass stay in the Bay.
