San Francisco Fishing Season Guide || Sole-Man Sportfishing

We have an awesome fishery in the San Francisco Bay and the nearby Pacific Ocean. Some of the fisheries are limited based on regulated seasons, like Rockcod (Rockfish) and Salmon. Other fisheries are limited only based on seasonal availability, like Stripers, Halibut, and Sturgeon. Some species are available year-round without exception, like Sharks.

Shark

Available and abundant year round with no regulatory date restrictions on targeting species. Sevengill allows for one fish per day with no size limit on your catch. Mako Shark, Thresher shark and Blue shark allow for two fish per day and Leopard shark allows for 3 fish per angler.

Halibut

Halibut has no regulatory date restrictions, but the best fishing usually occurs from the spring to fall. Drifting and mooching with live bait anchovies for halibut is the most successful fishing method.

Striped Bass

Stripers do not have a regulatory date restrictions, but are most abundant from Spring to Fall. Often while drifting and mooching with live bait anchovies for halibut you hook stripers and vice versa for stripers catching halibut.

Sturgeon

The Great White Sturgeons have no regulatory date restrictions, but are most abundant from Winter to Spring. Sturgeon must be between 40 inches and 60 inches. Oversized or short sturgeon must be released. Annual limits for sturgeon are three, with a daily limit of one.

Rockcod

Rockfish season is open from April 15th through the end of the year. There are restriction on where these species can be taken including in waters less than 180 ft deep. Limits for rockfish are 10 per angler, with several species of rockfish having lower limits or catch and release status.

Salmon

Regulatory dates change annually, but generally available and abundant July through October. This year it is open from April 2, 2016 through October 31, 2016. Daily limits for Salmon are two. Salmon are caught while trolling with sinkers attached.

Fish	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Shark
Halibut
Striped Bass
Sturgeon
Rockcod
Salmon