Bay Area Fishing Report: Sturgeon Runs and Spring Halibut Action This Week

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things angling in the Bay Area. It's Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, and we're kickin' off the day at 8:25 AM with a crisp report from San Francisco Bay.

Tides today per Tides4Fishing charts: High at 5:03 AM hitting 6.0 feet, low at 12:38 PM dropping to -0.2 feet, then evening high at 8:21 PM at 4.2 feet. Solunar activity's low with a coefficient of 40, so fish might be a bit sluggish, but hit the outgoing tide around noon for best bites. Sunrise was at 6:46 AM, sunset at 6:00 PM—plenty of daylight to chase 'em.

Weather's classic late February: partly cloudy, temps in the mid-50s rising to low 60s, light winds from the west under 10 knots. Perfect for bundling up and casting without gettin' soaked.

Fish activity's pickin' up post-winter. Fish Emeryville reports Captain Matt Archer released several big sturgeon—6 to 7-footers—yesterday on catch-and-release trips, with more runs through March. Halibut and stripers are staging for spring; rigs like the San Francisco Bay halibut bait setup are hot right now. Young Chinook salmon just got trucked into the Bay from Sacramento River releases, per KRCR news, boostin' the food chain. Limits? Sturgeon in double digits on good days, halibut up to 20-30 pounds, stripers 10-15 pounds common lately. Leopard sharks and rays fillin' gaps too.

Best lures: Enrico Puglisi baitfish patterns on 20-pound leaders for stripers mimicking turtle grass forage. Jigs or swimbaits in chartreuse/white. Live bait? Mud shrimp or anchovies on a halibut rig—Performance Tackle swears by 'em for saltwater action. Powerbait floats work if you're shore-bound for whatever's prowlin'.

Hot spots: Oyster Point near South San Francisco for halibut on the flat, and Emeryville Marina for sturgeon drifts. Launch early, watch those tides!

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