"San Francisco Bay Fishing Report: Crab Haul, Rockfish Bite, and Tidal Opportunities"

Artificial Lure here with your San Francisco Bay fishing report for Sunday, November 2, 2025. The sun rose at 6:36 AM, and will set at 5:09 PM tonight, so you’ve got prime daylight to hit the water. The weather’s typical Bay fall—low 50s at dawn, mid 60s by midday, with patchy morning fog burning off fast and light winds forecasted by the National Weather Service: expect a mild breeze from the west at 5-10 knots, leaving bay waters pretty calm for small craft and kayaks.

Tides are shaping up for solid action. The first low tide was at 1:58 AM, giving way to a big morning high at 8:43 AM of 5.77 feet. Afternoon slack comes with a very low tide at 2:50 PM, then we ramp to another high at 9:10 PM. That strong morning high and late evening incoming tide will light up the bite around structure and channels.

Dungeness crab is the big news—recreational season opened just yesterday, November 1, except for waters north of the Sonoma/Mendocino line which remain closed for health reasons according to California Department of Fish & Wildlife. South of that line, you can drop hoop nets and snares, but crab traps are restricted between Sonoma/Mendocino and Lopez Point till further notice to reduce whale entanglements. If you’re targeting crabs, avoid the viscera (guts), as domoic acid may still be present; only pick the meat. Crabbers are reporting early limits in the morning; patience and regular net checks every two hours are key.

Boat anglers out of Emeryville are scoring heavy on bottom fish. The Lady K boated 18 striped bass on a half-day run, and the New Huck Finn delivered 26 lingcod with a solid haul of 130 rockfish. Lings and rockfish are chewing on deep jigs: try 6-8 oz leadheads tipped with squid, or drop copper, sardine, or red-colored swimbaits. Diamond jigs and metal shads are working well when bounced along steep drop-offs.

Surf and pier casters should try Berkeley Pier and Crissy Field—both have been producing surfperch and halibut. Berkeley Flats remains solid for late-season halibut, still open with a 22-inch size limit north of Point Sur. Use 3-4 inch white and chartreuse jerkbaits, like the Lucky Craft FlashMinnow 110SP, or cast pile worms and anchovy chunks on a sliding sinker setup. On beaches, dig up fresh sand crabs at low tide for perch, or use Gulp! camo sandworms.

Top baits and lures for the Bay right now:
- For stripers: blood or pile worms, cut anchovies, and topwater pencil poppers.
- For lingcod/rockfish: squid strips, herring, and rootbeer swimbaits jigged near rocky bottom.
- For surfperch: bits of pile worm, sand crabs, or soft plastics like Gulp! sandworms.
- For Dungeness crabs: oily fish heads in hoop nets and snares.

A couple of hot spots to try today:
- The Oakland rock wall and deeper slips near the Port of Oakland—excellent for crab pots, rockfish, and occasional stray halibut.
- Paradise Pier in Tiburon is a known late-fall honey hole for striped bass and crab, especially around the outgoing morning tide.

White seabass is open year-round with a three fish bag limit; keep an eye out for reports near Treasure Island structure—they’ve been scarce, but one could crash your spread on a live anchovy.

Sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release only—season just reopened for white sturgeon, with strict handling rules: keep the fish in the water at all times.

Overall, fishing pressure is steady but not crowded. Most anglers are focused on crabbing, but there's great opportunity for variety, especially for rockfish, lingcod, and stripers. With a great tidal swing, mild weather, and recent party boat scores, now’s the time to hit the Bay before winter storms ramp up.

Thanks for tuning in to your local San Francisco Bay fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for your next update and ongoing tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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