Berkeley, CA Fishing: East Shore of San Francisco Bay

Located on San Francisco Bay’s eastern shore, Berkeley is a seaside community of creative artists, history enthusiasts, science practitioners, adventure seekers, and food lovers. It sits north of Alameda County, where the city prides itself to be culinary capital and homegrown hub. People come to Berkeley for tastes and flavors and find themselves detouring to experience and explore exciting escapades. As a city full of diverse personalities and cultures, it is one of the most socially progressive places in the United States.

Berkeley is named after George Berkeley, an 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher. Today, the city’s land was once home to the native American people called Ohlone before Spanish Europeans arrived in 1776. In 1853 when Alameda County was created, Berkeley mainly was an open land of ranches, farmland, and a small busy wharf by the bay. The University of California in Berkeley, the oldest campus in the system, was put up in the late nineteenth century, starting the slow but stable growth of the city.

With the long history of the Berkeley wharf, the seaside city grants access to the San Francisco Bay and other great bodies of water where anglers can enjoy fishing for trophy games. The once small wharf remains busy today. Coming to Berkeley means getting ready for the opportunity to have the catch of a lifetime. Berkeley Pier is a historic pier that stretches 2.5 miles into San Francisco Bay. Although now closed to the public, it once offered to stroll and fly fishing opportunities and access to the bay and other nearby waters.

Berkeley Fishing

Many fishing charters west of Berkeley are found near the Berkeley Marina, Berkeley Dock, and the Berkeley Yacht Harbor. The city’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay makes it an inviting spot for anglers to stop by and launch their boats out to the deep, open waters. McLaughlin Eastshore State Seashore, a refuge with tidal marshes, beaches, trails, and a beautiful scenic view, is one of many places that provides access to the bay. The marina itself is another launching point for anglers who wish to do deep sea fishing and bottom fishing. Berkeley’smild and refreshing climate makes it a perfect place for anglers to fish any time of the year.

San Francisco Bay is the primary fishing spot that offers saltwater fishing in Berkeley. Local anglers love to set out to the bay with their boats or in a charter and get a chance to snag their next trophy game. Fish species found in the bay are largemouth and striped bass, great white sturgeon, lingcod, white sea bass or white weakfish, chinook salmon, rockfish, sanddab, and halibut or California flounder. Small dogfish can also swim in the lowest part of the bay, perfect for bottom fishing. Many shark species are found in San Francisco Bay, with the most common leopard shark. Others include pacific angel shark, brown smooth-hound, broadnose sevengill, and soupfin shark.  Halibut can easily be found inside the bay and along coasts outside the strait of Golden Gate. A common way to catch halibut is bottom fishing, as these species tend to stay in the ocean bed. Anglers also like to bounce weight along the bay’s bottom and wait for the bite. Tolling is considered the most popular fishing method for striped bass in San Francisco Bay. In the central part of the bay, striped bass are generally found. Other spots for these species include the Golden Gate Bridge south tower, Raccoon Strait, the Berkeley flats, and Treasure Islands. Great white sturgeon are found in murky water, and anglers use anchors with bait to catch them. Lucky for anglers, the San Francisco Bay is known for its gorgeous weather, so fishing is productive throughout the year. Even in the cold winter months, all the fishing action will certainly keep anglers warm.

Boating a little more to the northern extension of San Francisco Bay, anglers will find themselves in San Pablo Bay, a tidal estuary blessed with both fresh and saltwater areas. It is the perfect ecosystem for a vast range of species. Some of the most common game fish in San Pablo Bay include chinook salmon, white sturgeon, striped bass, leopard shark, California flounder, shad, albacore tuna, sculpin, rainbow, lake, and brown trout. Bass species such as largemouth, smallmouth, striped, and spotted are also found here. While it is a joy to see many different species and fish all year in San Pablo Bay, anglers should note that it is windy and cold here; hence bringing a windbreaker or wearing warm clothing is encouraged.

Top 10 Fish Species in Berkeley, CA

The top 10 fish species to catch in Berkeley, CA, are largemouth bass, striped bass, sanddab, white seabass, leopard shark, white sturgeon, rockfish, California flounder, lingcod, and chinook salmon. 

Seasonal Fishing

When the tidal range is small, halibut fishing gets very productive. California halibut recreational fishing is open year-round with a daily possession limit of three fish and 22 inches total length as the minimum size.

Striped bass is best caught on a big incoming tide after a shallow wave. Fishing for these species is generally high-yielding in summer and fall.

For white sturgeon fishing, winter is the most productive time of the year. These fish can be found in San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay up to the delta. The recreational fishing for white sturgeon is open year-round but maintains strict limits. They grow up to more than 13 feet long, and any fish caught whose total length is not between 46 and 66 inches long must be released. The daily possession limit for white sturgeon is one fish, and the annual limit is three fish per person. White sturgeon are not allowed to be taken by trolling, snagging, gaffing, or using firearms.

In the spring and early summer, the abundance of salmon species becomes irresistible to anglers. Springtime, specifically in April, is when a number of the most desirable games become available for fishing. Salmon season is closed during this time, but fishing for species like white sturgeon, striped bass, lingcod, and rockfish is productive.

In June, San Francisco Bay is popular for “potluck fishing.” Delicious dinner table fish like white seabass, chinook salmon, striped bass, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and white sturgeon are available for taking.

Being the height of summer, July brings game like halibut, chinook salmon, striped bass, halibut, and white seabass available to anglers that like to fish in warmer conditions.

June through October is considered the best season to launch boats in Berkeley and fish in San Francisco Bay with abundant saltwater fish.

Discover Science in Berkeley

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Fishing may be as easy as casting a rod and waiting for a bite, but fish species and their ecosystem is a lot more complicated than that. Book a local guide and discover the behavior and food of games that you can catch in Berkeley. Make your trip smoother, minus the inconvenience of getting to know a new place. Get a guide today!

2. Be Amazed by the Lawrence Hall of Science

Come to the Lawrence Hall of Science, participate in interactive exhibits and gaze at different design curriculums. It was established in 1968, honoring late physicist Ernest Orlando Lawrence, and until now, it provides public access to a science wonderland for all ages. Drop by the Hall and enjoy a walk through its museum and planetarium.

3. Journey to the Center of the Earth

Located on and maintained by the University of California Berkeley campus, the Museum of Paleontology offers a collection of displayed fossils and free exhibits. Kids would enjoy roaming halls of dinosaur skeletons while learning about paleontology. Visit the museum and bring your loved ones for a different kind of science fun!