Book Your Fishing Charter in Orange County, CA

Known as the Heart of Southern California, Orange County is a lauded tourist destination home to many world-class attractions and breathtaking beach towns. With the Pacific Ocean within reach and numerous lakes abound, fishing provides endless opportunities. 

OC’s location and climate set up a perfect stage for an ideal sunny getaway. It prides itself in being a tourist center, home esteemed theme parks, a renowned arts scene, and Californian cuisine. Miles and miles of scenic, sandy beaches line the county’s coast, giving way to stunning ocean views and fun water activities. The area is also regarded as the cultural center of surfing, with Huntington Beach dubbed as Surf City, USA.

Finding excellent fishing areas in Orange County won’t be difficult. Orange County delivers, whether it’s onshore or offshore, and saltwater and freshwater fishing.

Orange County Fishing: Fishing in the California Riviera 

Orange County has miles of ocean and several lakes at your fingertips, providing you plenty of opportunities to reel in your targets.

The waters between Santa Catalina Island and Orange County’s coasts are prime deep sea fishing grounds. Their coves and reefs make excellent habitats for baitfish like smelt, Pacific jack mackerel, and Pacific sardine, which draw in large fish like yellowtail amberjack and white sea bass. You can even find striped marlin, yellowfin, and bluefin tuna when the waters are warm. Other species you can hook in this area are calico bass, leopard sharks, mako sharks, skipjack tuna, bigeye tuna, and albacore tuna. 

If you’re keen on surf casting from Orange County’s miles of available coastline, public fishing access is extensive on its beaches. Fish you can catch from the shore include surfperches, croakers, California corbina, and California halibut. The best spots to test your surf fishing skills are Bolsa Chica’s tidal inlet channel in its south end, Huntington Beach, 15th Street in Newport Beach, the jetty in Santa Ana River, and San Clemente State Beach. 

Orange County is also a productive place for pier anglers. Seal Beach Pier in Old Towne can get you species like corbina, perch, mackerel, halibut, topsmelt, white croaker, black croaker, barred sand bass, barracuda, and sometimes sharks. Another terrific spot is Huntington Beach Pier, where you can hook tomcod, queenfish herring, white sea bass, salema, topsmelt, jacksmelt, halibut, shovelnose shark, leopard shark, thresher shark, barred sand bass, calico bass, Pacific jack mackerel, Pacific sardine, bat rays, spiny dogfish, barracuda, bonito, and the occasional striped bass, yellowtail, mako shark, and blue shark. You can also check out Newport Beach Pier and Balboa Pier in the Balboa Peninsula and San Clemente Pier.

Orange County can offer you excellent fishing all year round if you’re here for freshwater fish. Check out Laguna Niguel Lake, mainly used for fishing and recreation. The artificial lake has been stocked with channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, and rainbow trout; you can also fish for crappie and common carp. Fishing is only allowed from the shoreline and designated areas. You can also fish by boat, but you cannot bring your own. A rental service is available. Another place to check out is the Santa Ana River Lakes. Its waters are stocked every week. You can go day or night fishing in the lakes six days out of the week. You’ll find rainbow trout, channel catfish, blue catfish, tilapia, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, sturgeon, bluegill, and carp abundant in the waters. You can rent a boat or go fishing from the cove or one of its beach areas.

Boundless Fun in Orange County

1. Visit the Magical World

Orange County is home to the original Disney theme park, Disneyland. The resort is located in Anaheim, where you can explore and enjoy yourself in ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’ Disneyland possesses 53 themed attractions with 49 rides. You can even stay in hotels in the complex.

2. Go Whale Watching

Whale watching is a popular tourist draw for Orange County. Grey whales can be spotted off of its coasts from December through April. Blue whales arrive in May and stay until November. The best places to witness them are Dana Wharf in Dana Point and Newport Landing in Newport Beach.