Trinidad is a tiny and historical city situated halfway along the Redwood section of Highway 101, overlooking the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. It’s the destination overshadowed by its more popular neighbors but is nevertheless a worthwhile stop.
The quaint seaside spot stands at an elevation of 174 feet above its natural harbor and is surrounded by old-growth redwoods. It has ten public beaches on the Pacific coast, and all of them are spectacularly pristine and rarely crowded. They’re great spots to witness all the wildlife that the region attracts, including some highly specialized animals like flying squirrels and blue herons. The iconic hiking spot on the Trinidad Head is likewise one of the best areas to whale-watch in Northern California.
Trinidad may not be as popular as many destinations on the West Coast, but NorCal anglers know just how great fishing is in this area. When they talk about Trinidad, they know exactly what locals rave about by booking a fishing trip in this one-of-a-kind community.
Trinidad offers a wide array of fishing opportunities despite its relatively small size. It’s located on the Pacific coast, after all.
Start your Trinidad fishing journey at Trinidad Harbor, where you’ll find Trinidad Pier. The bottom of the bay here is primarily sandy, but there’s a rocky area where you target rock greenling, kelp greenish, and lingcod. Cabezon and different rockfish species such as black rockfish, grass rockfish, blue rockfish, and copper rockfish can also be found around the pier. Meanwhile, the sandy bottom part of the pier attracts starry flounder, sand sole, calico surfperch, redtail surfperch, silver surfperch, walleye surfperch, Pacific tomcod, and white croaker.
If you want to hop on a boat, you can launch your boat on the ramp at Trinidad Harbor. But if it’s your first time in the area, book one of the recreational fishing charters on the harbor and fish with a local expert who’ll take you deep sea fishing for chinook salmon, black rockfish, lingcod, and cabezon.
For surf-fishing, head north of Trinidad Harbor and onto Trinidad State Beach and College Cove, where you can target can fish for some rockfish, surfperch, lingcod, and greenling.
For brackish and freshwater fishing near Trinidad, anglers can head to the Humboldt Lagoons State Park between Trinidad and Orick. The best spot to fish in this state park is Freshwater Lagoon. This waterbody is protected from onshore winds and a great place to angle for some largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, and catfish.
Trinidad is a great gateway to many legendary fly fishing rivers in Northern California; these epic rivers include the Eel River, Trinity River, and Mattole River. These rivers offer a world-famous steelhead fishery and are home to brown trout, chinook salmon, and coho salmon.
Drive on Trinidad’s stretch of Highway 101 to witness these towering trees. Walk amidst these giants at Redwoods National and State Park, located north of Trinidad.
Join the Trinidad Fish Festival for some good ol’ local festivities featuring freshly caught seafood fare, live music, and family-friendly activities. This unique Trinidad festival happens yearly on Father’s Day.