Eureka, CA Fishing: Rich History and Rich Fishing All in One Coastal City

The biggest coastal city situated between San Francisco and Oregon, Eureka is nestled on the shores of the Humboldt Bay on US Route 101. Its entirety is recognized as a state historic landmark, dotted as it is with remnants of its great history that the city has faithfully restored.

Eureka has always been one of the more prosperous regions in California. For years, it was originally the home of the Wiyot tribe. They were tragically edged out by white settlers who flocked the Humboldt Bay during the Gold Rush in the 1850s. After the end of the Gold Rush, the city’s major industry switched to lumber. The lumber boom lasted for years, well into the 1900s, and its legacy can still be seen in the many lavish Victorian-style buildings that are still in existence all over the city today, a testament to the prosperity of the area. Eureka in the 1900s saw the rise of commercial fishing in the area as well, with the rich Humboldt Bay as the center of the activity, thanks to its abundant marine wildlife.

One of Eureka’s most historic moves in recent years came in 2019 when it returned a sacred Humboldt Bay island to the Wiyot tribe. The effort is just one of the ways in which the city and local government is fostering healing and unity across communities that call the region their homes.

Today, Eureka is the county seat of Humboldt County and is celebrated as a cultural center. Its region is known for its iconic redwood trees and rugged foggy ocean landscape. Thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, it enjoys a cool and mild climate all year round. It may not be the first city to come to mind when you think of California, but it is a big hidden gem with tons to offer — amazing historic walks, a relaxed vibe akin to that a small town despite its bigness, and its incredible natural gifts — including its many rich fishing opportunities be it freshwater or saltwater.

Eureka Fishing

Eureka is a richly historic city with instant access to Humboldt Bay and the great Pacific Ocean. The city, along with the rest of Humboldt County, is an angler’s paradise where one can fish both freshwater and saltwater almost any time of the year.

While in the city, your first order of business should be to fish in Humboldt Bay. The body of water attracts a great variety of fish species, including California and Pacific halibut (with California halibut being the most popular target species in the county and the bay), a wide variety of perch, leopard sharks, jacksmelt, bay ray, and salmon, among many others. From the bay, many charter boats head offshore to target salmon and lingcod in the open ocean.

Within Eureka, the best spots to access the bay are at the Eureka Public Marina and Del Norte Street Pier. Eureka Public Marina, in particular, offers two motorized boat launches — a two-lane boat launch at the Eureka Public Marina Boat Launch and a smaller one-lane boat launch at the Samoa Bridge Boat Launch by Halvorsen Park. Del Norte Street Pier, on the other hand, is a 250-foot long pier that extends from a 350-foot long causeway. It is particularly known as being especially productive with pile perch and white seaperch, which are best targeted near the bottom around the pilings. Walleye surfperch and silver surfperch can also be caught here, along with leopard and sand sharks especially during nighttime, baited with live eel that you can find under the rocks in the area. 

The Eureka Boardwalk is yet another spot to access the bay, though it was not originally designed as a fishing pier. It is a picturesque area with the old historic district as its backdrop that stretches for three blocks. All in all, the boardwalk is a great area where you can bring your entire family, whether they want to fish or not. If you’re in the area for some angling, though, you will have plenty of fun. The pilings on the boardwalk attract a great variety of perch, including walleye surfperch, silver surfperch, redtail surfperch, white seaperch, and striped seaperch. Fish for them from the extensions or under the walkway toward the rocks on the shoreline. If you can time it, better get there before or after a high tide. On the bottom, you can target California halibut with live bait (sardines or herrings work best here - you can catch some of these topwater species in the area as well) and a slow retrieve. Additionally, you can target starry flounder at the bottom as well, ideally with live shrimp or if those are hard to come by, with market shrimp or squid. Meanwhile, in the deeper parts of the water at night, you can target dogfish shark and leopard shark along with bat ray. 

If you want to have a legendary river fishing experience, you’ve come to the right place. Eureka is a great home base to access many of Northern California’s best fishing rivers with unbeatable scenic views. One such river is the Mad River, situated northeast of Eureka via Highway 299. It is known for its winter steelhead, though you can also catch some king and Coho salmon here. The best spot to fish the river is near the hatchery, though it can get crowded.

Another steelhead river worth your bucket list is the Eel River, one of the best fisheries for this species and one of the most easily accessible on the 101. It’s a famous spot among fly fishers and drift fishers as well as waders. Along with steelhead, which are best caught in January, Chinook and Coho salmon can be found in this river as well, most of them in the 8- to 15-pound range, with some lucky enough to catch some up to 40 pounds. However, since the salmon fishery here is not as it used to be, anglers are encouraged to practice catch-and-release for this species to help in the growth of their population.

A major tributary upstream from the mouth of the Eel River, the Van Duzen River offers yet another great winter steelhead fishing spot. Here you can catch plenty of steelhead in the 8- to 10-pound range, though those in the 16-pound to 20-pound range can likewise be caught if you’re lucky. 
 

Top 10 Fish Species in Eureka, CA

The top 10 fish species to target in Eureka, CA include California halibut, Pacific halibut, steelhead, redtail surfperch, bat ray, leopard shark, starry flounder, lingcod, Chinook salmon, and Coho salmon.

Seasonal Fishing

Fishing in Eureka and the rest of the Northern Californian coast usually begins in May and concludes around November, during which you can target halibut, lingcod, as well as rockfish. Halibut are around for quite a while during the year, entering the bay around April and reaching their peak during the summer, from July to August. Chinook salmon runs are from August to December, reaching their peak around late October. Steelhead runs start around November and will last until March. Its peak though is during January. Springtime brings plenty of redtail surfperch and white seaperch who enter the bay to spawn around March until May, while walleye surfperch and silver surfperch can be targeted from spring until fall. 

Enjoy an Out of the Ordinary Trip Around Eureka

Fall in love with the amazing, unusual, and unexpected on your trip to Eureka.

1. Book a Fishing Charter 

Booking a fishing charter is especially useful if it’s your first time fishing in an area like Eureka which offers plenty of fishing opportunities.

2. Go on an Art-themed Walk

Eureka has long attracted artist-types, and the city takes care to support their works and showcase them for both residents and visitors. Spot the inspiring Romano Gabriel Mural, a sculpture garden lovingly crafted by the late folk artist who settled in Eureka from his native Italy. Meanwhile, walk around the Old Town District and find the Opera Alley, a corridor of murals created that was originally started during the initial Eureka Street Art Festival. Finally, for a touch of quirk, the same festival birthed the installation called Tiny Doors, which are scattered all over downtown.

3. Hunt for Historic Architecture

Eureka is known for its unique collection of historic architecture so you would be amiss if you don’t include a themed walk around these beautiful structures. Start with the iconic Carson Mansion, built by lumber baron, William Carson. Then across the street, you can find another Queen Anne Victorian classic, known as the Pink Lady. Now, you can keep your walk strictly about the architecture, but if you want to get a little more adventurous and paranormal, book an Old Town Haunted History Tour.