California has two charter fisheries that happen to share a coastline. South of Point Conception, warm water brings tuna, yellowtail and dorado, and San Diego runs one of the biggest sportfishing fleets in the country, from cheap half-day party boats to two-week long-range trips deep into Mexican waters. North of it, the water is cold and green, and the fishing is salmon, rockfish, lingcod and halibut out of San Francisco, Sausalito and Bodega Bay. The big news for 2026 is that ocean salmon fishing is back after a three-year shutdown.
Regions
San Diego. The heart of the state’s charter business. A handful of landings on Point Loma dispatch dozens of boats every day: half-day trips along the kelp beds, overnight and one-and-a-half-day runs offshore for tuna and yellowtail, and long-range boats that stay out for up to three weeks. Most people fish on a party boat, paying by the person, rather than chartering a private boat.
Orange County and Los Angeles (Dana Point, Long Beach). Half-day and three-quarter-day party boats plus private six-pack charters. Calico bass, rockfish and California halibut close to shore, with offshore runs for tuna and yellowtail when the warm water is within reach.
Channel Islands and Central Coast (Oxnard, Santa Barbara). The islands give these ports rockfish, lingcod and calico bass fishing without a long run, plus white seabass and halibut. It is a transition zone between the warm-water south and the cold-water north.
San Francisco Bay and the North Coast (San Francisco, Sausalito, Bodega Bay). Salmon trolling outside the Golden Gate, rockfish and lingcod on the reefs, and halibut and striped bass inside the bay. Bodega Bay adds a smaller, quieter fleet a short run from rich rocky coastline.
Inland. California also has guided freshwater trout fishing in the Sierra and the north state, a different trip from anything on the coast.
Top species and tactics
- Salmon: King salmon trolled with bait or lures, mostly June through fall in the Bay Area and earlier from Monterey south. See the 2026 season below.
- Rockfish and lingcod: The everyday fishery for the whole coast. Drop shrimp flies and jigs on reefs for mixed rockfish limits, and bigger jigs or live bait for lingcod.
- California halibut: A flatfish, not the Alaska giant. Drifting live bait or bouncing swimbaits in San Francisco Bay and along Southern California beaches.
- Bluefin tuna: The prize of the San Diego overnight and multi-day fleet, fished with sardines, flat-falls and kites.
- Yellowtail and dorado: Kelp-paddy and island fish in the warm months, and a staple of trips into Mexican waters.
- Albacore: Offshore when warm water sets up, from Southern California to the north coast in good years.
- Striped marlin: A specialist fishery off Southern California in warm-water years, mostly by trolling.
When to go
Spring (April and May): Rockfish and lingcod open for boat anglers on April 1. In 2026, salmon opened April 11 from Pigeon Point south. Long-range boats run to the Baja islands.
Summer (June to August): The main salmon season up north, and the start of tuna and yellowtail fishing offshore of San Diego. Half-day boats are busiest.
Fall (September to November): Often the best offshore fishing in Southern California. In 2026 there is also a fall salmon season on the Bay Area coast (details below). Long-range boats fish the Baja coast.
Winter (December to March): Rockfish and lingcod are closed to boat anglers January through March. The long-range fleet heads south to the Revillagigedo Islands on trips of 16 days or longer for giant yellowfin and wahoo.
What it costs
Most California fishing is sold per person on party boats; private charters are priced per boat. Examples from published rates:
- $75–$90 per person: San Diego half-day party boat (H&M Landing). Rod rental and license are extra.
- $362–$932 per person: San Diego overnight to two-day offshore trips for tuna and yellowtail, with bunks and Mexican permits included (Fisherman’s Landing).
- About $1,640–$5,450 per person: Long-range trips from three days to 11 or 12 days (Royal Star, 2026 and 2027 schedule).
- $150–$260 per person: San Francisco party boats, from a half-day rockfish trip up to a full-day salmon trip (Lovely Martha, fall 2026). Bodega Bay six-pack trips run about $150 for a half day and $250–$350 for a full day (Sandy Ann Sport Fishing).
- $1,150–$3,200 per boat: Private charters out of Dana Point, half day to full day, for up to four anglers (Dana Point Sportfishing).
Plan on tackle rental, a California license, fish cleaning and a tip for the deckhands.
Licenses and rules
Licenses. Anyone 16 or older needs a California sport fishing license on a boat. One-day and two-day licenses are available, and landings sell them at the counter. Multi-day trips need a Declaration for Multi-Day Fishing Trip permit filed before departure, which the boat usually handles.
Salmon in 2026. Recreational ocean salmon fishing was closed in 2023 and 2024 and had only six open days in 2025. For 2026 it reopened with area-by-area seasons and a two-fish daily limit with no coho retention. Monterey and south was open April 11 through August 31, and the San Francisco area had summer openings in late June, July and August. A fall season runs September 1 through October 31 from the Point Reyes area south to Pigeon Point, and September 1 through 30 from Pigeon Point south. The north coast areas closed after July and early August. Each area has a harvest guideline and can close early, so check CDFW ocean salmon before you book.
Rockfish and lingcod in 2026. Boat-based groundfish fishing is closed statewide January through March. From April 1 through December 31, the Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco and Central areas are open at all depths. Southern California is more complicated: all depths in spring, then depth limits around the 50-fathom line from July, with nearshore species closed in the last quarter. Quillback, yelloweye, cowcod and bronzespotted rockfish can’t be kept anywhere, and boats must carry a descending device. See the CDFW groundfish summary.
Tuna. California allows two bluefin per angler per day, with higher possession limits on multi-day trips. Other tunas, yellowtail and dorado fall under the general daily limits. Tuna filleted at sea south of Point Conception must be cut and bagged in a specific way, which the crew takes care of.
Mexican waters. Many San Diego trips cross into Mexico. Everyone aboard a boat fishing Mexican waters needs a Mexican fishing license, regardless of age. If the trip fishes within 12 miles of the Mexican coast or islands, such as the Coronado Islands, you also need a valid passport book or passport card and an FMM tourist permit. The landings issue the Mexican permits, and many offshore fares include them. Mexico also bans sport fishing within 250 meters of commercial boats and tuna pens.
Choosing a captain
Start by picking the trip type: a party boat is the cheapest way to fish and a good way to learn, a six-pack or private charter gives you the boat and the captain’s full attention, and a long-range trip is a vacation in itself. Check recent fish counts, which the San Diego landings publish daily. For salmon, ask which management area the boat fishes and whether it is open that week. For offshore trips, bring your passport in case the fish are in Mexico. Browse all California fishing charters by city.
Unreel doesn’t take a cut of any booking. The price the captain quotes is what the captain keeps.
Sources and official regulations
Rules and seasons change. Check the agency before your trip.