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BoatGroundfish Management Area SF BayChinook Salmon · Open

Alcatraz Island

37.83°N · 122.42°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area SF BayChinook Salmon · Open

Alcatraz Island Fishing Forecast

Updated today

Chinook fishing at Alcatraz Island looks good today.
The best time to go is 8 AM to 11 AM, with the tide ebbing.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Alcatraz Island from 0 to 100, reading the tide, current, wind and weather for Chinook. The higher the score, the better your odds. Green means go.

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Alcatraz Island, on the live map

Every spot is scored for today, out of 100. Green is worth the trip, amber is fair, red is slow.

Species

tap to switch species
Best score for the day · 8 AM
84/100
GOOD

Now 73 · 11 AM PDT

BEST WINDOW
8 AM-11 AM
Tide ebbing
CDFW · Groundfish Management Area SF Bay · Chinook Salmon openRegulations ↗2 per day · min 20"

14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
Sun
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24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

Tap or drag to read any hour

Conditions
Time
11 AM
Now
Score
73
Fair
Tide
3.6 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
6 kn
WSW · steady
Sea state
Flat
2 ft @ 13 s SW
Air temp
62°
Mild
Weather
Partly cloudy
34% cloud
Hour 11 AM. Score 73 Fair. Tide 3.6ft Rising ▲. Current +0.4kn Flood. Wind 6kn WSW G9. Sea 2 ft @ 13 s SW Flat. Air 61.5°.

Why this score

Light
Golden hour
Prime
Current
0.5 kn light
Tough

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Chinook Salmon
Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
4 in possession
Size
Minimum 20"
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Fall season. Subarea: 38 02 N latitude to Pigeon Point. Minimum size 20 inches (50.8 cm) total length. Fall harvest guideline (applicable across open areas): 20,000 Chinook. Daily bag limit 2 salmon (CCR T-14, §27.80); possession limit 2 daily bag limits on land, 1 daily bag limit on vessel in ocean waters (CCR T-14, §27.80(e)). Gear: angling only per CCR T-14, §1.05; north of Point Conception: max 2 single-point, single-shank barbless hooks, 1 rod per angler (CCR T-14, §27.80(a)). In-season action may be taken to close open days when total harvest approaches the fall harvest guideline.
Season
Sep 1 to Oct 31
Other species here
Copper Rockfish Retention openLingcod Retention openBat Ray Retention openCalifornia Halibut Retention openBlue Rockfish Retention openCanary Rockfish Retention openBlack Rockfish Retention openWhite Seabass Retention open
Always check with CDFW ↗

Source: CDFW · Groundfish Management Area SF Bay · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Chinook Salmon is best at this spot

Off seasonOff season for Chinook Salmon
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff seasonClosed

SPOT PROFILE

DEPTH
30-130 ft
Rock
STRUCTURE
Drop Off
Mid

About Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island sits in San Francisco Bay as a rocky drop-off, where the bottom falls from 30 to 130 feet across mid-exposure structure. Chinook Salmon run strongest here from April through September, with California Halibut peaking April through August and several rockfish species filling out the spring and summer months. Trolling whole anchovy, spoons, or hoochies works the salmon over the deeper edges, while drift fishing live anchovies or live shiner perch along the slope targets halibut holding near the bottom. Lingcod hold to the rock through their winter and late-summer windows and respond to jigging with metal jigs and swimbaits or live sanddabs worked close to structure. Blue and Black Rockfish stack over the same rock, taken on shrimp fly rigs and metal jigs through the depth range.

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Alcatraz Island is one of the spots we track around San Francisco. More spots in San Francisco · All of California.

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