About Bird Island

Bird Island sits off San Francisco at an outer-exposed sand flat running 10 to 30 feet deep, an open-bottom spot shaped by the swell and current that sweep this stretch of coast. Lingcod anchor the calendar here, peaking February through March, August through October, and again in December, while California halibut move onto the flat from April through August and Chinook salmon run April through September. The sand bottom favors drifting live anchovies, live shiner perch, or midshipman for halibut, and salmon respond to trolling whole anchovy, spoons, and flashers through the water column above. Lingcod hold near the harder edges of the flat and take metal jigs and swimbaits worked close to the bottom, with live sanddabs or squid as an alternative. Cabezon round out the mix from April through June and again in late fall, taken on squid, shrimp, or cut bait fished on the sand.