Live sea report
San Diego Fishing Conditions
The numbers we check before every trip: buoy swell and water temperature off Point Loma, the National Weather Service coastal waters forecast, and the week ahead for Mission Bay and the Coronado Islands.
Right now on the water
Read straight from the NOAA buoys off San Diego. Swell and water temperature come from the San Diego wave buoy near Point Loma; wind comes from Tanner Banks offshore.
Swell
1.3 ft
Significant wave height at the San Diego buoy.
Swell period
13 sec
Longer is smoother. Double digits means a lazy roll.
Water temp
74°F
Surface temperature - the number the pelagics follow.
Wind
8 kt NNE
Gusting 8 kt at Tanner Banks.
Coastal waters forecast
The National Weather Service marine forecast for the coastal waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border, out to 10 nautical miles - the water our half-day and bay trips fish.
Tonight
Wind NE 10 to 15 kt with gusts to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: NE 2 ft at 4 seconds, W 1 foot at 12 seconds and S 3 ft at 15 seconds.
Sat
Wind NE 10 kt...becoming NW in the afternoon. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: NE 1 foot at 4 seconds, W 2 ft at 12 seconds and S 4 ft at 16 seconds.
Sat night
Wind variable less than 10 kt. Seas 4 ft. Wave Detail: NW 1 foot at 4 seconds, NW 2 ft at 12 seconds and S 4 ft at 16 seconds.
Sun
Wind NE 10 kt...becoming W in the afternoon. Seas 4 ft. Wave Detail: NE 1 foot at 4 seconds, NW 2 ft at 15 seconds and S 4 ft at 17 seconds.
Sun night
Wind NW 10 kt in the evening...becoming variable less than 10 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: NW 1 foot at 4 seconds, W 2 ft at 13 seconds and S 4 ft at 16 seconds. Vsby 2 NM after midnight.
Mon
Wind variable less than 10 kt...becoming W 10 kt in the afternoon. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 1 foot at 4 seconds, W 2 ft at 12 seconds and S 4 ft at 15 seconds. Vsby 2 NM in the morning.
Mon night
Wind variable less than 10 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 1 foot at 4 seconds, W 3 ft at 12 seconds and S 4 ft at 16 seconds.
Tue
Wind W 10 kt. Seas 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 4 seconds, W 1 foot at 12 seconds and S 3 ft at 15 seconds.
Tue night
Wind SW 10 kt. Seas 4 ft. Wave Detail: SW 3 ft at 4 seconds, W 1 foot at 12 seconds and S 3 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening, then a chance of showers after midnight.
Wed
Wind S 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SW 3 ft at 4 seconds, S 3 ft at 14 seconds and W 2 ft at 14 seconds. Showers likely.
Wed night
Wind S 10 kt. Seas 4 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SW 1 foot at 4 seconds, W 2 ft at 13 seconds and S 4 ft at 15 seconds. Showers likely.
7-day outlook
The week ahead for Mission Bay and Point Loma. Mornings are your friend - the sea breeze almost always clocks in after lunch.
This Afternoon
96°F
Sunny
Saturday
91°F
Mostly Cloudy
Sunday
86°F
Sunny
Monday
81°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
Tuesday
72°F
Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Wednesday
70°F
Rain Showers Likely
Thursday
69°F
Rain Showers Likely
What the numbers mean
Three readings decide whether a day offshore is lazy and productive or long and green around the gills.
Swell and seas
Height is only half the story - the period matters more. A 3-foot swell at 14 seconds is a gentle roll; 3 feet at 6 seconds is the chop that turns a deck into a rodeo. Summer brings long-period south swells; winter stacks northwest swell on top.
Wind
San Diego mornings are usually calm, with westerly sea breeze building through the afternoon. It is why charters leave early - the ride out is on glass and the wind shows up after the lines are already in the water.
Water temperature
The warm push arrives late summer and holds into fall - upper 60s to low 70s - and that is when yellowtail, dorado and tuna slide within range. Cooler winter and spring water belongs to rockfish, calico bass and halibut.
Fishing the seasons
San Diego fishes twelve months a year. What changes is the target - and the water temperature on this page is the best hint at what is biting.
Spring
Calico bass and rockfish close to home, and the first yellowtail start working the Coronado Islands as the water climbs out of the low 60s.
Summer
Peak season. Warm water pushes pelagics up the line - yellowtail at the islands, dorado and tuna offshore when the temperature breaks set up.
Fall
Many locals' favorite window. The water stays warm, the crowds thin, and the tuna and yellowtail bite often runs deep into October.
Winter
Bottom fishing shines - rockfish and lingcod - and gray whales pass Point Loma on their migration. Whale watching trips run right through it.
Coronado Islands weather
The Coronado Islands sit about 15 miles offshore in Mexican waters - close enough that the swell and wind readings above tell you most of the story. Islands trips are different on paperwork, though: Mexican fishing licenses and FMM permits are required and not included in the trip price, and the crew walks you through exactly what to buy before you book.
Pick a day the ocean says yes.