Waterlands

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Chinook salmonRetention open

Bay · California

Morrow Cove

38.07°N · 122.23°W · Bay · San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge

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Best score today · 10 PM · Chinook salmon

75/100Great
Now
5512 PM PDT
Best window
9 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding5.3 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score55Good
Tide5.3 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood1.7 kn · toward E
Wind3 kn NNWgusts 11 · steady
Air temp73°Warm
WeatherClear2% cloud
Water68°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Chinook salmon

Closed
Daily limit
No retention
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
Sep 1 to Oct 31, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Closed from Point Arena south to 38°02' N. lat. The fall season is open only from 38°02' N. lat. south to Pigeon Point.

From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026), read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Albacore tuna Retention open (25 per day)
  • Barred sand bass Retention open (4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined))
  • Cabezon Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • California halibut Retention open (2 per day)
  • Coho salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Kelp bass Retention open (5 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined))
  • Kelp greenling Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • Leopard shark Retention open (3 per day)
  • Lingcod Retention open (2 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
  • Pacific bluefin tuna Retention open (2 per day)
  • Pacific halibut Retention open (1 per day)
  • Rockfish Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • Sablefish Retention open (10 per day)
  • Striped bass Retention open (2 per day)
  • Surfperch Retention open (20 per day)
  • White seabass Retention open (3 per day)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Chinook salmon is best here

Shoulder season for Chinook salmon · 1 more week at shoulder

Chinook salmon season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Chinook salmon · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Chinook salmon in California

Spot profile

Morrow Cove

Depth
4-80 ftDrop-off
Structure
Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonChinook salmon

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Morrow Cove

Morrow Cove is a bay in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is 4-80 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are leopard shark, surfperch and California halibut. It is peak season now for surfperch, rockfish, cabezon and striped bass, and shoulder season for leopard shark, California halibut, Chinook salmon and kelp greenling. Leopard shark peak from May through August. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. California halibut peak from May through August.

Tackle & technique

Chinook salmon
Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.
Leopard shark
Leopard sharks cruise shallow mudflats, sloughs and channel edges in bays, most often in less than 15 feet of water, and follow the flooding tide onto the flats to feed on crabs, worms, clams and small fish. Anchor or fish from shore or a pier with a sliding sinker rig and a chunk of squid, mackerel or ghost shrimp on the bottom. The bite is often better into the evening and at night.
Surfperch
Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Carquinez Bay

    Bay · 1.5 mi

    68
    Top: Leopard sharkShoulder season
    • Leopard shark 68
    • Surfperch 68
    • California halibut 66

    3 kt NNWL 5:47 PM · 2.0 ftH 11:26 PM · 5.3 ft

  • Glen Cove

    Bay · 1.4 mi

    66
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 66
    • Leopard shark 65
    • California halibut 58

    3 kt NNWL 5:55 PM · 2.0 ftH 11:40 PM · 5.6 ft

  • Dillon Point

    Cape · 2.2 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Surfperch 62
    • Rockfish 60

    3 kt NNWL 5:55 PM · 2.0 ftH 11:40 PM · 5.6 ft

  • Semple Point

    Cape · 0.2 mi

    63
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 63
    • Leopard shark 60
    • Cabezon 59

    3 kt NNWL 5:55 PM · 2.0 ftH 11:40 PM · 5.6 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with CDFW before you keep a fish.