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Leopard sharkRetention openChannel · California
Pinole Shoal Channel
38.06°N · 122.31°W · Channel · San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · Leopard shark
- Now
- 658 AM PDT
- Best window
- 7-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.8 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Pinole Shoal Channel scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
82Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
93Wind: 2 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
87Water temp: 64°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Leopard shark
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
Leopard shark
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 36 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.
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)
- Chinook salmon Closed (No retention)
- 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))
- 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)
Source: CDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Leopard shark is best here
Shoulder season for Leopard shark · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Pinole Shoal Channel
- Depth
- 20-35 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Semi-exposedChannel · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonLeopard shark
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 Pinole Shoal Channel
Pinole Shoal Channel is a channel in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is 20-35 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are striped bass, California halibut and leopard shark. It is peak season now for striped bass, rockfish, surfperch and cabezon, and shoulder season for California halibut, leopard shark, lingcod and white seabass. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October. California halibut peak from May through August. Leopard shark peak from May through August.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- Striped bass
- Striped bass feed where moving tide pushes bait past structure: inlets, points, jetties, bridge pilings and rips in the surf, usually in 2 to 40 feet of water. Fish dawn, dusk and night hardest, casting plugs, bucktails and soft plastics or drifting live bunker and eels, and chunk bait on the bottom in current. In midsummer the larger fish drop deeper or feed mostly after dark.
- California halibut
- California halibut are ambush feeders that lie on sand or mud bottom, mostly in water shallower than 100 feet and often inside bays, harbors and estuaries. Drift or slow-troll a live anchovy or sardine on a sliding sinker rig, or bounce a swimbait along the bottom over flats, channel edges and sandy areas near structure. Keep the bait within a foot or two of the bottom and give a fish time to turn the bait before setting the hook.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Mare Island Strait75
Channel · 3.8 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 75
- Leopard shark 68
- California halibut 67
2 kt WSWH 12:36 PM · 5.0 ftL 6:18 PM · 1.8 ft
- Carquinez Bay74
Bay · 3.5 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 74
- Surfperch 71
- Leopard shark 70
2 kt WSWH 12:10 PM · 4.9 ftL 5:47 PM · 2.0 ft
- Morrow Cove70
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 70
- California halibut 69
- Surfperch 69
2 kt WSWH 12:20 PM · 5.3 ftL 5:55 PM · 2.0 ft
- Pinole Shoal69
Bar · 0.8 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 69
- California halibut 67
- Rockfish 66
2 kt WSWH 12:04 PM · 5.2 ftL 5:45 PM · 1.9 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.