The Weekly Fishing Report
Friday, August 7 – Friday, August 14, 2026
Central Valley · Sierra · Delta · Coast | Issue 26-32
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SALMON LIMITS OFF THE GATE, FISH TO 32 LB • BEST MINUS TIDES OF THE MONTH AUG 10–12 • NEW MOON AUG 12–13 • FORT BRAGG SALMON CLOSES AUG 10 • PINE FLAT DOWN TO 26%, RELEASING 4,226 CFS • 40-LB WHITE SEABASS OUT OF EMERYVILLE
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Two things line up this week and they line up well. The new moon arrives the night of August 12–13, and the biggest minus tides of the month land right on top of it, a run of negative lows from Saturday the 8th through Thursday the 13th, bottoming at −1.1 ft in the Bay and −1.2 ft at Monterey and Port San Luis. That is a lot of water moving, and moving water is most of the fight.
Offshore, the salmon are the story and have been for a week. Freshwater is the other side of the coin: the valley-floor reservoirs are getting drawn hard for irrigation, and a few of them are getting thin enough that where you launch matters more than what you throw.
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◉ This Week’s Best Bets
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● No. 1, Ocean
SF Bay & Farallones King Salmon
Boats are scoring limits. Aug 5: Lovely Martha 36 kings for 18 anglers, California Dawn II 32 for 16. Aug 4 saw a fish to 32 pounds. Emeryville ran eight boats on salmon Wednesday and all of them found fish. Area open through Aug 31.
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● No. 2, Tides
Minus Tides, Mon–Wed
−0.9 ft Monday, −1.1 ft Tuesday and Wednesday at the Gate; −1.2 ft Monterey and Port San Luis Tuesday. Strong outgoing for Delta stripers, Bay halibut drifts, and the best clamming tides of August. All in the early morning.
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● No. 3, Central Coast
Rockfish, Near Limits Everywhere
Morro Bay’s Starfire put 230 rockfish on 25 rods; Endeavor 219 plus 7 lingcod on 23. Half Moon Bay’s Queen of Hearts hit a clean 270 for 27. Monterey’s Kahuna limited 11 anglers on a half day. Short trips, full sacks.
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● No. 4, Moon
New Moon Window, Aug 10–14
New moon falls the night of Aug 12–13. The almanac window brackets it: Aug 10 through Aug 14 rate best, with Aug 11–13 the peak. Dark nights, big tides, and majors sitting near first light. If you only get one trip, take one of those.
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⚠ Water Watch
Pine Flat is being pulled hard. It dropped 6,451 acre-feet in a single day, releasing 4,226 cfs against only 1,003 cfs of inflow. That puts the lake at roughly 26% of gross pool and it will keep sliding through the irrigation season. Ramp discipline: check where the water is before you trailer up.
That same 4,226 cfs is going down the lower Kings. It is high, cold, and pushy. Wading below the dam is a bad idea at this release, fish it from the bank or from a boat, and treat any rock you cannot see as one you do not want to stand on.
The small ones are getting small. Eastman is at 7% of gross pool and Hensley at 9%. Kaweah is at 16%. Launch ramps at these three are the thing to verify by phone before you drive, not after.
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◉ Lakes & Reservoirs
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Reservoir Levels
Corps projects: data ending midnight Aug 4. Section 7 projects: data ending midnight Aug 5. Percent full is against gross pool.
| Water |
Elev (ft) |
Storage (AF) |
% Full |
Trend |
| Pine Flat | 781.42 | 259,137 | 25.9% | ↓ 6,451 AF/day |
| Millerton (Friant)* | | 275,465 | 52.9% | ↓ 1,161 AF/day |
| Kaweah (Terminus) | 613.54 | 29,843 | 16.1% | ↓ 848 AF/day |
| Success (Schafer)† | 611.01 | 20,265 | 24.6% | ↓ 186 AF/day |
| Isabella | 2,567.44 | 215,280 | 37.9% | ↓ 2,429 AF/day |
| Eastman (Buchanan) | 467.16 | 10,720 | 7.1% | ↓ 142 AF/day |
| Hensley (Hidden) | 458.17 | 8,427 | 9.4% | ↓ 314 AF/day |
| New Melones* | | 1,603,497 | 66.8% | Holding |
| New Hogan | 675.25 | 178,909 | | ↓ 492 AF/day |
| Bass Lake (Crane Valley)* | | 38,553 | 84.9% | |
| Shaver | No data reported this cycle, USACE shows “-NR-”. Call the lake before you plan around a level. |
| Don Pedro | “No Project Data Available” not reported this cycle. |
| McClure (New Exchequer) | “No Project Data Available” not reported this cycle. |
| Huntington · Florence · Edison | All showing “-NR-” on the Section 7 report. No current storage figures. |
* Section 7 (non-Corps) projects. These sometimes lag several days and are reported through USACE rather than measured by them. Storage figures shown are from the report generated Aug 6.
† Success capacity shown as 82,300 AF gross pool. A dam raise may have added roughly 28,000 AF, if the exact percentage matters to you, verify with the Corps before quoting it.
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Central Coast, Reported as % of Normal
Different metric. These are percent of the historical average for the date, NOT percent of capacity. 148% does not mean over-full.
| Water | Storage (AF) | % of Normal | As of |
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| Lake San Antonio | 270,863 | 148% | Aug 2 |
| Lopez Lake* | 48,679 | 129% | Jul 25* |
| Santa Margarita | No current figure located this week. Check with San Luis Obispo County. |
| Nacimiento | No current figure located this week. Check with Monterey County Water Resources. |
* Lopez figure is roughly two weeks old as of publication. Treat as directional, not current.
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Bite Report
Straight talk: no fresh guide reports were filed for Central California, the Delta, the Sierra Foothills or the Central Valley rivers this week, NorCal Fish Reports came back empty for all four regions. What follows is built on measured water conditions plus the normal August pattern. It is a starting point, not somebody’s Tuesday fish count. Call your local shop before you commit the day.
| Water | Conditions (measured) | Pattern to Work |
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| Kings & Tulare Basin |
| Pine Flat |
26% full, dropping fast. Releasing 4,226 cfs. Inflow only 1,003 cfs. |
Falling water pulls fish off the flats and onto the sharp breaks. Follow the shad, spotted bass, trout and kings all ride the bait balls in August. Find bait first, fish second. |
| Kaweah |
16% full. Only 14 cfs inflow. Three Rivers running 60 cfs. |
Small lake getting smaller. Bass will stack on whatever structure is still submerged. Verify ramp access. |
| Success |
25% full. Inflow 23 cfs, S.F. Tule only 5 cfs. |
Low and warm. Early and late windows only. Catfish after dark is the honest play. |
| Isabella |
38% full, dropping 2,429 AF/day. Kern at Kernville 170 cfs. |
Biggest drawdown on the list. Fish are relocating daily, do not trust last month’s waypoints. |
| San Joaquin & Madera |
| Millerton |
53% full, down 1,161 AF/day. |
The most consistent numbers water on this list, and the fish run small. Spotted bass on jigs and plastics; stripers are the reason to be there. |
| Eastman |
7.1% of gross pool. Fresno River above Hensley: 0.0 cfs. |
Very low. Sierra Bass Club has a tournament here Aug 15, so somebody thinks it is fishable. Check the ramp. |
| Hensley |
9.4% of gross pool, down 314 AF/day. Zero inflow. |
Thin water, concentrated fish. Boat access is the question mark, not the bite. |
| Bass Lake |
84.9%, the fullest water on this page. |
Recreation lake in August means fish early, get off the water by ten, come back at dusk. |
| Foothill & High Country |
| New Melones |
67% full, holding steady. Stanislaus natural flow 95 cfs. |
Best-conditioned big lake in range. August is kokanee season here, go deep and troll slow. |
| Don Pedro |
No level reported this cycle. |
Pedro Friday Nighters run Aug 7 and River Bank Bass Anglers Aug 22, so the lake is in play. Kokanee is the August draw. |
| McClure & McSwain |
No level reported. Flow below McSwain: not reported. |
Bass Angler Inc. has McClure booked Aug 8. McSwain stays cold and is the better trout bet of the pair. |
| Shaver |
No level reported this cycle. |
Cold, high, and the reliable August kokanee and trout water for Fresno County. No plant reported this week, these are holdover and wild fish. |
| Wishon & Courtright |
No USACE reporting, these are PG&E projects. |
High country, cold water, small crowds. Shore and float-tube fishing hold up all day at this elevation when the valley lakes are done by nine. |
| Central Coast |
| Lopez |
129% of normal for the date (as of Jul 25). |
Good water year for this lake. Kern County Bassmasters fish it Sep 19. |
| San Antonio |
148% of normal for the date (Aug 2). |
Full, healthy, and the biggest water on the Central Coast list. |
| Santa Margarita |
No current level located. |
CA B.A.S.S. Nation just fished it Aug 1–2; Orange County Bass Club returns Sep 19–20. |
| Nacimiento |
No current level located. |
SLO County Bass Ambushers on the water Aug 29. White bass and the deep summer bass pattern. |
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◉ Delta, Rivers & Aqueduct
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The Delta
The tide book is doing the work this week. Port Chicago runs negative lows Monday through Thursday, −0.1 ft Monday, −0.2 Tuesday, −0.3 Wednesday, −0.2 Thursday, all mid-morning. Those are strong outgoing swings for a neap-to-spring transition, and stripers set up on the current edges when the water moves like that.
The tournament calendar tells you the west Delta is worth fishing: fourteen permitted events run in the Contra Costa, Sacramento and San Joaquin County reaches between Aug 7 and Aug 16. Nobody books fourteen tournaments on dead water.
No guide report was filed for the Delta this week. The tide and event data above are measured and verified; the fish are your problem.
California Aqueduct, San Luis & O’Neill Forebay
No current storage or pumping figures for San Luis or O’Neill were available through the USACE reports this week, these are Reclamation and DWR facilities and do not appear on either the Corps or Section 7 sheet. August is when the forebay striper bite is driven almost entirely by pumping schedule: when water is moving, fish the boils and the current seams; when it stops, so does the bite. Check DWR before you drive out.
Rivers, Measured Flows
| River / Gage | Flow (cfs) | Read |
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| Kings, Pine Flat natural flow (above the lake) | 385 | The Upper Kings above the reservoir is at a real summer level, wadeable, cool, and the best trout water in the drainage right now. |
| Kings, below North Fork nr Trimmer | 310 | Upper drainage holding steady. Good for the hike-in stretches. |
| Kings, Pine Flat release (lower Kings) | 4,226 | High. Do not wade. Bank or boat only below the dam. |
| Mill Creek nr Piedra | 0 | Dry. |
| Kaweah at Three Rivers | 60 | Low and warm. Early morning only. |
| Kaweah at McKay Point | 364 | Irrigation delivery, not a fishery. |
| Tule, S.F. nr Success | 5 | Effectively dry. |
| Tule nr Springville | 11 | Marginal. |
| Kern at Kernville | 170 | Fishable and the most comfortable summer flow on this list. |
| Stanislaus natural flow at New Melones | 95 | Low natural inflow; the lake is running on storage. |
| Goodwin release to river | 251 | Steady below Tulloch. |
USACE Sacramento District, readings at 0700 Aug 5 unless noted. Dry Creek near Lemoncove and Yokohl Creek both reported “-NR-”.
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◉ Ocean Report & Charters
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Dock Totals, Boat by Boat
Wednesday Aug 5 unless noted. Fish-per-rod calculated from reported angler counts.
| Boat / Landing | Anglers | Score | Per Rod |
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| Bodega Bay |
| Surf Scooter, Bodega Bay Sportfishing | 15 | 30 king salmon, to 22 lb | 2.0, limits |
| Dragonfly, Reel Obsession | 4 | 8 king salmon | 2.0, limits |
| Berkeley |
| California Dawn II | 16 | 32 king salmon, to 25 lb | 2.0, limits |
| New Easy Rider, Berkeley Charter Boats | 17 | 16 king salmon, to 24 lb | 0.9 |
| Reel Addiction 2 | 6 | 12 king salmon | 2.0, limits |
| Right Hook (3/4 day) | 6 | 11 king salmon | 1.8 |
| New California Dawn | 10 | 100 rockfish, 8 lingcod | 10.0, limits |
| California Dawn II, Tue Aug 4 | 21 | 36 king salmon to 32 lb, 2 stripers to 22 lb | 1.7 |
| Sausalito |
| Outer Limits, Big C’s | 14 | 25 king salmon | 1.8 |
| Salty Lady (1/2 day AM) | 18 | 13 king salmon to 22 lb, 1 halibut to 8 lb | 0.7 |
| Chasin Crustacean, Big C’s | 6 | 12 king salmon | 2.0, limits |
| Emeryville |
| C Gull II | 14 | 21 king salmon | 1.5 |
| Pacific Pearl | 9 | 18 king salmon | 2.0, limits |
| Lady K | 10 | 14 king salmon | 1.4 |
| KingFish | 9 | 13 king salmon | 1.4 |
| Scallywag | 6 | 12 king salmon, 1 halibut | 2.0, limits |
| Diamond | 6 | 11 king salmon | 1.8 |
| Playn Hooky | 6 | 9 kings to 19 lb, 1 white seabass to 40 lb | 1.5 |
| Here We Go | 4 | 7 king salmon | 1.8 |
| Oakland Anglers II (1/2 day) | 22 | 220 rockfish, 3 lingcod | 10.0, limits |
| San Francisco |
| Lovely Martha | 18 | 36 king salmon | 2.0, limits |
| Half Moon Bay |
| Queen of Hearts, HMB Sportfishing | 27 | 270 rockfish, 2 lingcod, 1 halibut | 10.0, limits |
| Monterey & Santa Cruz |
| Kahuna, J&M Sportfishing (1/2 day) | 8 | 80 rockfish, 1 lingcod | 10.0, limits |
| Kahuna, Tue Aug 4 | 11 | 110 rockfish | 10.0, limits |
| Mega-bite, Monterey Bay Charters, Aug 4 | 4 | 40 rockfish | 10.0, limits |
| ▼ C E N T R A L C O A S T ▼ |
| Starfire, Morro Bay Landing (1/2 day) | 25 | 230 rockfish, 10 red rockfish, 5 copper, 5 bocaccio, 1 lingcod | 9.2 rockfish |
| Endeavor, Morro Bay Landing (1/2 day) | 23 | 219 rockfish, 6 red rockfish, 7 lingcod, 4 bolina | 9.5 rockfish |
| Patriot, Patriot Sportfishing, Avila (Out Front) | 23 | 200 rockcod, 24 bocaccio, 6 red rockcod | 8.7 rockcod |
| Flying Fish, Patriot, Avila (Pecho Rock) | 20 | 191 rockcod, 6 bocaccio, 3 lingcod to 10 lb, 1 copper | 9.6 rockcod |
| Flying Fish, Patriot, Avila (PM, Out Front) | 4 | 38 rockcod, 2 bocaccio, 1 lingcod | 9.5 rockcod |
| Sunny Day, Patriot, Avila (Diablo) | 2 | 3 rockcod, 4 red rockcod | 3.5 |
What the numbers say. Fourteen of the thirty-one trips above came in at limits or effective limits. The salmon fleet from Bodega to San Francisco is running two fish per rod on full days, that is as good as this fishery gets. Rockfish is a formality right now: every half-day boat from Emeryville to Avila is coming back full. If you have been putting off a trip, this is the week you stop putting it off.
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⏰ The Season Clock, Verify Before Every Trip
Ocean Salmon, Recreational
| Area | Status | Harvest Guideline |
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| Point Arena – Pigeon Point (San Francisco) | OPEN through Aug 31 | 34,900 Chinook |
| Pigeon Point – Mexico border (Monterey & south) | OPEN through Aug 31 | 21,800 Chinook |
| 40°10′ – Point Arena (Fort Bragg) | Open Aug 1–9. CLOSES AUG 10. | 5,100 Chinook |
| OR/CA border – 40°10′ (KMZ) | CLOSED all August | 3,900, attained |
Fort Bragg closes inside this coverage window. NOAA Fisheries took inseason action July 28. If you were planning that run, it has to happen Aug 7, 8 or 9.
Bag limit 2 salmon, no coho. Minimum size 20 inches. Two barbless single-point single-shank hooks north of Point Conception; circle hooks required when bait fishing other than trolling between 40°10′ and Point Conception. No filleting on the boat.
Fall season opens Sept 1, 38°02′N to Pigeon Point through Oct 31, Pigeon Point south through Sept 30. Fall guideline 20,000 Chinook.
Salmon hotline: (707) 576-3429. Seasons close inseason when quotas fill. Call it the morning you go.
Rockfish, North of Point Conception
10 fish per day aggregate. Within that: canary rockfish 2, copper rockfish 1, vermilion rockfish 4.
No retention: quillback, cowcod, yelloweye, bronzespotted. Know them before you drop.
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Charter & Landing Directory
| Port | Landings & Boats Reporting This Week |
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| Bodega Bay | Bodega Bay Sportfishing Center (Surf Scooter) · Reel Obsession Sportfishing (Dragonfly) |
| Sausalito | Salty Lady Sportfishing (Salty Lady) · Big C’s Charters (Outer Limits, Chasin Crustacean) |
| Berkeley | California Dawn Sportfishing (California Dawn II, New California Dawn) · Berkeley Charter Boats (New Easy Rider) · Reel Addiction Sportfishing · Right Hook Sportfishing |
| Emeryville | Fish Emeryville, C Gull II, Pacific Pearl, Lady K, KingFish, Scallywag, Diamond, Playn Hooky, Here We Go, Oakland Anglers II |
| San Francisco | Lovely Martha Sportfishing (Lovely Martha) · Riptide Sportfishing · Hog Heaven Sportfishing |
| Half Moon Bay | Half Moon Bay Sportfishing (Queen of Hearts) · New Captain Pete · New Rayann Sportfishing |
| Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay Charters (Mega-bite) |
| Monterey | J&M Sportfishing (Kahuna) |
| Morro Bay | Morro Bay Landing (Endeavor, Starfire) |
| Avila Beach | Patriot Sportfishing (Patriot, Flying Fish, Sunny Day) |
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◉ Tide Tables, Aug 7–14
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NOAA harmonic predictions, MLLW datum, local time. Minus lows in red. Predictions run about ±10 minutes and ±0.5 ft; sustained wind and river flow move them further.
San Francisco / Golden Gate, Station 9414290
| Date | High AM | High PM | Low AM | Low PM |
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| Fri 7 | 8:44a, 3.9 | 6:55p, 6.4 | 1:16a, 0.4 | 12:20p, 3.2 |
| Sat 8 | 9:57a, 4.3 | 8:00p, 6.6 | 2:23a, −0.1 | 1:39p, 3.4 |
| Sun 9 | 10:50a, 4.6 | 9:02p, 6.8 | 3:23a, −0.6 | 2:49p, 3.3 |
| Mon 10 | 11:33a, 4.9 | 10:01p, 7.0 | 4:15a, −0.9 | 3:51p, 3.0 |
| Tue 11 | | 12:12p, 5.1 | 5:03a, −1.1 | 4:47p, 2.6 |
| Wed 12 | | 12:49p, 5.3 | 5:47a, −1.1 | 5:40p, 2.2 |
| Thu 13 | | 1:25p, 5.5 | 6:28a, −0.8 | 6:32p, 1.9 |
| Fri 14 | 12:41a, 6.4 | 1:59p, 5.6 | 7:06a, −0.4 | 7:24p, 1.6 |
Port Chicago / West Delta, Station 9415144
| Date | High AM | High PM | Low AM | Low PM |
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| Fri 7 | 10:48a, 3.4 | 9:02p, 5.6 | 4:35a, 0.8 | 2:52p, 2.2 |
| Sat 8 | | 12:00p, 3.6 | 5:47a, 0.4 | 4:06p, 2.4 |
| Sun 9 | | 12:59p, 3.9 | 6:47a, 0.2 | 5:23p, 2.5 |
| Mon 10 | | 1:50p, 4.1 | 7:39a, −0.1 | 6:34p, 2.3 |
| Tue 11 | 12:21a, 5.8 | 2:35p, 4.3 | 8:26a, −0.2 | 7:38p, 2.1 |
| Wed 12 | 1:20a, 5.7 | 3:17p, 4.4 | 9:07a, −0.3 | 8:37p, 1.8 |
| Thu 13 | 2:14a, 5.5 | 3:56p, 4.5 | 9:44a, −0.2 | 9:32p, 1.5 |
| Fri 14 | 3:07a, 5.3 | 4:32p, 4.6 | 10:18a, 0.0 | 10:26p, 1.2 |
Monterey, Station 9413450
| Date | High AM | High PM | Low 1 | Low 2 |
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| Fri 7 | 7:54a, 3.2 | 5:56p, 6.0 | 12:54a, 0.4 | 10:55a, 2.9 |
| Sat 8 | 9:07a, 3.4 | 6:58p, 6.3 | 1:57a, −0.2 | 12:19p, 3.1 |
| Sun 9 | 9:53a, 3.7 | 7:59p, 6.5 | 2:52a, −0.7 | 1:36p, 3.0 |
| Mon 10 | 10:31a, 3.9 | 8:56p, 6.7 | 3:40a, −1.0 | 2:42p, 2.7 |
| Tue 11 | 11:06a, 4.2 | 9:49p, 6.6 | 4:25a, −1.2 | 3:41p, 2.4 |
| Wed 12 | 11:40a, 4.4 | 10:40p, 6.4 | 5:07a, −1.1 | 4:37p, 2.1 |
| Thu 13 | | 12:14p, 4.6 | 5:46a, −0.8 | 5:32p, 1.8 |
| Fri 14 | | 12:49p, 4.9 | 6:23a, −0.4 | 6:27p, 1.6 |
Port San Luis / Avila, Station 9412110
| Date | High AM | High PM | Low 1 | Low 2 |
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| Fri 7 | 7:35a, 3.1 | 5:36p, 5.9 | 12:34a, 0.4 | 10:33a, 2.8 |
| Sat 8 | 8:43a, 3.4 | 6:40p, 6.2 | 1:38a, −0.2 | 12:01p, 2.9 |
| Sun 9 | 9:24a, 3.7 | 7:41p, 6.5 | 2:31a, −0.7 | 1:17p, 2.8 |
| Mon 10 | 10:00a, 3.9 | 8:37p, 6.7 | 3:18a, −1.1 | 2:22p, 2.5 |
| Tue 11 | 10:34a, 4.2 | 9:28p, 6.7 | 4:01a, −1.2 | 3:18p, 2.2 |
| Wed 12 | 11:08a, 4.4 | 10:16p, 6.5 | 4:41a, −1.2 | 4:11p, 1.9 |
| Thu 13 | 11:43a, 4.6 | 11:04p, 6.1 | 5:19a, −0.9 | 5:04p, 1.6 |
| Fri 14 | | 12:18p, 4.9 | 5:55a, −0.5 | 5:57p, 1.4 |
Clam diggers: Aug 10 through Aug 13 are the tides you have been waiting for. Port San Luis bottoms at −1.2 ft at 4:01 a.m. Tuesday and 4:41 a.m. Wednesday. Bring a light and confirm the current health advisory and any closures before you dig.
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◉ Moon Phase & Best Days
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Phase computed from a 29.530588853-day synodic month against the January 6, 2000 reference new moon. New moon falls the night of Wednesday Aug 12 into Thursday Aug 13. The almanac convention brackets new and full, so the window runs Aug 10 through Aug 14, and it happens to sit exactly on top of the biggest minus tides of the month. That does not happen every week.
| Date | Illumination | Rating | Notes, Solunar Majors vs. Sunrise & Tide |
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| Fri 7 | 31% waning | ★★☆☆☆ Fair |
Moon still up well past sunrise. Morning major overlaps first light but the tide swing is modest. Ordinary day. |
| Sat 8 | 21% waning | ★★★☆☆ Good |
First minus low of the run (−0.1 ft at 2:23 a.m., SF). Major runs into the outgoing. Solid weekend morning. |
| Sun 9 | 14% waning | ★★★☆☆ Good |
−0.6 ft at 3:23 a.m. Outgoing water through daybreak. Better than Saturday if you can start early. |
| Mon 10 | 7% waning | ★★★★☆ Very Good |
−0.9 ft at 4:15 a.m., and a 7.0 ft high that evening, the largest swing of the week at the Gate. Morning major lands just before sunrise (about 6:21 a.m.). |
| Tue 11 | 3% waning | ★★★★★ Best |
−1.1 ft SF, −1.2 ft Monterey and Port San Luis. Dark night, hard outgoing, major on top of sunrise. The single best day of the week. |
| Wed 12 | <1%, new | ★★★★★ Best |
New moon night. −1.1 ft at 5:47 a.m. and the deepest low at Port San Luis. Majors near dawn and dusk. Take the day off. |
| Thu 13 | <1% waxing | ★★★★★ Best |
Still inside the new-moon window. −0.8 ft at 6:28 a.m. the low now sits right at sunrise, which is the setup you want. |
| Fri 14 | 2% waxing | ★★★★☆ Very Good |
Window closing but a 6.4 ft high at 12:41 a.m. keeps the swing large. Low at 7:06 a.m., after sunrise. Good, not peak. |
Sunrise at the Gate runs 6:18 a.m. Aug 7 to 6:24 a.m. Aug 14; sunset 8:12 p.m. to 8:04 p.m. Central Valley times run a few minutes earlier at sunrise and later at sunset. Solunar major timing is estimated from lunar transit, not measured, treat the rating as a tiebreaker, not a guarantee.
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◉ Fish Stocking Report
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Nothing was planted on the valley floor this week, and nothing will be. CDFW does not stock warm valley-floor lakes in midsummer, the water will not hold catchable trout alive. Plants this time of year go to cold tailwaters and high-country lakes only. If you want planted fish in August, drive up.
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CDFW posts plants as week ranges, not specific dates. Week of Aug 2–8, 2026. All rainbow trout.
| County | Waters Planted | Species |
|---|
| Trinity | Ruth Lake · Coffee Creek · Carrville Dredge Pond · Trinity River (above Clair Engle, East Fork, Stuart Fork) | Rainbow trout |
| Humboldt | Trinity River (above Clair Engle, East Fork, Stuart Fork) | Rainbow trout |
| Shasta | Whiskeytown Lake · Nora Lake | Rainbow trout |
| Tehama | Battle Creek, South Fork | Rainbow trout |
| Mono | Lee Vining Creek · Lee Vining Creek South Fork · Saddlebag Creek · West Walker River (Section 2) | Rainbow trout |
| Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kern, Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin: no plants reported this week. Expected for August. |
CDFW regional plant lines:
Central Region, (559) 243-4005 ext. 151
North Central Region, (916) 351-0832
Bay Delta Region, (707) 944-5581
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◉ Tournament Board
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Last Week on the Water
No official weights have been published for any of these events. Results post to the host club sites when the clubs get to them, check there. We do not print winning weights or angler names we have not verified.
| Date | Water | Host |
|---|
| Jul 30 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Tracy Oasis Marina |
| Jul 31 | Don Pedro Reservoir | Pedro Friday Nighters |
| Aug 1–2 | Pine Flat Lake | BASS 101 |
| Aug 1–2 | Santa Margarita Lake | CA B.A.S.S. Nation |
| Aug 1–2 | Delta (Contra Costa Co.) | BEST Bass Tournament |
| Aug 1–2 | Clear Lake | Fairfield-Suisun Bass Reapers |
| Aug 5 | Folsom Lake | Folsom Rats |
| Aug 6 | Lake Berryessa | Berryessa TNT |
| Aug 6 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Tracy Oasis Marina |
This Weekend & This Coming Week
| Date | Water | Host |
|---|
| Fri Aug 7 | Don Pedro Reservoir | Pedro Friday Nighters |
| Sat Aug 8 | Lake McClure | Bass Angler Inc. |
| Sat Aug 8 | Isabella Lake | American Bass |
| Sat Aug 8 | Delta (Sacramento Co.) | Manteca Bassin Buddies |
| Sat Aug 8 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Bass Anglers of Northern California |
| Sat Aug 8 | Lake Oroville | Basin Bassmaster Loomis |
| Sat Aug 8 | Thermalito Afterbay | Westside Anglers |
| Aug 8–9 | Clear Lake | Redwood Empire Bass Club · The Clear Lake Bassmasters |
| Aug 8–9 | Delta (Contra Costa Co.) | BEST Bass Tournament |
| Sun Aug 9 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | American Bass |
| Sun Aug 9 | Delta (Contra Costa Co.) | BEST Bass Tournament |
| Wed Aug 12 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Open event, no sponsor listed |
| Thu Aug 13 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Tracy Oasis Marina |
| Fri Aug 14 | Delta (San Joaquin Co.) | Tracy Oasis Marina |
📅 Mark the Calendar, Central Valley & Central Coast
| Date | Water | Host |
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| Aug 15 | H.V. Eastman Lake | Sierra Bass Club |
| Aug 15–16 | Lake Amador | Modesto Ambassadors |
| Aug 22 | Don Pedro Reservoir | River Bank Bass Anglers |
| Aug 29 | Lake Nacimiento | SLO County Bass Ambushers |
| Aug 29–30 | Pine Flat Lake | Fresno Bass Club |
| Sep 5–6 | Pine Flat Lake | BASS 101 |
| Sep 13 | Bass Lake (Madera Co.) | Kings VIII Bass Club |
| Sep 19 | Lake Success | Golden Empire Bass Club |
| Sep 19 | Lopez Lake | Kern County Bassmasters |
| Sep 19 | San Antonio Lake | SLO County Bass Ambushers |
| Sep 19–20 | Santa Margarita Lake | Orange County Bass Club |
| Oct 3 | Pine Flat Lake | BASS 101 |
| Oct 4 | Millerton Lake | BASS 101 |
| Oct 10 | Pine Flat Lake | Golden Empire Bass Club |
| Oct 10 | Bass Lake (Madera Co.) | Kerman Bass Club |
| Oct 11 | Lake McClure | Kings VIII Bass Club |
Source: CDFW Fishing Contest permit database, black bass events, pulled Aug 6. All events listed are Approved status unless noted. Permits get amended and cancelled, confirm with the host club before you tow a boat anywhere.
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⚠ Heat & Water Safety, August in the Valley
The lower Kings is running 4,226 cfs. That is not a wading flow. It is cold, fast, and it will take your feet out from under you before you have decided anything. Fish it from the bank or from a boat, and wear the vest.
Reservoir drawdowns move hazards. Pine Flat is dropping 6,451 acre-feet a day and Isabella 2,429. Stumps, rock and old roadbed that were ten feet down last month are at prop depth now. Idle in, watch your sounder, and do not trust waypoints from July.
Heat. Valley afternoons are the real risk on this list. Be off the water by mid-morning or fish the evening. Water, shade, a hat, and somebody who knows where you went. Cold water and 100-degree air is how people get in trouble.
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If you fish one day this week, make it Tuesday or Wednesday. New moon, the deepest minus tides of the month, and a salmon fleet that is putting two fish per rod on the deck, that combination shows up a handful of times a season.
And if you are heading up to Pine Flat or Kaweah, call the ramp first. The water is coming down faster than the signage is going up.
Tight lines
Bryan Mello
B Mello Ag Services · Central Valley, California
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(559) 816-3889
bryan@bmelloag.com
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Sources used for this issue: NOAA CO-OPS tide predictions via US Harbors for stations 9414290 San Francisco, 9415144 Port Chicago, 9413450 Monterey and 9412110 Port San Luis · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District daily reservoir reports, COE (data ending Aug 4) and Section 7 (data ending Aug 5) · NorCalFishReports.com boat-by-boat dock totals for Aug 4 and Aug 5 and the weekly skipper report for the week of Aug 3 · SoCalFishReports.com dock totals for Aug 5 · CDFW Ocean Salmon Fishery Information page, updated July 28, 2026 · CDFW fish plant listings for the week of Aug 2–8 · CDFW Fishing Contest permit database, black bass, pulled Aug 6 · Snoflo reservoir reports for Lake San Antonio and Lopez Lake. Moon phase computed from the synodic month against the Jan 6, 2000 reference new moon.
Please read: Conditions, seasons, bag limits and closures change, sometimes with a single day’s notice, and ocean salmon seasons in particular close inseason when quotas fill. Everything here is a snapshot of what the public data said when this was written. Confirm current regulations with CDFW at wildlife.ca.gov, call the salmon hotline at (707) 576-3429 before an ocean trip, and verify ramp access and lake levels with the operating agency before you travel. Where we could not verify a number, we said so rather than guessing.
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