Best Time to Fish in San Diego
California · Friday, September 11
🌅
6:31 AM
Sunrise
🌇
7:02 PM
Sunset
🌙
0%
Moon
The next 7 days in San Diego
| Day | Dawn window | Dusk window | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 6:01 AM – 7:31 AM | 5:32 PM – 7:32 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 0% |
| Sat, Sep 12 | 6:01 AM – 7:31 AM | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 1% |
| Sun, Sep 13 | 6:02 AM – 7:32 AM | 5:29 PM – 7:29 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 5% |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 6:03 AM – 7:33 AM | 5:28 PM – 7:28 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 10% |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 6:03 AM – 7:33 AM | 5:26 PM – 7:26 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 17% |
| Wed, Sep 16 | 6:04 AM – 7:34 AM | 5:25 PM – 7:25 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 26% |
| Thu, Sep 17 | 6:04 AM – 7:34 AM | 5:24 PM – 7:24 PM | 🌓 First Quarter · 36% |
Dawn and dusk windows are computed from sunrise/sunset for San Diego; times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Today's best windows in San Diego
🌅 Dawn — 6:01 AM to 7:31 AM
The first light window is the most reliable bite of the day for most species — fish move shallow to feed before the sun gets high.
🌇 Dusk — 5:32 PM to 7:32 PM
The last couple hours of light are the second prime window, especially as water cools and bait moves.
🌙 Moon — New Moon (0% lit)
Solunar feeding activity peaks around the new and full moons. Overlap a solunar period with dawn or dusk and you have the best window of the day.
Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase are computed for San Diego (California); times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Today's tides in San Diego
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 3:52 AM | -0.2 ft |
| High | 10:02 AM | 5.9 ft |
| Low | 4:03 PM | 0.6 ft |
| High | 10:06 PM | 6.1 ft |
Predictions from NOAA station 9410170 (SAN DIEGO (Broadway)), about 1 mi from San Diego. Times in local time, heights relative to MLLW.
Get the precise solunar + tide forecast for your spot
Dawn and dusk are the reliable daily answer, but the exact solunar major/minor periods and the tides for the specific water you're fishing shift day to day. The MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner pulls live NOAA, USGS, and solunar data to score the best times for your exact San Diego spot.
See the AI Trip Planner →Best season to fish San Diego
The inshore fishery — calico bass, sand bass, halibut in Mission and San Diego Bays — runs all year, best in spring through fall. The offshore tuna season is what San Diego is famous for: bluefin can show as early as spring and hold into fall or even winter, and yellowfin and dorado fill in from mid-summer through October when warm water pushes up from Mexico. Yellowtail bite the Point Loma kelp and the Coronado Islands spring through fall. Winter slows offshore but rockfish (opening seasonally) and bay halibut keep the local fleet busy.
Best time to fish in San Diego — FAQ
What is the best time of day to fish in San Diego?
The most reliable windows are the low-light hours around sunrise and sunset. Today in San Diego, sunrise is about 6:31 AM and sunset about 7:02 PM, so the dawn and dusk windows either side of those are your best bets — especially on an overcast day or a moving tide.
Does the moon affect fishing in San Diego?
Yes. The strongest solunar feeding periods and biggest tides come around the new and full moons. The moon is currently a New Moon (0% illuminated). For the precise solunar major/minor times and tides for your exact spot, use the MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner.
What is the best season to fish in San Diego?
The inshore fishery — calico bass, sand bass, halibut in Mission and San Diego Bays — runs all year, best in spring through fall. The offshore tuna season is what San Diego is famous for: bluefin can show as early as spring and hold into fall or even winter, and yellowfin and dorado fill in from mid-summer through October when warm water pushes up from Mexico. Yellowtail bite the Point Loma kelp and the Coronado Islands spring through fall. Winter slows offshore but rockfish (opening seasonally) and bay halibut keep the local fleet busy.
Do I need a fishing license to fish in San Diego?
Yes — most adult anglers need a California fishing license. See the California fishing license guide for 2026 resident and non-resident prices, who's exempt, and where to buy.
What tide is best for fishing in San Diego?
Moving water usually beats slack tide — fish the hour or so around a tide change, when current is strongest and sweeps bait past structure. See today's tide times for San Diego above to plan around the next high or low.
Plan your next San Diego trip
Free profile, no credit card. Find a buddy, get a live conditions plan, and fish safer.
Get Started Free →