The SoCal tuna season, month by month
What a typical year looks like offshore of Southern California, from the first bluefin of spring to the last fish of fall. No two seasons are the same.
Every Southern California season is different. Warm years bring yellowfin and dorado close to home; cool years keep them far south. Bluefin have been showing earlier and staying later than they used to. Use this as a rough guide to what’s usually happening, then watch the water and the reports for what’s happening this year.
January to March: the quiet months
Most private boats are out of the water or working on projects. Short days, winter storms and big swell limit trips.
That said, in recent winters there have been bluefin around for boats willing to pick their weather, often on the offshore banks off San Diego and in Mexican waters. More on winter bluefin →
Good time for: getting the boat ready, servicing reels, re-spooling, practicing knots.
April: first signs
Water starts to warm offshore and the first reports of bluefin often come from the waters off San Diego and northern Baja. It’s hit or miss, but the boats that go learn where the water is setting up.
May: the season opens up
Bluefin typically show in numbers somewhere within range of San Diego, often south of the border first. Kelp paddies start to appear with yellowtail under them.
June: bluefin spread out
Schools often work north into US waters and the area between San Diego and Catalina. Mornings can be foggy and calm. The afternoon wind starts to build earlier.
July: peak bluefin
For many years this is the heart of the bluefin season, with fish from school size to big ones. In warmer years the first yellowfin and dorado start showing on paddies and with porpoise.
August: warm water
The warmest water of the year moves in. If it’s a warm year, this is when yellowfin, dorado and paddy yellowtail are most likely close to home, alongside the bluefin.
September: the mixed bag
Often the best month for variety. The water is still warm, the weather is usually settled and a single trip might see bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtail and dorado. Fewer people are on vacation, so the radio is quieter.
October: still going
Water begins to cool, but bluefin often stay through the month and sometimes beyond. Days get shorter, so runs start and end in the dark more often. Keep an eye out for early fall wind events.
November: winding down
Fishing usually slows as the water cools and the weather turns. Bluefin can still be around, and some of the bigger fish have been caught late in the year. Watch for Santa Ana winds and the first winter swells.
December: over for most
Most boats call it a season. A few keep fishing on good weather days if the bluefin are still around.
What changes a season
- Water temperature. Warm years bring more species closer to home. Cool years mean longer runs.
- Bait. Fish follow sardines, anchovies, squid and mackerel. Where the bait goes, they go.
- Weather. Some years the fish are there but the wind keeps boats in.
The best way to know what’s happening this year: check the water every morning and log what you find, fish or no fish.