LA Fishing Report: Week of Oct 19, 2026

The short version

Mid-October still fished like late summer around Los Angeles. NOAA's Santa Monica tide station logged hourly water temperatures between 70.0°F and 72.5°F from October 12 to 18, averaging about 71°F. The warm water kept the summer species around. Calico bass were the steadiest fish on every local landing's counts. Bonito showed at all four landings that ran local trips, and yellowtail and barracuda were still mixed in. Yellowfin tuna made up the biggest numbers at 22nd Street Landing. On October 18, the one day we checked boat by boat, all of its yellowfin came from a two-day offshore trip, not a local boat.

On the freshwater side, it is the quiet stretch between catfish season and trout season. CDFW's planting schedule had no Los Angeles County plants listed for the weeks of October 18–31.

Redondo Beach and King Harbor

Redondo Beach Sportfishing reported trips on three days this week. On October 17 and 18 it ran two trips a day, with 170 anglers combined. Both October 18 trips were Redondo Special half-day runs. Those two days produced 100 calico bass, 34 bonito, 16 sheephead, 13 blue perch and 6 yellowtail, plus ocean whitefish and sculpin. The best single trip was the October 18 afternoon half-day: 27 anglers, 40 calico bass and 10 sheephead. On October 12 a 10-angler trip reported 48 spiny lobster.

The landing's 2026 season totals, as listed on SportfishingReport.com on October 18, show what kind of year it has been. Kelp bass are at 4,009 against 1,599 listed for 2025, yellowtail at 748 against 3, and bonito at 1,813 against 255.

If you fish from the Redondo Beach Pier or the King Harbor breakwater, the boat counts don't mean those fish are in range of the pier. Still, when bonito are showing on local half-day boats, it's worth bringing a casting lure along with your sabiki and bait rigs. Both the pier and the breakwater are CDFW public piers, so you don't need a license there. The two-rod limit and all size and bag limits still apply.

Marina del Rey and Santa Monica Bay

Marina Del Rey Sportfishing reported trips every day of the week: 15 trips with 693 anglers. Sculpin (California scorpionfish) led the count at 351, followed by 275 ocean whitefish and 262 calico bass. Sand bass came to 116, bonito to 85 and yellowtail to 50, with a handful of barracuda and sheephead. One white seabass was reported, and one giant sea bass was caught and released. Giant sea bass are a protected species in California and may not be kept. On October 14, a single trip with 21 anglers reported 31 calico bass and 13 yellowtail.

San Pedro and Long Beach

22nd Street Landing in San Pedro ran 19 trips with 487 anglers. Yellowfin tuna led its count at 449. Tuna are an offshore fishery. On October 18, the day we checked boat by boat, all 67 of the landing's yellowfin came from the Freedom's two-day trip, which reported 67 yellowfin, 30 skipjack and 12 yellowtail for 24 anglers. Local trips were all about bonito and calico. That same day the Native Sun's three-quarter-day trip reported 168 bonito, 79 calico bass and 13 sand bass for 42 anglers.

Long Beach Sportfishing reported four trips. The Victory's October 18 three-quarter-day trip had 25 anglers and reported 125 ocean whitefish, 75 bonito, 52 calico bass, 41 sand bass, 38 barracuda, 21 sheephead and 3 yellowtail. On October 14 a 29-angler trip reported 71 barracuda and 29 yellowtail. Pierpoint Landing reported two trips. The Toronado's 1.5-day trip on October 18 reported 145 ocean whitefish, 61 rockfish, 32 vermilion rockfish, 18 yellowfin tuna and 8 yellowtail. An October 16 trip reported 4 yellowtail and a dorado.

Tides for the week ahead

NOAA's predictions for its Los Angeles station (9410660) show small tide swings early in the week that grow toward the weekend. On Monday, October 19, there is a 4.0-foot high at 7:05 AM and only a 3.3-foot low at 11:45 AM. By Saturday, October 24, it's a 6.0-foot high at 8:22 AM and a 0.2-foot low at 2:53 PM. Sunday, October 25, brings a 6.4-foot high at 8:48 AM and a −0.4-foot low at 3:33 PM. Those weekend afternoon lows are good for scouting rocks and surf structure, and the moving water around them is worth fishing for surf perch and halibut. All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

Lakes: between catfish and trout

As of October 19, CDFW's Fish Planting Schedule showed no Los Angeles County plants for the current week or the next one (October 18–31). The most recent LA County plants on the schedule were catfish at Legg Lakes and La Mirada Lake the week of September 13–19. For comparison, the earliest LA County trout plants in the schedule's records for last season were the week of November 2–8, 2025, at Hansen Dam, Reseda Park, Apollo Park, Legg Lakes, Santa Fe Reservoir and Puddingstone. That is last year's timing, not a forecast. Check the live schedule each week.

Until the trout trucks roll, urban lakes like Echo Park, MacArthur Park, Legg and El Dorado are better for bluegill, carp and leftover summer catfish. Fishing is allowed at both Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park Lake. Anglers 16 and older need a California fishing license at every lake.

Rules worth a reminder

• Spiny lobster season is open. CDFW requires a Spiny Lobster Report Card for everyone who fishes for lobster, including kids under 16 and anglers on public piers. On a public pier you may use up to two hoop nets.
• Rockfish depth and season rules change during the year. Check our rockfish page and CDFW's groundfish summary before you keep one.
• OEHHA's advisory for the coast from south of the Santa Monica Pier to the Seal Beach Pier advises everyone not to eat barred sand bass or white croaker caught there.
• Public-pier license exemptions apply only on the pier structure, not on the beach next to it.

Fish names in the counts

Landings use dock names. Here is what they mean: "sculpin" is California scorpionfish, "whitefish" is ocean whitefish, "red snapper" is vermilion rockfish, "blue perch" is halfmoon, and "calico" is kelp bass. Each name links to our species page in the list below.