If you've been waiting for the season to turn on, it turned. August is when Southern California's offshore fishing hits its stride — the water is the warmest it will be all year, and the warmth has pulled the whole cast of summer pelagics up into range.
The story right now is volume and variety. Yellowfin tuna have shown up in force within a day's run, the yellowtail are biting both offshore and on the local structure, jumbo bluefin are still around, and dorado are scattered through the mixed bag. Across the fleet, the last two weeks put more than 105,000 fish on the boards from 18 landings. On the right trip you can put four or five different species on the deck in a single day — and that mixed bag is what August is all about.
Here's what the counts are actually showing as the month opens, and what to expect as it builds.
Yellowfin tuna: the August headline
If one fish defines the start of this month, it's yellowfin. The offshore counts coming off the fleet in early August have been genuinely loud — boats returning from 1.5- and 2-day trips with well over a hundred yellowfin apiece, and the fish showing on shorter runs as the schools push closer.
The recent trips tell the story. The Fortune came back with 200 yellowfin, the Pegasus with 145, the Horizon with 134, and single-day-range boats like the San Diego and Pacifica put up 126 and 120. Fish in the 30-to-60-pound class have been in the mix, with real quality among them.
What's driving it is the water. With warm water holding and El Niño conditions in play, the yellowfin have moved into range a day-trip angler can actually reach — and every sign points to more showing up as the month goes on. If you want tuna without committing to a long-range trip, this is the window.
Yellowtail: not a sidebar this month
In a lot of Augusts the yellowtail play second fiddle to the tuna. Not right now. The yellowtail bite has been one of the two biggest stories on the water, showing both offshore mixed in with the tuna and on the more local kelp and structure.
The numbers back it up: the Horizon posted 130 and 180 yellowtail on recent trips, the Highliner 71, the Gail Force 120, and plenty of boats are adding solid yellowtail to their tuna counts. That's a genuinely strong showing for a fish that doesn't require a long run to reach.
If the offshore tuna picture feels like a big commitment, a shorter trip targeting yellowtail on the kelp and structure is an excellent August option — and a real shot at quality fish without an overnight. The Coronado Islands, in particular, hold them year-round. (For the full breakdown, see our Coronado Islands guide.)
Bluefin tuna: still here, still big
The bluefin bite that carried the early summer hasn't quit — it's just sharing the spotlight now. And the fish are big.
Recent trips have produced bluefin from the 80-pound class up past 200 pounds, with boats like the Polaris Supreme posting strong bluefin counts on the multi-day runs. These are serious fish on serious tackle — the kind of trip you plan for.
If a cow bluefin is on your list this year, August is prime time. The overnight and 1.5-day-plus trips are where it happens. (New to chasing them? Our bluefin tactics guide breaks down the kite, the sinker rig, and the rest of the offshore game.)
Dorado and the exotic push
Here's the fun part of a warm-water year: the exotics follow the warm water up, and they're here. Dorado — mahi — have been showing on nearly every offshore trip, picking off kelp paddies and mixing in with the tuna. They're not stacking up by the dozen, but they're a regular part of the bag right now, with most offshore boats adding a handful.
Dorado are the fish that make a warm-water summer feel special. Bright, acrobatic, and outstanding on the table, they're a bonus on a tuna trip and a sign the water's doing exactly what you want it to. If the warm water keeps building through the month — and every indication is that it will — the dorado bite should only improve.
Local and inshore
Not every August trip has to go offshore. The local fishery has stayed productive — rockfish, whitefish, calico bass, sand bass, barracuda, and bonito are all filling out half-day and 3/4-day counts, with the occasional halibut, lingcod, and sheephead mixed in. The northern landings up around Morro Bay and the Channel Islands have been putting up big rockfish and whitefish numbers on the boards.
For a family trip, a first-timer, or a half-day that still puts fish in the sack, the local bite is doing its job while the glamour species run offshore.
The month ahead
August, September, and early fall are routinely the best stretch of the SoCal season, and the setup this year is as good as it gets. Warm water is here and holding, El Niño conditions are in play, and the offshore grounds are already producing at a high level. Every sign points to the bite building rather than fading as the month goes on — more yellowfin pushing into range, the dorado improving with the water, and the yellowtail and bluefin sticking around.
If you've been waiting for the right time, this is it. The fish are here, the variety is outstanding, and the water only gets better from here.
Plan your August trip
The fleet is running, the counts are real, and the best offshore trips book up fast in August. See what's biting and where on our live fish counts, updated nightly from the landings, and compare every trip across the SoCal fleet — dates, boats, pricing, and availability — on the trips page.
Whatever you're after this month, there's a trip for it. Tight lines — and go find your next catch.