August Surf Fishing: Will The Bite Get Hot Again?

Has the summertime surf fishing slowed for you? Every year, there’s a week in August when the hot summer bite cools down considerably, almost overnight. This lull typically lasts for a week or two before the action picks up again for a brief period of really good August surf fishing.

Typically, by September, the bite starts to taper off, signaling the inevitable end of the summer surf fishing season. While we’ve seen the best this summer has to offer, that doesn’t mean the current season doesn’t offer some high potential days. Any day could result in an extremely hot bite still. It will likely just be less consistent moving forward.

Summer Surf Fishing Recap

Late June through early July was a golden period for surf fishing, especially when using sand crabs as bait. As mentioned in one of my previous surf fishing reports from June 23rd, 2024, the fishing in San Diego during this time was phenomenal. Anglers experienced incredible success with sand crabs, catching a variety of species in abundance – especially big corbina, spotfin croaker and leopards and soups for those shark fishermen.

The bite remained strong through July, but as August rolled around, there was a noticeable shift. The hot bite cooled down, transitioning into a primarily surfperch-dominated catch, reflecting the typical seasonal pattern. Expect the bigger species to have one more really hot stint before slowly tapering off creating less consistency than we saw through June-July.

Common Species and Peak Seasons

For a quick guide on which species bite at which times of year, review the table below. For more info on each species, read my article on the common species of fish in So Cal’s surf scene. As you can see, August surf fishing is the tail end of peak season. Potential is still through the roof!

Common Species	Peak Season	General Season
California Corbina	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Spotfin Croaker	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Yellowfin Croaker	May-Aug	May-Oct
Barred Surfperch	Nov-Apr	Year-Round
Walleye Surfperch	Nov-Apr	Year-Round
Shovelnose Guitarfish	Jun-Aug	May-Oct
Sting Ray (Round Ray)	Jun-Aug	Year-Round
Bat Ray	Jun-Aug	Year-Round
Leopard Shark	May-Aug	Apr-Oct
California Halibut	Jan-May	Year-Round
Soupfin Shark	Mar-Jul	Year-Round

What to Expect Going Forward

Looking ahead, as the summer season wanes and fall approaches, surf anglers can anticipate a shift in target species. Remember, we’re not quite there yet. There’s plenty of time and potential left for catching big corbina and spotfin croaker.

But, as fall eventually does roll around, the corbina, and croaker bite will slow for the season. There is a bright side, however. The fall months bring a renewed opportunity for halibut fishing, which can be particularly rewarding. Halibut are known to bite well in the fall, especially when using swimbaits and jerkbaits.

The Sunset Bite Is Your Friend

Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of the sunset bite. If you recall reading Fall Surf Fishing: The Sunset Bite, you’d recall the potential for a heck of a lot of success while fishing during the fall sunsets – the bite can be surprisingly strong.

Sunsets offer some incredible potential for big spotfin croaker and tons of yellowfin croaker in the late summer and early fall. Not every year, but some years, spotfin have a “run” where people start catching big spotties left and right in late August/early September. What will this summer-end bring us? Let’s find out!