Hot Weather Good for Surf Fishing?

With the present and upcoming heatwave, there’s plenty uncertainty as to how it might affect the surf fishing. In basic theory and understanding of seasonal surf fishing, summertime is peak season because it brings in warmer water temps. So, is the hot weather good for fishing the surf or bad?

The short answer, it’s good. If you’ve read last week’s article on upwelling and the massive amounts of water temp fluctuation, you’d know that as of a week ago, our coastal water temps were well below the seasonal averages. We’ve seen huge drops in water temperatures as well as quick rebounds. So let’s take a look at why the current heat wave is going to be beneficial to the summertime bite.

The Summertime Bite

Peak season for surf fishing in San Diego, Orange County, LA and all of So Cal is always summertime. But, it’s also important to know that each surf species has a slightly different peak season. Understanding each species’s peak season is huge in dialing in the bite. Why though, is summertime so good for surf fishing?

The warmer waters are what drive the spawning seasons and more importantly, the main feeding cycles. So, if this heatwave had occurred at a time in which the water temps were already at or above the seasonal averages, I couldn’t even begin to speculate what it’s effect might have been.

Might have brought in some tropical species… might have killed the local species… might have been just fine. What makes this heatwave likely beneficial to the fishing, is the large amounts of upwelling we’ve experienced.

We were just talking about whether upwelling was beneficial or detrimental to surf fishing. Well, for this unique situation, it couldn’t have been more timely.

A Push in the Right Direction

The most recent event of upwelling caused the water temps to drop some 7 degrees reaching an average of 63-66 degrees Fahrenheit at most beaches. This means that rather than beginning this heatwave at 71 degrees or so, it’s beginning with much lower temps.

My bet? I think this heatwave has the potential to be the catalyst of that summertime bite we’ve been missing for the past few weeks. Sure, the seasonal bite picked up a little early this year but that doesn’t mean it needs to end early. This heat wave could bring in the last really good fishing of 2020. If no more massive upwelling occurs, we should be experiencing water temps in the low to mid 70’s as the next week or two roll around. This is when the bite should be at it’s peak.

Which Species to Watch for

If you take a look at the table listed below, you’ll see the peak season for each common surf species and you can click each to learn more about them. If you go to the common species tab, you’ll see this same chart, followed by detailed bar graphs and I recommend taking a look at those.

The one species that I think could really benefit from this rise in water temp will be the spotfin croaker. It’s peak season runs the latest (as displayed above) and it’s been on a major bite all summer.

Keep in mind that all surf species with a peak season of summertime should be more present in the coming weeks, but, spotfin are the number one species I’m going to keep an eye on. While corbina and yellowfin croaker should ramp up a little more as well, I’ve got my eyes on one more species for the next two weeks especially. Big female leopard sharks take advantage of the warm waters in San Diego every summer. Here’s a really informative article on that.

I’m expecting the leopard shark fishing to be close to great in the coming week and it should remain decent for the next month. For the next week, the conditions outlook is awesome with some hot weather and minimal surf predictions. Good luck out there guys!

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