Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fishing Guide

The Delta is a huge maze of rivers and sloughs known for striped bass, largemouth bass and catch-and-release white sturgeon. Stripers move through the Delta in spring to spawn and come back in fall, while black bass can be fished all year. Sturgeon rules are strict and changed in 2025, so read the CDFW rules before you go.

📍 Central California, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet east of San Francisco Bay. Main towns are Rio Vista (Sacramento River side), Antioch (western Delta on the San Joaquin) and Stockton (San Joaquin River, east side). Public access includes the Rio Vista pier and riverbank, Brannan Island State Recreation Area, the Antioch Fishing Pier and launch ramp, and Stockton parks such as Buckley Cove.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Southwest & California Lakes map →

Quick facts

Striped bass were brought to California in 1879, when 132 small fish from New Jersey were released near Martinez.
The San Joaquin River between the Antioch Bridge and the mouth of Middle River is an important striped bass spawning area (CDFW).
White sturgeon fishing in California is catch-and-release only, and a Sturgeon Fishing Report Card is still required.
Invasive golden mussel was found in the Delta in October 2024; it is illegal to import, transport or possess it.
The Delta has nearly a thousand miles of waterways.

What you can catch

Striped bass
2 fish per day, 18-inch minimum. Best in spring and again in fall.
Largemouth bass
Delta black bass rule: open all year, 12-inch minimum, 5 per day.
White sturgeon
Catch-and-release only, Oct 1 - June 30 in the Delta; report card required.
Green sturgeon
Federally threatened; no fishing for them. Keep in the water and release at once.
Catfish
Common Delta catch; bow fishing allowed for bullheads and catfish in the Delta.
American shad
Statewide limit 25; open all year except listed closures.
Salmon and steelhead
Pass through the Delta; special anadromous rules apply. Check the current CDFW supplement.

Month by month

January	Stripers spread from the Bay through the Delta; fishing generally slow in cold water, but some big fish. Sturgeon catch-and-release open.
February	Cold-water striper fishing slow. Sturgeon catch-and-release open.
March	Striper fishing improves as water warms; fish start moving up to fresh water.
April	Stripers spread through the Delta; spawning starts around 60 F water. Good bass fishing as fish move shallow.
May	Striper spawn in the Delta and Sacramento River. San Joaquin near Stockton popular from shore in spring.
June	Most legal stripers leave fresh water by mid-June. Sturgeon season ends June 30.
July	Sturgeon closed. Black bass open all year. Free Fishing Day July 4, 2026 (report cards still required).
August	Sturgeon closed. Black bass and catfish fishing.
September	Sturgeon closed. Free Fishing Day September 5, 2026.
October	Sturgeon catch-and-release reopens October 1. Fall striper migration back toward the Delta may start.
November	Striper bait fishing in the Delta improves as fish arrive.
December	Striper bite fades as water cools and winter rains start. Sturgeon catch-and-release open.

Tips

Anyone 16 or older needs a California sport fishing license; buy the Sturgeon Report Card too if you target sturgeon.
Use only one single-point, single-shank, barbless hook for sturgeon, and never pull a sturgeon over 60 inches fork length out of the water.
In the Delta, single hooks with a gap over 1 inch (or treble hooks over 3/4 inch) are not allowed; some ocean sturgeon hooks are too big.
Threadfin shad are a common striper bait in the Delta; sardines, anchovies and pile worms also work.
Check OEHHA fish-eating advisories for the Delta before keeping fish to eat.

Rules and license

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) · Official rules page ↗

License: anyone 16 or older needs a California sport fishing license. Check current fees with CDFW.
Striped bass: open all year, 2 fish per day, 18-inch minimum total length.
Black bass in the Delta: open all year, 12-inch minimum total length, 5 per day.
White sturgeon: catch-and-release only, zero bag. Open Oct 1 - June 30 from the west Carquinez Bridge to below the Feather River confluence and below the I-5 bridge on the San Joaquin. Sacramento and San Joaquin tributaries closed all year.
Sturgeon Fishing Report Card required to fish for sturgeon; record each trip and return/report it by July 31.
Sturgeon gear: one single-point, single-shank, barbless hook; no trolling, snagging, gaffs, snares or lip grippers. Sturgeon over 60 inches fork length must stay in the water.
Green sturgeon: take prohibited; release immediately in the water.
Golden mussel: illegal to import, transport or possess; clean, drain and dry boats.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 22 boat ramps and 14 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Antioch Marina
Big Break Marina Holdings LLC
Delta Marina Yacht-Harbor
Driftwood Marina
Foil Kite / Wing launch
Korths Pirates Lair
Marina Boat Launch
McAvoy Harbor
Owl Harbor Marina
Oxbow Marina
Pittsburg Marina
Russo's Marina
Snug Harbor Resorts
Sugar Barge Resort
Tower Park Marina
Walnut Grove Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.