All spots

Lake Merced

Lake fishing  California · 05:48 - 20:34

Lake Merced is a lake in California. The fish here are ranked by weather, water temperature and season, see the likely catch below.

Conditions right now

Weather
Partly cloudy
Water temp (est.)
69°F
Air temp
57°F
Wind
12 mph
Pressure
29.89 inHg → stable
Clouds
55.0%

Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.

Best times today

Dawn 05:03–07:03 Dusk 19:19–21:19

Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.

Next hours

05:00
57°
06:00
57°
07:00
58°
08:00
60°
09:00
62°
10:00
63°
11:00
64°
12:00
64°
13:00
64°
14:00
63°
15:00
63°
16:00
62°

Likely catch now (12 species)

Largemouth Bass
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
12%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season.
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Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
12%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.
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Brown Trout
Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
9%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, peak season.
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Black Crappie
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
8%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 21 degrees.
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Bluegill
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
8%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season.
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Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
8%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season.
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Striped Bass
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis
8%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 21 degrees, a fishy ripple on the water.
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Blue Catfish
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
8%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.
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Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
8%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.
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Common Carp
Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio
8%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, peak season.
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Rainbow Trout
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
6%
Prime feeding window at the dawn.
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White Bass
White Bass
Morone chrysops
5%
Water near its preferred 21 degrees, a fishy ripple on the water.
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About the fishing here

Lake Merced is a lake in California.

Popular catches here include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Flathead Catfish.

Largemouth Bass fishing is usually best around Apr-Jun, Sep. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Napp ranks the species above from the live weather, water temperature, season and time of day, so the order changes through the day.

Tips right now

Technique Start with a soft-plastic jig for largemouth bass, the most likely catch right now.
Timing This is a prime window for largemouth bass at dawn. Fish hard now.
Colour Low light: try black and blue, chartreuse or junebug for largemouth bass.
Lure Soft-plastic jig for largemouth bass: Jig around cover.
Depth The water temperature suits the fish. Fish actively at normal depths and edges.

Fishing permit

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Licenses are issued by each state:

About this water

Lake Merced

Lake Merced is a freshwater lake located on the West Side of San Francisco, in the southwest corner of the city. It is surrounded by three golf courses, as well as residential areas, Lowell High School, San Francisco State University, Lakeshore Alternative Elementary School, Stonestown Galleria, Fort Funston and the Pacific Ocean. The San Francisco Police Department shooting range, as well as a now closed skeet shooting club and the city's National Guard armory are also in the area. The lake was also the home of the Lake Merced Sailing Club, now closed, which provided training and racing for local sailors. Currently there is a paddling program operated by San Francisco State University. The lake is home of the Pacific Rowing Club and St. Ignatius College Prep Rowing Team, both competitive rowing programs for San Francisco high school students.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Map

More waters nearby

Common questions

What fish can you catch at Lake Merced?

Popular catches here include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Flathead Catfish, Striped Bass and Blue Catfish.

Do you need a fishing license at Lake Merced?

Yes. A state fishing license is required; see the link on this page for the state's rules.

When is the best time to fish Lake Merced?

Largemouth Bass fishing is usually best around Apr-Jun, Sep. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

What is biting at Lake Merced right now?

Right now Largemouth Bass is the most likely catch, at about 12%.