Reports From The Water

San Joaquin River Fishing Report | August 25, 2025

Report by Capt. Cal Kellogg Cal Kellogg is a veteran Northern California guide and Catch America pro-staff captain, fishing the California Delta out of the Sierra foothills. Shop Cal Kellogg's tackle. What is working right now Stripers are moving into the California Delta in late August 2025, with good action in the west Delta and fish caught in the San Joaquin River. Surface temps are around 71 degrees. Cal Kellogg ran and gunned for marks, throwing a compact swimbait on an underspin head. Largemouth bass came on rattletrap-style baits. A fun fall striper season is shaping up. What is biting in the San Joaquin River right now?Stripers are moving into the Delta, with a good bite in the west Delta and fish caught in the San Joaquin River. Cal Kellogg ran and gunned for marks on his first exploratory trip and boated stripers, plus a bunch of largemouth bass mixed in.What baits are working for Delta stripers?Cal's top bait was a compact swimbait fished on a Blade Runner Tackle underspin head, a competitor product with a ton of vibration. For largemouth, a Rattle Trap style lure from Berkley produced well. Both were cast and retrieved on a run-and-gun search pattern.Where are the stripers holding in the San Joaquin?Many marks were fairly deep on the sand flats, with some sitting in holes. Cal thinks the fish went deeper because of the warm surface temperature and heavy sun that day. He plans to work those deeper marks with bait next time out.What are the conditions on the Delta?Surface temp was 71 degrees in the San Joaquin River, with hot air near 100 degrees and a lot of sun the day of the trip. That heat pushed fish deeper, but the west Delta striper bite has been very good for anglers throwing swimbaits.What is the outlook for Delta stripers?Cal expects a really exciting fall on the striper front for anglers who get out to the Delta. His next trips will add live-bait drifting and anchor-and-bait fishing to reach the deeper marks he found on the sand flats and in the holes.Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Cal Kellogg): Surface temp out there was 71 degrees in the San Joaquin River. I was throwing a little swimbait on a little underspin head put out by Blade Runner Tackle. Compact bait, ton of vibration, and it was working really well. The stripers are moving into the Delta. The bite in the west Delta has been very good for guys throwing swimbaits.San Joaquin River August 25, 2025 FAQWhat is biting in the San Joaquin River right now?Stripers are moving into the Delta, with largemouth bass mixed in and a good west Delta bite.What is the water temperature in the San Joaquin River?Surface temp was around 71 degrees, with hot air near 100 degrees.What baits work for Delta stripers?A compact swimbait on a Blade Runner underspin head was the top bait. Rattletrap-style baits took largemouth bass.Where are the stripers holding?Deeper on the sand flats and in holes, likely pushed down by the warm surface temperature and heavy sun.What tactics will Cal try next?Live-bait drifting and anchor-and-bait fishing to reach the deeper marks on the sand flats.Who guides the Delta for Catch America?Capt. Cal Kellogg. Shop the Tackle Shop Cal Kellogg's Tackle Shop All Tackle