DIRECTIONS

SONOMA COAST
SHORE FISHING GUIDE
RUSSIAN RIVER TO BODEGA BAY

If you are coming from the greater Bay Area there are three major routes from Hiway 101 to the coast.

Exit Route 101 in Petaluma at Washington Ave. Go west through the 'old town' and Washington Ave becomes Bodega Hiway. Just before Valley Ford Bodega Hiway melds with Route 1 and takes you to Bodega Bay.

Take the Route 12 exit in Santa Rosa and go west to Sebastopol where the freeway ends. Go through town and continue out on Bodega Ave. This takes you west past Freestone, through the town of Bodega and then connects to Route 1 and Bodegas Bay.

North of the city of Santa Rosa take the River Road exit. Go west through Rio Nido and Guerneville where River Road melds with Hiway 116. Continue west on 116 thru Monte Rio and Duncan Mills. About a mile short of Jenner hiway 116 ends at Hiway 1. Go south across the bridge and up the grade.

You can also take the scenic coastal route from Mill Valley by going over Mt.Tam to Hiway 1 and then north past Point Reyes and Tomales Bay.

GENERAL INFORMATION     The coast of Sonoma County has a rich and varied marine environment. There are many species of fish, plus abalone, clams, mussels and crabs.
    Most of the coastline between Bodega Bay and the Russian River is County or State owned and maintained. This means lots of parking, good access to the water and occasional restrooms. The land is primarily grass covered hills with sporadic trees, good grazing for cattle and sheep.
      North of the Russian River the topography changes. The sandy beaches are small, few and far between. The coastline is steep, rocky and wooded and often the forest comes down to the sea.
    Most of this shoreline is privately owned and access is limited. It is easiest fished from small boats just off shore.

COUNTY ROAD MAP

RUSSIAN RIVER & JENNER
    Jenner is a gas station, restaurants, and grocery store with odds and ends of fishing tackle. There is a Visitors center with info on the marine environment and a small boat launch ramp for the river.
    Just outside of town (north) there are a couple of turnouts that provide excellent views of the river mouth and its seal population. Steep trails lead down to a driftwood covered beach.
    A couple of miles north of Jenner Hiway 1 makes a steep climbing switchback . At the base, before the climb, is a small and isolated pocket beach called Russian Gulch. From the parking lot take the trail through the brush to the gravel stream bed and follow it to the coast. It is a typical pocket beach and one not often visited or fished.

BRIDGEHAVEN
Just yards from the junction of Hiway 116 and Hiway 1 is the bridge over the Russian River 1. There is no town, only a community. The side road adjacent the Indian restaurant on the north side goes to the Pomo Canyon Campground on Willow Creek. This watershed (starting in Ocidental) has recently become a salmon habitat restoration area and tours are availabale. Hiway 1 now climbs steeply from Bridgehaven and at the top is the entrance to Goat Rock Beach.

GOAT ROCK & BLIND BEACH
    Along the first stretch of this road there are parking pullouts and trails entrances. The Khortum Hiking Trail runs along the coast from Blind Beach south all the way to Duncans Point.
    Then the road opens to the ocean. Several paved parking lots have fabulous views. A steep path leads down to Blind Beach which is sandy and has a gentle slope. There are large nearshore rocks, seaweed beds and molted sand crab shells are evident along the high tide line. You can also access Blind Beach from the south parking lot at Goat Rock.
    Continue along Goat Rock road. It makes a steep left handed switchback and drops down to beach level.
    Going right takes you to the parking lot in the middle of Goat Rock Beach. This lot is closest to the river mouth which is home to a large year round population of seals. Goat Rock (and Wrights Beach) are considered the most dangerous along this stretch of coast. They have steep troughs, strong rip tides and are plagued with rogue waves.
    Going left takes you to the parking lot at Goat Rock. This parking lot is only a few feet above a good high tide and sometimes closed and flooded due to winds and surf. But it gives excellent access to both Blind Beach and Goat Rock Beach. At a +3' or less tide you can fish from Goat Rock all the way to the south end of Blind Beach or north to the Russian River.

SHELL BEACH
Parking lot, restrooms. On the Khortum Trail. A steep path leads down to a small rocky beach. Across the highway is the start of the Pomo Canyon Hiking Trail which goes over the hill to Willow Creek.

FURLOUGH GULCH
South of Shell Beach is Carlovera Rd. Only 50 yards long, ending in a T at Grill Way. If you go right and drive to the end, a trail leads down to Furlough Gulch, a sandy pocket beach with accessable rocky pools north towards Shell Beach.
If you go left and drive to the end, a trail leads down to the north end of Wrights Beach. This long sandy beach is also accessible from Wrights Beach Campground and Duncans Landing.

WRIGHTS BEACH
There is a State Park Campground right on the beach. Campsites, rv sites and a day use area.
Wrights Beach (and Goat Rock Beach) are considered the most dangerous along this stretch of coast. Steep troughs, strong rip tides and rogue waves.

DUNCANS LANDING
    Parking and restrooms. The view from the point is one of the best along this stretch of coast. You can see south to Mussel Rock on Bodega Head and north past the Russian River. During times of high surf this rocky promontory produces the most spectacular displays of plumes and sprays.
    Adjacent the parking area at the point is a path down to the south end of Wrights Beach.
    Adjacent the restroom parking area is a path down to Duncans cove.

DUNCANS COVE
A tad south of Duncans Landing is a small roadside pullout with a single picnic table. A steep path takes you down to the smaller of the two coves which you can cross between during moderate or low tides.

GLEASON BEACH

SCOTTY/MANN BEACH
Just south of Gleason Beach the Hiway dips down and touches a sandy pocket beach.
This is private property but public use is tolerated. The beach is small with a steep trough and rocky sides. The 6 or 8 road shoulder parking spaces are often filled.

PORTUGUESE BEACH
The parking lot here is located on the bluff at the south end. A well maintained path down to a nice sandy beach. There are steep troughs and rocky areas at both ends.
This beach is also accessible from a pullout near its center. Opposite the house with the teepee facade.

SCHOOLHOUSE BEACH
The parking lot is also at the south end. A well maintained path leads down to a pocket beach. This is a summertime favorite of locals with less wind and surf than adjacent beaches. It is rocky, kelp filled and has fabulous tide pools during minus tides.

CARMET
Bluff top parking area. Steep trail down. A small rocky beach.

ARCHED ROCK

MIWOK
This is actually the north end of Salmon Creek Beach. A small bluff top pullout and a steep trail. There are many near shore rocks and pools in this area as it transitions into flatter terrain. The next pullout south has a trail that will put you closer to the sandy beach areas.

SALMON CREEK
North Salmon Creek Beach is a favorite hangout of surfers. On summer weekends the parking lot is full and vehicles overflow onto every gravel pullout. The beach is sandy, has a gentle slope and (most of the year) a sand bar across the mouth. I've never fished this beach as I like to give the surfers their space.
South Salmon Creek Beach is also gently sloped and has little structure. Just south of the bridge is Bean Ave, a narrow winding speedbumped lane. At the end is parking, a restroom and a trail over the dunes to the surf. This is a very long beach that stretches south to Mussel Point on Bodega Head.

BODEGA BAY
    When most people say Bodega Bay they usually mean the 'harbor' or the 'town'. Bodega Bay itself is south of Doran Park spit and open to the ocean.
    A dredged channel provides access to the harbor from the bay. This is the largest and safest harbor along the entire Sonoma County Coast.
    At high tide Bodega Harbor appear a large and magnificent body of water. That belies the fact that most of the harbor is only 2 or 3 feet deep. At minus tides it a mud flat where people dig clams and syphon ghost shrimp.
    There are always lots of birds feeding in the wafer and along the shore.

SCROLLING BODEGA AREA MAP

DORAN PARK
    Doran Park is a Sonoma County facility. Numerous RV campsites, lots of parking and restrooms. A dawn to dusk day use fee of $5 per vehicle.
    On the harbor side there is a manned US Coast Guard Station and an excellent small boat launch ramp. During a low tide you can fish the channel from the shore just past the boat launch ramp.
    On the bay side is a long sandy beach with a gentle slope. It is south facing and protected from heavy surf by Bodega Head. This is a good beach for family activities. Best beach fishing is on the east end near the golf course. Use the first or second parking area just inside the park entrance.
   Drive out to the very end for parking, restrooms, picnic areas and easy access to the north jetty (also called Doran Jetty). On a summer weekend this can be a crowded place.
LUCAS WHARF & TIDES WHARF
Both right on Hiway 1. Restaurants, shops and a pier. This is private property but people fish here. You can reach the boat channel and there are small fish around the pilings.
SPUD POINT MARINA
    To get to the west side of the harbor you have to go just north of town on Hiway 1. First here is a steep sharp switchback and then a turnoff to reach Bay Flat Road.
  Located in a small building complex at that intersection is Will's Fishing. They cater mainly to boat traffic but have bait and all the necessary tackle for shore fishing.
   Turn right at the bottom of the grade and take Bay Flat Road around to the west side of the harbour.
   Spud Point Marina has slips for large boats, both private and commercial. It is protected by a breakwater that doubles as a public fishing pier.
WEST SIDE PARK
Campsites, RV hookups, a boat launch ramp and trailer parking.
CAMPBELL COVE
    Just before the entrance to the parking lot at Campbell Cove the road comes real close to the boat channel. You can park roadside and fish the channel.
    The south jetty is accessible from Campbell Cove during a low or minus tide. At other times people use a steep trail down from the parking lot at the top of Bodega Head.
    Occasionally there is a 'high bacterial count' warning posted at the entrance to Campbell Cove.

BAIT     Every kind of bait seems to work when the fish are biting.
    Mussels, sand crabs and ghost shrimp are natural foods you find along the coast. Anchovies, squid, pile worms and shrimp (both raw and cooked) also work well.
    If you come through Petaluma there is a good bait & tackle shop at the last traffic light on the outskirts of town. An ice vending trailer painted with a marine mural marks the location.
    Artificials also work. I have had success with 2" curl tailed grubs (motor oil red flake and gold flake). Other have had success with fishtraps and spoons.

TACKLE     Use what you have. The minimum seems to be a 7+ foot rod able to throw 1oz (or more) some 30 to 50 yards. 8 lb test is on the light side, 10lb or 12lb better suits conditions.
    The casting part is easy. The tricky part is the retrieve. You have to pull the hooks and weights horizontally through vertical beds of waving kelp and/or across barnacle encrusted rocks. Count on snags and lost tackle. Bring extra hooks and weights.
   The shape of the weight also matters. Bank, teardrop, dropshot, banana and egg sinkers all get the distance. Spider and pyramid sinkers hold the sandy bottoms best. For rocky area fishing locals swear by used spark plugs (cost nothing and come off easily) and tobacco pouches filled with sand. These are not aerodynamic when casting but they tear easily and plane to the surface on the retrieve.
    Sometimes even fishing a sandy bottomed beach can be difficult if there is a strong current and vegetation on the surface. It will latch onto your line, turns it into a sail and takes everything off your reel.
    Most people use a two hook bottom sinker rig. These leaders can be purchased already tied, Just add hooks. Three way swivel, drop shot and sliding sinker rigs also work. Be forwarned that bait that sits on the bottom is crab food.
    Size the hooks (and the bait) to the targeted fish;
... perch, smelt, eels etc. have small mouths
... kelp fish and rockfish have medium mouths
... lingcod, halibut, sharks, rays etc. have large mouths.

Enjoy yourself.
Respect the ocean and marine life.

updated January 26, 2006