El Niño 2026: What it means for West Coast fishing

El Niño is projected to be back on the West Coast this winter, bringing wet, warm, weather and lots of it. 

This massive weather pattern will have drastic effects on the fishing from freshwater lakes all the way out to sea. Some of your favorite species will have new, temporary, migration patterns and sportic spawning runs, while others will move into complete new territories.  

We broke down what this year's El Niño means for West Coast anglers and how to adjust your game plan before your next trip.

The Pacific Ocean is about to become chaotic. A massive El Niño is predicted in the Pacific this winter, bringing with it warmer sea temperatures, wet weather in some areas and drought in others. The dramatic shift in temperatures can wreak havoc on fisheries and anglers alike. Warm, dead-zones of ocean, species traveling out from their normal ranges and fresh water level fluctuations all create issues and opportunities for West Coast anglers.

Below we covered some of the biggest issues El Niño brings and how anglers can plan and prepare for it.

El Niño is coming. Here’s what it means for West Coast fishing

1. What El Niño actually is A naturally occurring weather pattern where Pacific Ocean surface temperatures rise. Often brings warmer and wetter weather and heavy rainfall.

2. What can happen? In a word, lots. The event can really hurt fishery yields by changing the sea temperature for sensitive fish. This can create vast “dead zones” in the sea, where fish cannot live. 

3. Why this one matters This EL Ninõ could be massive. Sea temperatures were already recorded 3 degrees celsius above normal. The effects of that rise could see large scale rain and flooding along the West Coast.

4. Warm water brings visitors Yellowtail, dorado, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and even marlin can show up farther north along the Pacific Coast and stay much later than usual. Warm southern waters will inevitably push these species north as they search for cooler temps and it's not unheard of for them to end up in shocking areas.

5. A slower year up north Warm surface temps can mean less food in the water off Oregon and Washington. This will impact salmon, rockfish fishing and even dungeness crabbing. All of the aforementioned species dealing with the population issues as it is.

   

6. Rivers, rain and steelhead California often gets a wetter winter. This could mean strong river surges which will help steelhead runs going upriver. The Pacific Northwest, however, often runs warmer and drier, with lower snowpack and river levels, holding back spawning steelhead from traveling up stream. The trick is to watch your gauges like a hawk. Look for spikes then gentle drops if you can.

7. Gear and tactics for a warm-water year What’s good for a chinook, or striper may not appeal to a wandering yellowtail. If you’re targeting species out of their normal range you may need to look at loading up on different lures, or baits. Anglers in heavy rainfall areas will probably need heavier weights, to deal with the rising water levels.

8. Check the rules before you go El Niño years can bring in-season changes, like for salmon crabs, or steelhead closures. New limits on species out of their normal range can also occur, so make sure to check regulations for any updates.

   

9. Track it with Fishbrain Use catch logs and water forecasts to see when and where the warm-water species start showing up. Whatever this winter throws at you, remember there's no such thing as bad weather, only soft anglers. Use Fishbrain to scout, monitor and prepare for any volatile weather systems building this winter and try to stay one step ahead by fishing smarter.

   Now let’s go fishing. You may want to bring a rain jacket.

   If you haven't tried the No. 1 fishing app worldwide, check out Fishbrain to see all the fish data, fishing spots, weather conditions and much more you've been missing.