24 Hours in the Coastal Metropolis
San Diego welcomes business travelers from around the world with its perfect weather, world-class conference venues, and unforgettable food. But what many traveling fly anglers don’t realize is that the city also holds an incredible variety of urban fly-fishing opportunities—often just steps from their hotel door.
What makes San Diego unique is its proximity to nearly everything recreational, including great fishing. Within minutes, you can go from the convention center or airport to casting on productive freshwater or saltwater water. If you’ve got a free day to burn and want to experience the best of San Diego’s urban angling, here’s your road map to a perfect one-day adventure.
Morning Session: Mission Bay
Start your day at Dana Landing Market on Mission Bay. Grab a hot cup of coffee and their famous breakfast sandwich—ideal fuel for the morning tide. From there, rent a skiff and idle out to Quivira Basin, where the bait barge and nearby jetty come alive in the early light. If you need a one- or two-day California state fishing license you can purchase it right at the counter. But remember it’s CASH ONLY!
This is prime surface-feeding time. Bonito, barracuda, and corvina hunt aggressively during low light and tide movement, pushing bait to the surface on either an incoming or outgoing tide. Watch for birds crashing the water—they’ll lead you straight to the fish.
Spend three to four hours working the morning tide, casting surface flies, crease flies, poppers, or small streamers around the edges of the frenzy. When the bite tapers off, head back to Dana Landing and prep for the next leg of your day.
A Stop at Stroud Tackle
No urban fly-fishing tour of San Diego is complete without a visit to Stroud Tackle. A short 10-minute drive from Dana Landing,Stroud is the city’s oldest fly shop. Just walking through the door feels like stepping back in time. Owner Rick Vorst will greet you with a smile, stories, and a wealth of local knowledge.
Pick up what you’ll need for your evening trout session:
- Brooks’s Sprout Midge (sizes 16–18)
- Zebra Midges (size 18)
- 9-foot 6X tippet leader
Lunchtime: El Indio
From Mission Bay, jump on Interstate 5 south and head to El Indio on India Street—San Diego’s best Mexican restaurant. Order their legendary tamales, a carne asada taco, and a large horchata. It’s the perfect slow-down-and-refuel moment before the evening hatch.
Evening Session: Lake Murray Dry Fly Trout
In the late afternoon, point your car east on Interstate 8 toward Lake Murray, just ten miles away. Access is simple, but the Kiowa Drive entrance puts you closest to the lake’s most productive water: Alvarado Bay, Padre Arm, and the North Shoreline.
Rent a rowboat from the concession stand for greater mobility or drive to the North Shore parking area and walk down to the water.
As the evening settles in, keep your eyes on the sky—swallows swooping low are your cue that midges are coming off. When you find the swallows, look for rising trout tight to the bank. These fish feed merely inches from shore; no wading needed. Stay back, stay subtle.
A 40-foot cast with a Brooks’s Sprout Midge and Zebra Midge dropper will get the job done. Present delicately, keep your silhouette low, and enjoy one of San Diego’s most peaceful and reliable evening hatches.
Evening Wrap-Up: Bully’s East
After the sun dips below the hills and the last trout rises, make your way to Bully’s East for the best prime rib in San Diego. Belly up to their cozy bar, order a beer, and share your day’s adventures with the locals—there’s a good chance one of them is a fly angler.
Treat yourself to the blackened prime rib bits and pair them with one of San Diego’s outstanding IPAs or a pour from Bully’s well-stocked bar. It’s the perfect close to a day spent chasing fish across San Diego’s urban waters.
