Newport Back Bay Regulations/Locations?

[etaggart]

Hi Everyone,

Anyone have information on where it is/is not legal to fish from the shoreline in Newport Back Bay? I did some searching on the boards but didn't see any info. If something's already posted and someone can point me in the right direction, that would be great.

Also, anyone know about regulations for fishing the main backbay tributary (San Diego Creek, I think) that runs along University Avenue and Harvard Avenue through Irvine?

Got a lot of free time on my hands coming up and I'm looking for interesting and free places close by to torment the little fishies.

Thanks Loads!

Eric

P.S. Feel free to PM if you have something to share that you don't want to make public!

[Zombie Bass ATTACK]

Newport back bay/newport beach..is located for me i live in La habra i take the 57south to the 55 south take the freeway till it ends keep on headed straight all the way and your in newport beach back bay is located on the left side all the way down to balboa jetty there are public docks you can fish in the back bay of newport..but all bay fishing is required fishing license but not piers. you can fish from shoreline as long as its not private aka peoples homes. theres a spot first left past the only 711 in newport make that first left and park where the meeters are and you can fish the shore line and theres a small public dock you can fish to your left.Or if you want to fish in a rental boat go further down to balboa and go to daveys locker sportfishing and rent a skiff and fish a half day or full .Good halibut/sand bass/spotted by bass in newport bay my favorite bay and beach since i was young.

[SanDimasLMB]

Newport back bay/newport beach..is located for me i live in La habra i take the 57south to the 55 south take the freeway till it ends keep on headed straight all the way and your in newport beach back bay is located on the left side all the way down to balboa jetty there are public docks you can fish in the back bay of newport..but all bay fishing is required fishing license but not piers. you can fish from shoreline as long as its not private aka peoples homes. theres a spot first left past the only 711 in newport make that first left and park where the meeters are and you can fish the shore line and theres a small public dock you can fish to your left.Or if you want to fish in a rental boat go further down to balboa and go to daveys locker sportfishing and rent a skiff and fish a half day or full .Good halibut/sand bass/spotted by bass in newport bay my favorite bay and beach since i was young.



This is the main channel. The OP is windering about the back bay.


Anywho, I personally don't know of any regulations reguarding the back bay. Best call your local DFG office and ask, maybe even the Newport Beach City Hall.

[daveg456]

I think he's talking about the Upper Back Bay area, not the general harbor area. I'm not sure about the legality of fishing way back there but I think it self regulates itself because of the larger tides and the shoreline being mud. Even if you could reach the water from shore, you would get stuck in the mud and wouldn't be able to move. If you took a boat up there, you would stll be fishing in mud and if you caught the tide wrong, you would be SOL and looking pretty foolish sitting there for 6 hours waiting for the high tide to come back in. I don't think VesselAssist would come get you. Save yourself the headache and fish somewhere else.

[daveg456]

Also, anyone know about regulations for fishing the main backbay tributary (San Diego Creek, I think) that runs along University Avenue and Harvard Avenue through Irvine?


For areas way up there, it is more accessable. I would guess you could catch some talapia. Give it a try and let us know how you do.

[Fish Dog]

There are two places you can legally fish from shore in the Back Bay. First is the rip-rap on the big curve on Back Bay Drive just before Vaughn's Ramp (about 1/4 mile north of San Joaquin Hills Rd.). I've seen croaker, sargo, small sharks, (smouthhounds, leopards, etc.) and rays caught there. The only problem with this location right now is that with the dredging they are doing in the bay it looks like they have a dredge pipe running right by there and you may not be able to fish it right now due to that pipe being in the way. The other location is right next to the north side of the Jamboree bridge. There is a little flat area there, within about 20 yards of the bridge, that you can fish from. There used to be a sign that said "Birds only beyond this point" that marked the boundary of the open area but that is missing now. If you go too far you'll be in mud, (and you'll be sorry because you might get stuck), so you can kind of tell where you shouldn't be at that location. The only thing I've ever seen caught there have been people snagging mullet. As for San Diego Creek I don't think there is any restriction there as that is out of the reserve. I've never heard of anyone fishing there but it does look "fishy" to me so if you try that let us know if you get anything. I'd think if you go up from the bay and get into the fresh water part of the creek, like around Campus / University or above, that it looks like there could be some bass in there, but, like I said, I've never heard of anyone fishing there. Just be careful of your location in the Back Bay. If you aren't in one of those two areas you will be in a closed area and may get a ticket. I heard of a group of three guys in the closed area a month or two ago that got tickets for being in a closed area.

[fish4keep]

From my understanding you can't go any further back (upper) than North Star. Anywhere from there to the mouth of NPH is fare game as long as it's not a private dock/channel/beach or posted no fishing...

[OnDaHunt4Fish]

i fish there all the time so many nooks and cranys you find some great shore fishing if you see me in the ARROWGLASS CENTER CONSOLE give a holla i'll pick you up.Keep it bent

[misterBAITer]

I don't know about the legality of fishing the San Diego Creek, but I run on the the bike trail along the creek (between Campus Dr and Main St) and I once saw someone walking with a fly rod in hand. He was directly next to Boomer's off of Michelson Dr. I asked him if he's fished there before and he said he caught some carp.

[ToadsToadsOnly]

What about the bonefish back there I heard the Fly Fishermen get them all the time.

[misterBAITer]

Probably further south by the bay, but I think this guy was only out for carp. He was way to far up north for there to be any mullet....but I could be wrong.

[fishmounter]

No... Mullet go way up into fresh water. They are even in the Colorado River. I have even seen them in Lake Matthews (not that I have ever fished there).

[djkim1]

Sorry if I'm reviving an old thread, but I have also been wondering about that San Diego Creek area, as its also formally called the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Marsh or something like that, but I have been reading the rules online and it says fishing and hunting is prohibited... It does look VERY fishy though.

[smokehound]

The San Joaquin marsh is not worth fishing, anyway. The only fish found there are Mosquitofish, Carp, Red Shiners, and bullheads. possibly some mullet here and there.

As for the upper bay, there are many regions you're legally allowed to fish, you find alot more croakers, grunts, and mullet. Sargo get enormous up there.

[skunked4life]

Dont know if anyone will read this but the marsh is not the same as the river that runs along campus. The marsh area is the area next to the river located by the national audubon society. The river used to be fishable and i caught alot of small miuth bass and bluegill there. Since the water district began work there, no fish. This used to be a fun "secret" spot of mine.

[JL]

Go to DFG website and you can download the information regarding the back bay. I interpret the info to show that most any thing going inland from the Back Bay launch to the right past the restaurant is closed. So the very back bay muddy area that was being dredged is off limits to all fishing, regardless of how you access the area.

[smokehound]

Go to DFG website and you can download the information regarding the back bay. I interpret the info to show that most any thing going inland from the Back Bay launch to the right past the restaurant is closed. So the very back bay muddy area that was being dredged is off limits to all fishing, regardless of how you access the area.Nope. You're allowed to fish the upper bay, you just cannot take invertebrates or possess them in that area, only finfish. You're not missing much, because the further up you go, the less saline it becomes, baybass are absent and it's mostly croaker, sargo, and smelt which all can handle lower salinity.

you wouldn't want to fish a dredged area anyway!