California Dawn Sportfishing runs two boats out of K Dock at Berkeley Marina, 225 University Avenue. The trip menu is "Bay and Ocean Potluck Fishing, Salmon Charters, Crab Combos, and Private Parties" — bay drifts inside the Gate for halibut and striped bass, and ocean runs for rockfish, lingcod, and seasonal salmon outside.
Fleet
The original California Dawn is a 50 by 15-foot fiberglass sportfisher built in 1977, rated for a maximum load of 35 passengers, with a hot galley. The California Dawn II is a 55 by 22-foot catamaran built in 2000, powered by twin Caterpillar engines. Operations are run by Captain James Smith Jr., a second-generation operator fishing the Bay Area since 1985 and holding a U.S. Coast Guard 100-mile license. Captain Mike is referenced alongside Captain James in guest comments on the company site.
Trip types
Bay potlucks target California halibut and striped bass on the Berkeley Flats and around the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge. Ocean trips run rockfish and lingcod combos out to the Farallon Islands when conditions allow, plus seasonal salmon under the annual PFMC window and Dungeness crab combos on the recreational opener. Private parties book the boat full. Public per-angler pricing is not posted on the operator's website or on Sportfishing Report; quotes are handled at (510) 417-5557.
Recent reports
Recent NorCal Fish Reports filings show both boats working striped bass, California halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and Dungeness crab across the season — the standard rotation for a Berkeley operator splitting time between Bay drifts and offshore runs.
Reviews
California Dawn is not listed among the operator-level TripAdvisor entries on the Berkeley charters index as of April 2026.
