SoCal & San Diego SST chart
Satellite data from
The Southern California Bight, from Point Conception and Santa Barbara down past Los Angeles and San Diego to the Coronado Islands just south of the border, and out past the Channel Islands to Tanner and Cortes Banks.
Today’s read
Satellite water temperature,
- Coldest
- 66.1°F
- Median
- 70.5°F
- Warmest
- 73.6°F
- Water with data
- 100%
The median surface temperature is down 1.0°F from 7 days ago.
| Station | Water | Observed |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica Basin (46025) | 72.3°F | |
| Santa Monica Bay, CA (46221) | 72.5°F | |
| San Pedro, CA (46222) | 72.7°F | |
| Santa Cruz Basin, CA (46251) | 72.1°F | |
| San Pedro South, CA (46253) | 71.2°F |
Foundation SST from JPL MUR 0.01° for 2026-10-16 over the open water in this view; 7-day change compares the median with 2026-10-09.
On this chart: San Diego, Catalina, San Clemente Island, the Coronado Islands, Tanner Bank, Cortes Bank, the 9 Mile Bank, the Channel Islands, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Point Conception.
How to read today’s Southern California chart
Hunt the break, not the colour. A sharp line where warm and cool water collide in half a mile is worth far more than a gradient that fades over ten. The contour lines above trace each temperature exactly, so you can see where a given isotherm runs and where it bends.
Today's chart is scaled 66–74°F, fitted to the water in this box today, so the whole colour ramp covers the temperatures actually here and subtle breaks stay visible. The range changes day to day and box to box — compare colours within one chart, and use the contour lines for exact temperatures.
What usually sets up in Southern California
All of these sit inside this chart: the 9 Mile Bank and the 43, 182 and 302 spots off San Diego; the Coronado Islands just south of the border; Catalina and San Clemente Island; and Tanner and Cortes Banks southwest of San Clemente Island. Find yours on the chart and you are reading today's satellite water temperature right over it, and how far it sits from the nearest break.
The Bight is a temperature-break factory. Cold water sweeps down the outside of the Channel Islands while warmer water pushes up the inside, so the seam between them often sets up somewhere between San Nicolas, Santa Barbara Island and Catalina — and it moves daily.
Watch where the break crosses structure. The offshore banks and the island ridges force water up, and a temperature line that bends around one of them concentrates bait far more reliably than the same line sitting over open water.
In late summer and fall the warm push comes up from the south, so the whole gradient tilts: the warm side stacks against the lower island chain while the water west of the islands stays cold and blue.
Pair it with chlorophyll
Temperature shows you the seam. Chlorophyll shows you whether there is anything to eat on it. See today’s Southern California chlorophyll chart →
Frequently asked
How often does the Southern California SST chart update?
The image is regenerated twice a day from the latest MUR 1km satellite analysis in the Catalysst app. The analysis itself is daily, so the date moves forward about once a day — and the date shown is the date of the satellite data, not the date the page was built.
What area does the Southern California SST chart cover?
From 32.0°N to 34.6°N and 121.0°W to 117.0°W. Ports and landmarks on it include San Diego, Catalina, San Clemente Island, the Coronado Islands, Tanner Bank, Cortes Bank, the 9 Mile Bank, the Channel Islands, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Point Conception.
What are the lines drawn over the colours?
Isotherms — contour lines that trace one exact temperature each. Colour alone makes a break hard to pinpoint; the lines show you precisely where a given temperature runs and how it bends around structure.
Why do some areas of the chart look soft?
Cloud. Infrared satellites cannot see through it, so under cloud the daily analysis leans on coarser microwave data and fine breaks blur. In the app, use the 1-day window to find a live break and the 3- and 7-day windows to confirm it is holding.
This chart, live and zoomable
1-, 3- and 7-day windows, contour lines, and the working fleet on the same map. 7-day free trial.
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