Delta Boating and Fishing Near Antioch

What the Delta offers a group

The Delta gives a group a slow, open day on the water without a long drive. It is a network of rivers, sloughs and channels that join where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet, with levees, tule marshes and small marina towns along the way. From an Antioch base, the water starts at the end of town.

There are three ways to spend a day here, and most groups mix them:

• Fish from shore or a pier. Free, no boat needed, good for kids and grandparents.
• Paddle. Kayaks and paddleboards on quieter water near Antioch and Oakley.
• Rent a boat. A patio boat or fishing boat from a Delta marina, for cruising, swimming stops and fishing from the water.

Fishing from shore: the Antioch pier and Big Break

The simplest Delta day costs nothing but a license. Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline, run by East Bay Regional Park District, has a 550-foot pier on the San Joaquin River just upstream from the Highway 160 Nejedly Bridge. The park is open from 5am to 10pm, and the pier stays open for fishing 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Parking and entry are free.

The park district lists striped bass, channel catfish, Sacramento pike, sturgeon, steelhead and salmon, depending on the season. There is a fish cleaning station near the restrooms, and the restroom is wheelchair friendly, which helps with older relatives.

Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley is the second stop. It has a 100-foot fishing pier, a beach kayak launch a quarter mile from the parking lot, and the Delta Discovery Experience, a 1,200-square-foot interactive map of the Delta that shows how the water moves. The visitor center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Gate hours change by season: 8am to 5pm from November to February, 8am to 6pm in March to May and October, and 8am to 7pm from June to September.

Our guide to outdoor day trips from Antioch covers Big Break and the other nearby parks in more detail.

Fishing licenses and the rules that catch people out

Everyone 16 or older needs a California sport fishing license, even on a pier. California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists these prices for 2026:

For a weekend trip, the one-day or two-day license is usually the right buy for visitors who fish once or twice a year. Buy licenses online before you leave the house, and have everyone keep theirs on their phone or in a pocket.

Three rules that matter on the Delta:

1. Sturgeon. CDFW says white sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release only, and anyone fishing for sturgeon needs a Sturgeon Fishing Report Card, even if every fish goes back.
2. Children. Kids under 16 do not need a license, so they can fish alongside a licensed adult at no cost.
3. Limits and seasons. Bag limits, size limits and seasons differ by species and change from year to year. Read the current CDFW sport fishing regulations for the Delta before you keep anything.

CDFW also holds free fishing days each year, when no license is needed. Check the official site for this year's dates.

Is the fish safe to eat?

Some Delta fish are fine to eat in limits, and some are not, especially for younger women and children. California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment publishes an advisory for the Central and South Delta, which covers Delta waters south of Highway 12 in Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties. The concern is mercury.

For many groups the simplest answer is catch-and-release for the day and a fish dinner from a restaurant. If you do keep fish, read the full advisory, which covers more species and areas.

Renting a boat on the Delta

Most boat rentals are a short drive east or north of Antioch, in the marina towns of the central Delta. The Visit the California Delta directory lists rental businesses including 1Delta Kayak Adventures in Antioch; Piper Point Marina, Sugar Barge Resort & Marina and Pacific Boat Center on Bethel Island; Willow Berm Marina, Park Delta Bay and Kokopelli Kayaks in Isleton; and several marinas around Stockton and Lodi. The directory notes that it does not run these businesses, so book and ask questions directly.

What to ask when you book for a group:

• How many people the boat is rated for, and whether that includes children.
• What the price covers: fuel, life jackets in every size, a cooler, a sunshade.
• Where you may go, and any channels or areas they ask renters to avoid.
• The deposit, the cancellation terms and what happens if wind cancels the day.
• Whether you can bring your own fishing gear, or whether they rent rods.

Boater Card. Since January 1, 2025, anyone of any age who operates a motorized boat in California needs a California Boater Card. People who rent a boat are not required to have one, though the state encourages renters to get it anyway. The card is a one-time $10 fee after an approved course, and it is good for life. If someone in your group boats often, it is worth doing before the trip.

Your own boat. The city-run Antioch Marina downtown has a public launch ramp. Call the marina office before you go for the current launch fee and hours, since the city posts temporary changes on its marina page. Your boat needs current registration and the required safety gear, and the operator needs a Boater Card.

Safety on the water

The Delta looks calm, but the water moves with tides and river flows, and the wind picks up most afternoons. A few rules keep a group day uneventful:

• Life jackets for kids are the law. California State Parks says children under 13 on a moving boat must wear a life jacket, with narrow exceptions such as being inside an enclosed cabin. Have every adult wear one too on a small boat or kayak.
• Go early. Mornings are usually the calmest time for paddling and small boats. Plan to be back at the dock before the afternoon wind builds.
• Check the forecast and the tide. Shallow sloughs can drain at low tide, and strong wind makes open water rough for small boats.
• Carry water, sunscreen and a charged phone in a dry bag. Shade is rare on the open water, and summer days get hot.
• Count heads. On a group day with several boats or kayaks, name a meeting point and a time, and a person who counts everyone back in.

A sample Delta day for a group of twelve

Example: a Saturday for eight adults and four kids staying in Antioch.

The only paid parts of that day are licenses, the boat and the kayaks. The parks are free.

Where to stay

A large house in Antioch puts the group a few minutes from the pier and within a short drive of the Delta marinas, with a kitchen for the catch you keep and a yard to rinse gear. Our Antioch 6-bedroom group home sleeps a big group, and you can see every home on our East Bay destination page. We welcome up to 3 pets with a $100 pet fee per stay, and service animals are free, so the family dog can come along.

For the rest of the trip, see things to do in Antioch, what's on in the East Bay and our group getaways page.

The bottom line

The Delta starts at Antioch's edge. Fish free from the 550-foot pier at Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline, add Big Break for kids and kayaks, and rent a boat from a central Delta marina for a full day on the water. Buy a license for everyone 16 and over, put life jackets on every child under 13, release the white sturgeon, check the fish advisory before you eat your catch, and come back to one house for dinner.