Waterlands

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Pacific halibutRetention open

Bay · California

Greenwood Cove

39.13°N · 123.72°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena CA out 10 nm

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Best score today · 7 AM · Pacific halibut

66/100Great
Now
425 AM PDT
Best window
6 AM-12 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding0.8 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 5 AM · now

Time5ANOW
Score42Fair
Tide0.8 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward W
Wind4 kn NNEgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateVery rough7.9 ft · 9 s
Air temp53°Cool
WeatherOvercast91% cloud
Water54°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Mendocino Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Pacific halibut

Retention open
Daily limit
1 per day
Possession
1 in possession
Size
Not published
Season
Apr 1 to Nov 15, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Nov 16
Other
Closes early if the California quota is reached. Check the CDFW Pacific halibut page before fishing. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks.

From CDFW Current Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations, Northern Region (updated August 31, 2026), read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Albacore tuna Retention open (25 per day)
  • Barred sand bass Retention open (4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined))
  • Cabezon Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • California halibut Retention open (2 per day)
  • Chinook salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Coho salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Kelp bass Retention open (5 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined))
  • Kelp greenling Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • Leopard shark Retention open (3 per day)
  • Lingcod Retention open (2 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
  • Pacific bluefin tuna Retention open (2 per day)
  • Rockfish Retention open (10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined))
  • Sablefish Retention open (10 per day)
  • Striped bass Retention open (2 per day)
  • Surfperch Retention open (20 per day)
  • White seabass Retention open (3 per day)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Source: CDFW · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Pacific halibut is best here

Shoulder season for Pacific halibut · 1 more week at shoulder

Pacific halibut season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Pacific halibut · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Pacific halibut in California

Spot profile

Greenwood Cove

Depth
25-40 ftNearest water
Structure
Bay · Outer · Semi-exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonPacific halibut

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 464 m grid. Depths are feet below mean sea level, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Greenwood Cove

Greenwood Cove is a bay in Coastal waters from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena CA out 10 nm, California. Depth in the nearest water is 25-40 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are Pacific halibut, albacore tuna and cabezon. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, cabezon, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, California halibut, kelp greenling and leopard shark. Pacific halibut peak from May through July. Albacore tuna peak from September through October. Cabezon peak from May through September.

Tackle & technique

Pacific halibut
Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.
Albacore tuna
Albacore hold 30 to 100 miles off Oregon and Washington in clear blue water around 60 to 65 degrees, usually along a temperature break. Troll clones, cedar plugs and diving plugs at 6 to 8 knots until a fish hits, then stop and work the school near the surface with live anchovies, swimbaits or iron. Bar conditions and the long run decide most trips before the fish do.
Cabezon
Cabezon sit in rock crevices, kelp beds and jetty boulders from the intertidal zone to about 100 feet and feed mostly on crabs and small fish. Fish a fish-finder rig with sand shrimp, squid or crab right on the bottom in the rocks, or drag a lead-head grub slowly through the kelp. Expect snags, and do not eat the roe, which is toxic.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Biggar Rock

    Cape · 5.7 mi

    63
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 63
    • Lingcod 58
    • Surfperch 58

    4 kt NNEH 10:19 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:40 PM · 2.2 ft

  • Whitesboro Cove

    Bay · 6.5 mi

    58
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 58
    • Rockfish 54
    • Lingcod 49

    4 kt NNEH 10:19 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:40 PM · 2.2 ft

  • Saint Anthonys Point

    Cape · 0.2 mi

    42
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 42
    • Albacore tuna 30
    • Cabezon 30

    4 kt NNEH 10:19 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:40 PM · 2.2 ft

  • Cuffeys Cove

    Bay · 0.8 mi

    41
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 41
    • Albacore tuna 30
    • Cabezon 30

    4 kt NNEH 10:19 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:40 PM · 2.2 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with CDFW before you keep a fish.