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Pacific halibutRetention openBay · California
Whitesboro Cove
39.22°N · 123.77°W · Bay · Coastal waters from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena CA out 10 nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 9 AM · Surfperch
- Now
- 375 PM PDT
- Best window
- 7-11 PMHigh slack
- Tide now
- Flooding3.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Whitesboro Cove scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
70Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
79Wind: 12 kt NNWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
24Water temp: 56°F, hotLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 8.3 ftSeason & habitat · Pacific halibut
Species seasonality
38Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Mendocino Groundfish Management Area
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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Pacific halibut is best here
Shoulder season for Pacific halibut · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Whitesboro Cove
- Depth
- About 1 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Protected
- 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 Whitesboro Cove
Whitesboro Cove is a bay in Coastal waters from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena CA out 10 nm, California. Depth in the nearest water is about 1 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
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
- Bull Rock46
Bar · 0.7 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 46
- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
12 kt NNWH 8:53 PM · 5.3 ftL 3:40 AM · 0.4 ft
- Biggar Rock46
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 46
- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
12 kt NNWH 8:53 PM · 5.3 ftL 3:40 AM · 0.4 ft
- Colby Reef46
Bar · 2.5 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 46
- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
12 kt NNWH 8:53 PM · 5.3 ftL 3:40 AM · 0.4 ft
- Albion Cove37
Bay · 0.7 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 37
- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
12 kt NNWH 8:53 PM · 5.3 ftL 3:40 AM · 0.4 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.