Waterlands

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Leopard sharkRetention open

Bay · California

Fisk Mill Cove

38.60°N · 123.35°W · Bay · Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm

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Best score today · 11 PM · Leopard shark

76/100Great
Now
303 AM PDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing0.3 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 AM · now

Time3ANOW
Score30Fair
Tide0.3 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind5 kn Ngusts 9 · steady
Sea stateVery rough7.2 ft · 9 s
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherClear4% cloud
Water59°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Leopard shark

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 36 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 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))
  • Lingcod Retention open (2 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
  • Pacific bluefin tuna Retention open (2 per day)
  • Pacific halibut Retention open (1 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 Leopard shark is best here

Shoulder season for Leopard shark · 5 more weeks at shoulder

Leopard shark season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Leopard shark · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Leopard shark in California

Spot profile

Fisk Mill Cove

Depth
60-90 ftNearest water
Structure
Bay · Outer · Semi-exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonLeopard shark

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 Fisk Mill Cove

Fisk Mill Cove is a bay in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth in the nearest water is 60-90 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Leopard shark
Leopard sharks cruise shallow mudflats, sloughs and channel edges in bays, most often in less than 15 feet of water, and follow the flooding tide onto the flats to feed on crabs, worms, clams and small fish. Anchor or fish from shore or a pier with a sliding sinker rig and a chunk of squid, mackerel or ghost shrimp on the bottom. The bite is often better into the evening and at night.
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.
Rockfish
Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Black Point

    Cape · 7.1 mi

    60
    Top: Striped bassPeak season
    • Striped bass 60
    • Rockfish 54
    • Pacific halibut 52

    6 kt NH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Rocky Point

    Cape · 3.0 mi

    54
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 54
    • Lingcod 50
    • Pacific halibut 50

    6 kt NH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Horseshoe Cove

    Bay · 1.3 mi

    53
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 53
    • Pacific halibut 50
    • Surfperch 49

    5 kt NH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Stump Beach Cove

    Bay · 1.3 mi

    49
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 49
    • Albacore tuna 46
    • Rockfish 44

    5 kt NH 9:58 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:36 PM · 2.1 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.