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California halibutRetention openCape · California
Gualala Point
38.75°N · 123.53°W · Cape · Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 PM · California halibut
- Now
- 304 PM PDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.9 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Gualala Point 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 · 4 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
62Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 9 kt NWPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
23Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 55°F, coolLight: Bright sunSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.0 ftSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
California halibut
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- 2 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 22 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
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))
- 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)
- 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California halibut is best here
Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Gualala Point
- Depth
- 20-35 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCalifornia 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 Gualala Point
Gualala Point is a cape in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth in the nearest water is 20-35 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are cabezon, rockfish and surfperch. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, surfperch and striped bass, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, lingcod, Pacific halibut and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Rockfish peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- California halibut
- California halibut are ambush feeders that lie on sand or mud bottom, mostly in water shallower than 100 feet and often inside bays, harbors and estuaries. Drift or slow-troll a live anchovy or sardine on a sliding sinker rig, or bounce a swimbait along the bottom over flats, channel edges and sandy areas near structure. Keep the bait within a foot or two of the bottom and give a fish time to turn the bait before setting the hook.
- 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.
- 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
- Robinson Reef62
Bar · 1.3 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 62
- Cabezon 60
- Lingcod 57
9 kt NWH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.2 ft
- Black Point60
Cape · 7.2 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 60
- Cabezon 58
- Pacific halibut 58
9 kt NWH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.2 ft
- Robinson Point58
Cape · 1.6 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 58
- Rockfish 58
- Surfperch 57
9 kt NWH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.2 ft
- Havens Anchorage57
Bay · 4.6 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 57
- Surfperch 55
- Lingcod 52
9 kt NWH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ftL 4:08 AM · 0.2 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.