Waterlands

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Kelp greenlingRetention open

Bay · California

Havens Anchorage

38.80°N · 123.59°W · Bay · Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm

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Best score today · 7 AM · Kelp greenling

67/100Great
Now
3010 AM PDT
Best window
5-10 PMFlood tide
Tide now
High4.1 ft

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Fri · 78

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 AM · now

Time10ANOW
Score30Fair
Tide4.1 ftHigh
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind4 kn WNWgusts 11 · building
Sea stateVery rough7.0 ft · 9 s
Air temp65°Mild
WeatherClear4% cloud
Water54°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Kelp greenling

Retention open
Daily limit
10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
No minimum size limit.
Season
Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. All groundfish fishing is prohibited at Cordell Bank. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. CDFW limits and seasons cover kelp and rock greenlings together.

From CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 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))
  • 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)
Always check with CDFW ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: CDFW · synced today

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Kelp greenling is best here

Shoulder season for Kelp greenling · 1 more week at shoulder

Kelp greenling season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Kelp greenling · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Kelp greenling in California →

Spot profile

Havens Anchorage

Depth
35-45 ftNearest water
Structure
Bay · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonKelp greenling

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 Havens Anchorage

Havens Anchorage is a bay in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth in the nearest water is 35-45 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
Surfperch
Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.
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

View all on map →
  • Robinson Reef

    Bar · 3.4 mi

    70
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 70
    • Surfperch 67
    • Kelp greenling 65

    4 kt WNWL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Robinson Point

    Cape · 3.1 mi

    69
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 69
    • Surfperch 67
    • Kelp greenling 64

    4 kt WNWL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Gualala Point

    Cape · 4.6 mi

    69
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 69
    • Surfperch 67
    • Kelp greenling 64

    4 kt WNWL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ftH 9:31 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Saunders Reef

    Bar · 5.4 mi

    63
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 63
    • Rockfish 58
    • Pacific halibut 55

    4 kt WNWL 3:39 PM · 2.3 ftH 9:32 PM · 5.5 ft

Open in the tide map

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.