UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
California halibutRetention openBay · California
Horseshoe Cove
38.61°N · 123.37°W · Bay · 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
- 308 AM PDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.2 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Horseshoe 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 · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
85Wind: 1 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
47Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 58°F, coolLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.3 ftSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
70Season: 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 yesterday
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
Horseshoe Cove
- Depth
- 10-60 ftDrop-off
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · drop-off
- 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 Horseshoe Cove
Horseshoe Cove is a bay in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth is 10-60 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are rockfish, surfperch and striped bass. It is peak season now for rockfish, surfperch, striped bass and cabezon, and shoulder season for lingcod, kelp greenling, white seabass and Pacific halibut. Rockfish peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Black Point71
Cape · 5.7 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 71
- Surfperch 70
- Cabezon 69
4 kt NH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft
- Rocky Point69
Cape · 1.7 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 69
- Rockfish 69
- Striped bass 68
4 kt NH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft
- Stump Beach Cove68
Bay · 2.7 mi
Top: SurfperchPeak season- Surfperch 68
- Striped bass 66
- Cabezon 61
1 kt NWH 9:58 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:36 PM · 2.1 ft
- Fisk Mill Cove66
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 66
- Cabezon 61
- Kelp greenling 60
1 kt NWH 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.