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RockfishRetention openCape · California
Spud Point
38.33°N · 123.06°W · Cape · Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 PM · Rockfish
- Now
- 301 AM PDT
- Best window
- 6-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Spud 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 · 1 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
86Wind: 2 kt SEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
17Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 59°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 7.9 ftSeason & habitat · Rockfish
Species seasonality
83Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
Rockfish
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. Within the 10-fish RCG limit: no more than 1 copper rockfish, 2 canary rockfish, and 2 vermilion/sunset rockfish. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. Yelloweye, cowcod, bronzespotted and quillback rockfish may not be kept.
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))
- 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)
- 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 Rockfish is best here
Peak season for Rockfish · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Spud Point
- Depth
- 5-7 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Protected
- Season
- Peak seasonRockfish
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 Spud Point
Spud Point is a cape in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth in the nearest water is 5-7 ft. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are albacore tuna, cabezon and California halibut. It is peak season now for albacore tuna, cabezon, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for California halibut, kelp greenling, leopard shark and lingcod. Albacore tuna peak from September through October. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May through August.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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
- Gull Rocks62
Bar · 2.9 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 62
- Lingcod 55
- Surfperch 46
2 kt SEL 3:38 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:11 AM · 4.7 ft
- Bodega Harbor59
Bay · 0.5 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 59
- Lingcod 52
- Surfperch 46
2 kt SEL 3:38 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:11 AM · 4.7 ft
- Horseshoe Cove31
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 31
- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
2 kt SEL 3:38 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:11 AM · 4.7 ft
- Gaffney Point30
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: Albacore tunaPeak season- Albacore tuna 30
- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
2 kt SEL 3:38 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:11 AM · 4.7 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.