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Pacific halibutRetention openBay · California
Stump Beach Cove
38.58°N · 123.34°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 · Pacific halibut
- Now
- 469 AM PDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding4.5 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Stump Beach 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 · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
87Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
90Wind: 2 kt WPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
45Water temp: 58°F, hotLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 5.7 ftSeason & habitat · Pacific halibut
Species seasonality
37Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
Pacific halibut
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- 1 in possession
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Closes early if the quota for south of Point Arena is reached. Check the CDFW Pacific halibut page before fishing. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks. The 2026 booklet (Section 28.20) still says the season ends November 15 statewide. CDFW web pages and the 2026 federal rule (91 FR 23369) keep south of Point Arena open through December 31.
From CDFW Current Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations, San Francisco Region (updated September 1, 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)
- 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 Pacific halibut is best here
Shoulder season for Pacific halibut · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Stump Beach Cove
- Depth
- About 3 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Protected
- Season
- Shoulder seasonPacific 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 Stump Beach Cove
Stump Beach Cove is a bay in Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm. Depth in the nearest water is about 3 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are surfperch, cabezon and striped bass. It is peak season now for surfperch, cabezon, striped bass and rockfish, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, white seabass, lingcod and Pacific halibut. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Cabezon peak from May through September. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Pacific halibut
- Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.
- 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.
- 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
- Fort Ross Reef70
Bar · 7.9 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 70
- Surfperch 69
- Rockfish 67
2 kt WH 9:58 AM · 4.7 ftL 3:36 PM · 2.1 ft
- Rocky Point69
Cape · 4.4 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 69
- Rockfish 66
- Kelp greenling 65
3 kt NNWH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft
- Horseshoe Cove68
Bay · 2.7 mi
Top: SurfperchPeak season- Surfperch 68
- Rockfish 65
- Striped bass 63
2 kt WH 10:06 AM · 4.1 ftL 3:35 PM · 1.8 ft
- Fisk Mill Cove62
Bay · 1.3 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 62
- Striped bass 61
- Surfperch 61
2 kt WH 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.