Waterlands

NWS zone PZZ650 · Southern California

East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island fishing forecast

California · Pacific coast

Score now

62Good
Lingcod · 4:00 PM PST
Named spots
17
Species scored
9
Tide stations
1
Open in the tide mapAll California bay systems

Overview

East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island is NWS marine zone PZZ650 on the California Pacific coast, in the Southern California species region. The Waterlands engine treats it as inland water (bays, sounds, straits). It holds 17 named features from the USGS Geographic Names Information System and has 1 NOAA tide station nearby.

9 species are scored here in this forecast; Lingcod is at peak season now.

At 4:00 PM it scores 62 (good), led by Lingcod. The best window for the rest of today is 6-11 PM (ebb tide), peaking at 64 for Lingcod. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Thu, Nov 12 at 3 PM, scoring 77.

Best times to fish

Waterlands engine forecast computed 4:06 PM PST.

Best window today

6-11 PM · Ebb tide

Top species: Lingcod

64Good

Best hour of each day, next 14 days

  1. Tue, Nov 3

    72

    8 AM

    Lingcod

  2. Wed, Nov 4

    71

    8 AM

    Lingcod

  3. Thu, Nov 5

    73

    8 AM

    Lingcod

  4. Fri, Nov 6

    73

    3 PM

    Lingcod

  5. Sat, Nov 7

    74

    4 PM

    Lingcod

  6. Sun, Nov 8

    75

    5 PM

    Lingcod

  7. Mon, Nov 9

    74

    6 AM

    Lingcod

  8. Tue, Nov 10

    75

    6 AM

    Lingcod

  9. Wed, Nov 11

    74

    6 AM

    Lingcod

  10. Thu, Nov 12

    77

    3 PM

    Lingcod

    Best day

  11. Fri, Nov 13

    57

    12 AM

    Leopard shark

  12. Sat, Nov 14

    69

    4 PM

    Lingcod

  13. Sun, Nov 15

    63

    6 AM

    Lingcod

  14. Mon, Nov 16

    66

    5 PM

    Lingcod

Species · 9

Listed for the Southern California region. Scores are this hour; season is where the species is in its year.

62Good
LingcodOphiodon elongatus · nearshore

Peak season, about 8 more weeks · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 3 PM (77)

55Good
RockfishSebastes spp. · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 3 PM (67)

52Good
SurfperchEmbiotocidae (mainly Amphistichus spp.) · surf

Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks · Best day Sun, Nov 8 at 5 PM (62)

35Fair
Barred sand bassParalabrax nebulifer · nearshore

Off season, about 8 more weeks · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 12 AM (35)

35Fair
California yellowtailSeriola dorsalis · pelagic

Off season, about 25 more weeks · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 12 AM (35)

35Fair
Kelp bassParalabrax clathratus · nearshore

Off season, about 25 more weeks · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 12 AM (35)

35Fair
White seabassAtractoscion nobilis · nearshore

Off season, about 16 more weeks · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 12 AM (35)

30Fair
California halibutParalichthys californicus · bottom

Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks · Best day Sun, Nov 8 at 5 PM (64)

30Fair
Leopard sharkTriakis semifasciata · inshore

Shoulder season, about 3 more weeks · Best day Thu, Nov 12 at 8 PM (60)

Named spots · 17

Ranked by score this hour. Each spot has its own hourly forecast, tide, current and regulations.

5 more spots, A to Z

Nearest tide stations

Santa BarbaraNOAA 941134016.6 mi

Regulations

CDFW saltwater regulations Buy a California fishing license License types

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with CDFW Nov 3, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.

This bay system’s spots fall in South of Point Conception (17 spots), Monterey and south salmon area (17 spots), South of Point Arena (17 spots) and Southern Management Area (17 spots).

Ocean waters south of Point Conception (34°27' N. lat.) · CDFW

White seabassRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Southern Groundfish Management Area · CDFW

California halibutRetention open

5 per day · 5 in possession · Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

LingcodRetention open

2 per day · Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas (Section 27.50). Boat-based take only seaward of the 50-fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area line. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Rockfish(shelf and slope)Retention open

10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined) · No minimum size limit.

Season: Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas (Section 27.50). 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. Boat-based take only seaward of the 50-fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area line. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. Yelloweye, cowcod, bronzespotted and quillback rockfish may not be kept.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Statewide

Barred sand bassRetention open

4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined) · Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.

Season: No closed season on file

Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin. No more than 4 of the 5 bass may be barred sand bass. This sub-limit is set to end June 1, 2028.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Kelp bassRetention open

5 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined) · Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.

Season: No closed season on file

Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Leopard sharkRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 36 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

SurfperchRetention open

20 per day · Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.

Season: No closed season on file

In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

YellowtailRetention open

10 per day · Minimum 24 in, fork length. Five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Other California bay systems