East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island Fishing Forecast & Spots | California

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; California halibut, Leopard shark and California yellowtail are at peak season now.

At 3:00 PM it scores 67 (great), led by California halibut. The best window for the rest of today is 6-9 PM (ebb tide), peaking at 76 for California yellowtail. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Tue, Sep 22 at 7 AM, scoring 78.

Best times to fish

Waterlands engine forecast computed 2:27 PM PDT.

Best window today

6-9 PM · Ebb tide

Top species: California yellowtail

76Great

Best hour of each day, next 14 days

Fri, Sep 18
76
7 PM
California yellowtail
Sat, Sep 19
77
7 AM
California halibut
Sun, Sep 20
77
8 AM
California halibut
Mon, Sep 21
75
6 AM
California yellowtail
Tue, Sep 22
78
7 AM
California yellowtail
Best day
Wed, Sep 23
78
7 AM
California yellowtail
Thu, Sep 24
78
7 AM
California yellowtail
Fri, Sep 25
76
7 AM
California yellowtail
Sat, Sep 26
75
8 AM
California yellowtail
Sun, Sep 27
73
7 AM
California yellowtail
Mon, Sep 28
69
8 AM
California yellowtail
Tue, Sep 29
69
8 AM
Leopard shark
Wed, Sep 30
71
5 PM
California yellowtail
Thu, Oct 1
70
5 PM
California yellowtail

Species · 9

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

67Great

California halibutParalichthys californicus · bottom

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (77)

peak

63Good

Leopard sharkTriakis semifasciata · inshore

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (73)

peak

58Good

California yellowtailSeriola dorsalis · pelagic

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 7 AM (78)

peak

58Good

SurfperchEmbiotocidae (mainly Amphistichus spp.) · surf

Shoulder season, about 10 more weeks · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (66)

shoulder

50Good

LingcodOphiodon elongatus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 7 AM (67)

shoulder

50Good

RockfishSebastes spp. · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 10 more weeks · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 7 AM (67)

shoulder

48Good

Kelp bassParalabrax clathratus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 7 AM (72)

shoulder

47Good

Barred sand bassParalabrax nebulifer · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 7 AM (68)

shoulder

37Fair

White seabassAtractoscion nobilis · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 7 AM (68)

shoulder

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 Sep 18, 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: Jul 1 to Sep 30, 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 shoreward 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(nearshore)Retention open

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

Season: Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026

Changes to closed on Oct 1, 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 shoreward 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

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

Overview

Best times to fish

Species · 9

Named spots · 17

Nearest tide stations

Regulations

Other California bay systems