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California yellowtailRetention openBay · California
Prisoners Harbor
34.02°N · 119.68°W · Bay · East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 5 PM · California yellowtail
- Now
- 625 AM PDT
- Best window
- 4-10 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Prisoners Harbor 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
90Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
85Wind: 1 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 71°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.8 ftSeason & habitat · California yellowtail
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
Yellowtail
Retention open- Daily limit
- 10 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 24 in, fork length. Five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.
- 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 (10 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 (5 per day)
- Chinook salmon Retention open (2 per day (2 salmon combined))
- 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)
Source: CDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California yellowtail is best here
Peak season for California yellowtail · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Prisoners Harbor
- Depth
- 70-100 ft
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Peak seasonCalifornia yellowtail
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 Prisoners Harbor
Prisoners Harbor is a bay in East Santa Barbara Channel from Pt. Conception to Pt. Mugu CA including Santa Cruz Island, California. Depth is 70-100 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California halibut, California yellowtail and barred sand bass. It is peak season now for California halibut, California yellowtail and leopard shark, and shoulder season for barred sand bass, kelp bass, rockfish and lingcod. California halibut peak from May through September. California yellowtail peak from July through September. Barred sand bass peak from June through August.
Tackle & technique
- California yellowtail
- Yellowtail school around the offshore islands, banks, high spots and kelp paddies from spring into fall, moving north from Baja as the water warms past about 64 degrees. Fly-line a sardine or mackerel, cast a surface iron to breaking fish, or drop a heavy iron and wind it fast when they hold deep. Heavy line matters because they run straight for kelp and rock.
- 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.
- Barred sand bass
- Barred sand bass hold on the sand and rock edge of reefs, artificial reefs, breakwaters and bays, mostly in less than 90 feet of water. In summer they stack up over sand flats in 60 to 120 feet to spawn, and a plastic or live anchovy bounced on the bottom under the boat will catch them. A sudden drop in water temperature from upwelling can shut the bite off for a day or two.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Valley Anchorage68
Bay · 2.8 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 68
- California halibut 62
- Barred sand bass 61
1 kt NWH 8:54 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ft
- Blue Banks Anchorage68
Bay · 3.0 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 68
- California halibut 62
- Barred sand bass 61
1 kt NWH 8:54 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ft
- Tinkers Harbor62
Bay · 1.2 mi
Top: California halibutPeak season- California halibut 62
- California yellowtail 62
- Barred sand bass 61
1 kt NWH 8:54 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ft
- Twin Harbors62
Bay · 2.4 mi
Top: California halibutPeak season- California halibut 62
- California yellowtail 62
- Barred sand bass 60
1 kt NWH 8:54 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:18 PM · 1.9 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.