Waterlands

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CabezonRetention open

Cape · California

Abalone Point

41.13°N · 124.16°W · Cape · Humboldt Bay

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Best score today · 9 AM · Lingcod

69/100Great
Now
303 PM PST
Best window
3 PM-12 AMMoving water
Tide now
Flooding4.7 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Tuesday, Nov 10 · 12 AM

Time12A
Score30Fair
Tide5.6 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.4 knmodeled · toward NNE
Wind16 kn Sgusts 21 · building
Sea stateVery rough10.6 ft · 13 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherOvercast99% cloud
Water59°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Cabezon

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. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.

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))
  • 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)
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Cabezon is best here

Shoulder season for Cabezon · 4 more weeks at shoulder

Cabezon season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Cabezon · 4 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Cabezon in California →

Spot profile

Abalone Point

Depth
About 15 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonCabezon

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 Abalone Point

Abalone Point is a cape in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is about 15 ft. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are cabezon, California halibut and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for kelp greenling and lingcod, and shoulder season for cabezon, rockfish, striped bass and surfperch. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May through August. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Rocky Point

    Cape · 0.3 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    8 kt SSWH 5:19 PM · 5.7 ftL 12:14 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Palmers Point

    Cape · 0.3 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    8 kt SSWH 5:19 PM · 5.7 ftL 12:14 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Omenoku Point

    Cape · 4.7 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    7 kt SWH 5:19 PM · 5.7 ftL 12:14 AM · 0.3 ft

  • College Cove

    Bay · 4.8 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    7 kt SWH 5:19 PM · 5.7 ftL 12:14 AM · 0.3 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.