Waterlands

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LingcodRetention open

Cape · California

Abalone Point

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

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Best score today · 7 PM · Lingcod

78/100Great
Now
5210 AM PDT
Best window
5-11 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Low3.9 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 AM · now

Time10ANOW
Score52Good
Tide3.9 ftLow
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward W
Wind7 kn Ngusts 9 · steady
Sea stateModerate3.9 ft · 8 s
Air temp57°Mild
WeatherOvercast100% cloud
Water56°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Lingcod

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 22 in, total length
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. 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))
  • 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)
  • 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)

Source: CDFW · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Lingcod is best here

Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder

Lingcod season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Lingcod in California

Spot profile

Abalone Point

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

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 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, rockfish and striped bass. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, striped bass and surfperch, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, kelp greenling, lingcod and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Rockfish peak from May through September. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.

Tackle & technique

Lingcod
Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.
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.
Rockfish
Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Rocky Point

    Cape · 0.3 mi

    60
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 60
    • Rockfish 60
    • Striped bass 57

    7 kt NL 10:43 AM · 3.8 ftH 4:49 PM · 5.7 ft

  • Palmers Point

    Cape · 0.3 mi

    60
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 60
    • Rockfish 60
    • Striped bass 57

    7 kt NL 10:43 AM · 3.8 ftH 4:49 PM · 5.7 ft

  • Omenoku Point

    Cape · 4.7 mi

    59
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 59
    • Rockfish 59
    • Pacific halibut 54

    8 kt NNWL 10:43 AM · 3.8 ftH 4:49 PM · 5.7 ft

  • College Cove

    Bay · 4.8 mi

    58
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 58
    • Cabezon 57
    • Surfperch 55

    8 kt NNWL 10:43 AM · 3.8 ftH 4:49 PM · 5.7 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.