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LingcodRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Lingcod
- Now
- 454 PM PDT
- Best window
- 5-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Low3.6 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Arcata Bay 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
Sunday, Sep 27 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
77Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.6 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
98Wind: 8 kt NNWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
70Water temp: 58°F, warmLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.5 ftSeason & habitat · Lingcod
Species seasonality
59Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Northern Groundfish Management Area
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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Lingcod is best here
Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Arcata Bay
- Depth
- 7-15 ft
- Structure
- Bay · 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 Arcata Bay
Arcata Bay is a bay in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth is 7-15 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are Pacific halibut, cabezon and surfperch. It is peak season now for cabezon, surfperch, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, kelp greenling, lingcod and white seabass. Pacific halibut peak from May through July. Cabezon peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September.
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.
- Pacific halibut
- Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Arcata Channel57
Channel · 1.1 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 57
- Pacific halibut 56
- Lingcod 55
10 kt NH 9:07 PM · 6.4 ftL 3:57 AM · 0.6 ft
- Inner Reach57
Channel · 2.3 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 57
- Pacific halibut 56
- Cabezon 55
10 kt NH 9:00 PM · 6.3 ftL 3:51 AM · 0.6 ft
- Eureka Channel57
Channel · 2.9 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 57
- Pacific halibut 56
- Cabezon 55
10 kt NH 9:00 PM · 6.3 ftL 3:51 AM · 0.6 ft
- Samoa Channel57
Channel · 3.2 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 57
- Pacific halibut 56
- Cabezon 55
10 kt NH 9:00 PM · 6.3 ftL 3:51 AM · 0.6 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.