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CabezonRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Striped bass
- Now
- 6610 AM PDT
- Best window
- 5-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding5.3 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Arcata Channel 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
Tuesday, Sep 22 · 9 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
96Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.9 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
64Wind: 7 kt NPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
64Water temp: 55°F, coolLight: DawnSolunar: Near a majorSeas: 6.4 ftSeason & habitat · Striped bass
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Northern Groundfish Management Area
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)
Source: CDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cabezon is best here
Peak season for Cabezon · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Arcata Channel
- Depth
- 8-20 ft
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Protected
- Season
- Peak 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 Arcata Channel
Arcata Channel is a channel in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth is 8-20 ft. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, surfperch and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for cabezon, surfperch, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, Pacific halibut, lingcod and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. 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.
- Surfperch
- Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.
- 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
- Arcata Bay70
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 70
- Surfperch 68
- Kelp greenling 65
4 kt NL 3:44 PM · 3.6 ftH 9:22 PM · 6.0 ft
- Inner Reach66
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 66
- Surfperch 62
- Kelp greenling 60
4 kt NL 3:03 PM · 3.6 ftH 9:00 PM · 6.3 ft
- Eureka Channel66
Channel · 1.8 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 66
- Surfperch 62
- Kelp greenling 60
4 kt NL 3:03 PM · 3.6 ftH 9:00 PM · 6.3 ft
- Samoa Channel66
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 66
- Surfperch 62
- Kelp greenling 60
4 kt NL 3:03 PM · 3.6 ftH 9:00 PM · 6.3 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.