UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CabezonRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 9 PM · Lingcod
- Now
- 304 AM PST
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.0 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
Wednesday, Nov 11 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.2 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 8 kt SSWPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
86Water temp: 59°F, primeLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Striped bass
Species seasonality
66Season: ShoulderHabitat: 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cabezon is best here
Shoulder season for Cabezon · 3 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Arcata Channel
- Depth
- 8-20 ft
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · Protected
- 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 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 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
- Arcata Bay30
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
10 kt SEH 8:11 AM · 6.2 ftL 2:03 PM · 2.6 ft
- Inner Reach30
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
10 kt SEH 7:49 AM · 6.5 ftL 1:22 PM · 2.6 ft
- Eureka Channel30
Channel · 1.8 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
10 kt SEH 7:49 AM · 6.5 ftL 1:22 PM · 2.6 ft
- Samoa Channel30
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
10 kt SEH 7:49 AM · 6.5 ftL 1:22 PM · 2.6 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.