Waterlands

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Leopard sharkRetention open

Bar · California

Blunts Reef

40.45°N · 124.47°W · Bar · Humboldt Bay

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Best score today · 6 PM · Leopard shark

70/100Great
Now
305 AM PST
Best window
6-8 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding4.5 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions

Thursday, Nov 5 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score30Fair
Tide5.4 ft ▲Flooding
Current1.1 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind9 kn NEgusts 23 · steady
Sea stateRough6.4 ft · 12 s
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy36% cloud
Water60°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Leopard shark

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 36 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 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))
  • 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 Leopard shark is best here

Out of season for Leopard shark · shoulder season starts in 18 weeks

Leopard shark season by week of the year. Out of season for Leopard shark · shoulder season starts in 18 weeks.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Leopard shark in California →

Spot profile

Blunts Reef

Depth
100-120 ft
Structure
Reef · Outer · Exposed
Season
Off seasonLeopard shark

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 Blunts Reef

Blunts Reef is a bar in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth is 100-120 ft. Its profile reads reef, outer water and exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Leopard shark
Leopard sharks cruise shallow mudflats, sloughs and channel edges in bays, most often in less than 15 feet of water, and follow the flooding tide onto the flats to feed on crabs, worms, clams and small fish. Anchor or fish from shore or a pier with a sliding sinker rig and a chunk of squid, mackerel or ghost shrimp on the bottom. The bite is often better into the evening and at night.
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.
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

  • Punta Gorda

    Cape · 14 mi

    63
    Top: Kelp greenlingPeak season
    • Kelp greenling 63
    • Surfperch 62
    • Cabezon 56

    6 kt NNEH 5:11 AM · 4.7 ftL 9:48 AM · 3.5 ft

  • Cape Mendocino

    Cape · 3.2 mi

    60
    Top: LingcodPeak season
    • Lingcod 60
    • Kelp greenling 59
    • Striped bass 59

    14 kt NH 5:57 AM · 4.7 ftL 10:25 AM · 3.6 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.