Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

SurfperchRetention open

Cape · California

Buhne Point

40.74°N · 124.21°W · Cape · Humboldt Bay

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 1 AM · Surfperch

70/100Great
Now
5612 PM PDT
Best window
5-9 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing4.9 ft ▼

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

Notify me when Buhne Point scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions

Sunday, Sep 27 · 6 PM

Time6P
Score52Good
Tide0.5 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb0.8 kn · toward N
Wind10 kn NNWgusts 16 · easing
Sea stateRough4.9 ft · 8 s
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water57°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Surfperch

Retention open
Daily limit
20 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

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))
  • 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)
  • White seabass Retention open (3 per day)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Surfperch is best here

Peak season for Surfperch · 1 more week at peak

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

Surfperch in California

Spot profile

Buhne Point

Depth
1-8 ft
Structure
Point · Inner · Protected
Season
Peak seasonSurfperch

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 Buhne Point

Buhne Point is a cape in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth is 1-8 ft. Its profile reads point, inner water and protected.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are rockfish, surfperch and lingcod. It is peak season now for rockfish, surfperch, cabezon and striped bass, and shoulder season for lingcod, Pacific halibut, California halibut and kelp greenling. Rockfish peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Humboldt Bay

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    64
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 64
    • Rockfish 54
    • Pacific halibut 50

    9 kt NL 5:14 PM · 0.9 ftH 9:49 PM · 4.3 ft

  • Buhne Spit Shoal

    Bar · 0.2 mi

    59
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 59
    • Rockfish 54
    • Pacific halibut 52

    9 kt NL 5:14 PM · 0.9 ftH 9:49 PM · 4.3 ft

  • Southport Channel

    Channel · 1.9 mi

    56
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 56
    • Lingcod 55
    • Rockfish 55

    9 kt NL 3:38 PM · 3.1 ftH 9:33 PM · 6.0 ft

  • Hookton Channel

    Channel · 0.7 mi

    55
    Top: LingcodShoulder season
    • Lingcod 55
    • Rockfish 55
    • Surfperch 55

    9 kt NL 3:42 PM · 3.0 ftH 9:30 PM · 6.1 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.