Waterlands

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LingcodRetention open

Cape · California

Buhne Point

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

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Best score today · 12 AM · Lingcod

79/100Great
Now
537 PM PDT
Best window
7 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
High5.7 ft

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

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24-hour conditions

Monday, Sep 28 · 6 PM

Time6P
Score64Good
Tide1.0 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.3 kn · toward N
Wind8 kn Ngusts 19 · easing
Sea stateRough4.6 ft · 9 s
Air temp56°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy54% cloud
Water58°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Lingcod is best here

Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder

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

Lingcod in California

Spot profile

Buhne Point

Depth
1-8 ft
Structure
Point · Inner · Protected
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 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 cabezon, kelp greenling and surfperch. 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. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. 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.
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.
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

  • Humboldt Bay

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    70
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 70
    • Surfperch 68
    • Striped bass 66

    6 kt NH 7:48 PM · 4.1 ftL 4:23 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Buhne Spit Shoal

    Bar · 0.2 mi

    66
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 66
    • Rockfish 64
    • Surfperch 62

    6 kt NH 7:48 PM · 4.1 ftL 4:23 AM · 0.3 ft

  • Southport Channel

    Channel · 1.9 mi

    66
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 66
    • Surfperch 62
    • Kelp greenling 59

    6 kt NH 7:23 PM · 5.7 ftL 2:51 AM · 0.9 ft

  • Hookton Channel

    Channel · 0.7 mi

    65
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 65
    • Surfperch 62
    • Pacific halibut 60

    6 kt NH 7:29 PM · 5.8 ftL 2:51 AM · 0.8 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.