Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

LingcodRetention open

Cape · California

Buhne Point

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

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 9 AM · Lingcod

67/100Great
Now
3011 PM PST
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb current
Tide now
Ebbing0.9 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

Thursday, Nov 12 · 3 PM

Time3P
Score73Great
Tide5.0 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentEbb1.2 kn · toward N
Wind9 kn SSWgusts 22 · steady
Air temp59°Mild
WeatherOvercast69% chance of rain
Water59°FPersisted

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

Peak season for Lingcod · 3 more weeks at peak

Lingcod season by week of the year. Peak season for Lingcod · 3 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Lingcod in California →

Spot profile

Buhne Point

Depth
1-8 ft
Structure
Point · Inner · Protected
Season
Peak 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 9 species here; the best right now are cabezon, kelp greenling and lingcod. 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. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November.

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

  • Buhne Spit Shoal

    Bar · 0.2 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    6 kt SSEL 1:52 AM · 0.1 ftH 7:42 AM · 4.3 ft

  • Humboldt Bay

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    6 kt SSEL 1:52 AM · 0.1 ftH 7:42 AM · 4.3 ft

  • Hookton Channel

    Channel · 0.7 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    6 kt SSEL 12:20 AM · 0.2 ftH 7:23 AM · 6.1 ft

  • Southport Channel

    Channel · 1.9 mi

    30
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp greenling 30

    6 kt SSEL 12:20 AM · 0.4 ftH 7:26 AM · 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.