UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
California halibutRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 11 AM · California halibut
- Now
- 303 PM PDT
- Best window
- 5-8 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.0 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Honda Cove 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 3 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
44Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
14Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 55°F, coolLight: Bright sunSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.4 ftSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
70Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Northern Groundfish Management Area
California halibut
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- 2 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 22 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
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))
- 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 today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California halibut is best here
Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Honda Cove
- Depth
- 3-10 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCalifornia halibut
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 Honda Cove
Honda Cove is a bay in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is 3-10 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, Pacific halibut and rockfish. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, striped bass and surfperch, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, kelp greenling, lingcod and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Pacific halibut peak from May through July. Rockfish peak from May through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- Pacific halibut
- Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Tepona Point54
Cape · 0.4 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 54
- Rockfish 53
- Striped bass 51
5 kt NWH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ftL 4:11 AM · 0.4 ft
- Sotsin Point52
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 52
- Rockfish 51
- Cabezon 50
13 kt NNWH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ftL 4:11 AM · 0.4 ft
- Trinidad Bay47
Bay · 1.8 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 47
- Surfperch 46
- Rockfish 45
13 kt NNWH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ftL 4:11 AM · 0.4 ft
- College Cove47
Bay · 2.8 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 47
- Surfperch 46
- Rockfish 45
13 kt NNWH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ftL 4:11 AM · 0.4 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.