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CabezonRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 PM · Cabezon
- Now
- 765 PM PDT
- Best window
- 5-10 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- High5.7 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Mussel Point 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 · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: High slackCurrent: 0.3 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
74Water temp: 56°F, primeLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.3 ftSeason & habitat · Cabezon
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Northern Groundfish Management Area
Cabezon
Retention open- Daily limit
- 10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- No minimum size limit.
- 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. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. 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))
- 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)
- 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 Cabezon is best here
Peak season for Cabezon · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Mussel Point
- Depth
- 15-20 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Peak seasonCabezon
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 Mussel Point
Mussel Point is a cape in Humboldt Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is 15-20 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
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 California halibut. Cabezon peak from May through September. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Lookout Point76
Cape · 3.0 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 76
- Kelp greenling 68
- Surfperch 66
4 kt NWL 12:38 AM · 1.1 ftH 8:08 AM · 4.5 ft
- Sharp Point76
Cape · 6.1 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 76
- Kelp greenling 68
- Surfperch 66
4 kt NWL 12:38 AM · 1.1 ftH 8:08 AM · 4.5 ft
- Rocky Point74
Cape · 13 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 74
- Kelp greenling 67
- Surfperch 65
10 kt NL 12:38 AM · 1.1 ftH 8:08 AM · 4.5 ft
- Abalone Point74
Cape · 14 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 74
- Kelp greenling 67
- Surfperch 65
10 kt NL 12:38 AM · 1.1 ftH 8:08 AM · 4.5 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.