Waterlands

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White seabassRetention open

Cape · California

Mussel Point

41.32°N · 124.09°W · Cape · Humboldt Bay

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Best score today · 6 PM · White seabass

66/100Great
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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 PM · now

Time3PNOW
Score30Fair
Tide3.0 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward SW
Wind5 kn NWgusts 16 · steady
Sea stateVery rough7.0 ft · 10 s
Air temp60°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy61% cloud
Water55°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Northern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

White seabass

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

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)
  • Surfperch Retention open (20 per day)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When White seabass is best here

Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder

White seabass season by week of the year. Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

White seabass in California

Spot profile

Mussel Point

Depth
15-20 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonWhite seabass

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 rockfish, lingcod and Pacific halibut. 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. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November. Pacific halibut peak from May through July.

Tackle & technique

White seabass
White seabass hold along kelp bed edges and over nearby sand where market squid gather, usually in 20 to 80 feet of water and shallower as the water warms. Fish a live squid on a dropper loop or fly-line a sardine near the kelp at dawn, dusk and after dark, especially around the spring full moon. Tagged fish spend most of their time in 52 to 66 degree water.
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

  • Lookout Point

    Cape · 3.0 mi

    53
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 53
    • Lingcod 48
    • Pacific halibut 45

    5 kt NWL 3:37 PM · 2.9 ftH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ft

  • Sharp Point

    Cape · 6.1 mi

    53
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 53
    • Lingcod 48
    • Pacific halibut 46

    5 kt NWL 3:37 PM · 2.9 ftH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ft

  • Rocky Point

    Cape · 13 mi

    52
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 52
    • Lingcod 46
    • Pacific halibut 44

    11 kt NL 3:37 PM · 2.9 ftH 9:22 PM · 5.9 ft

  • Abalone Point

    Cape · 14 mi

    52
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 52
    • Lingcod 46
    • Pacific halibut 43

    11 kt NL 3:37 PM · 2.9 ftH 9:22 PM · 5.9 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.