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Barred sand bassRetention openBay · California
Catalina Harbor
33.43°N · 118.51°W · Bay · Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 AM · Barred sand bass
- Now
- 268 AM PST
- Best window
- 4-9 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Low3.1 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Catalina Harbor 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
Sunday, Nov 8 · 11 AM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
92Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.6 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
98Wind: 5 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
63Water temp: 75°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 3.2 ftSeason & habitat · Barred sand bass
Species seasonality
37Off season · capped at 35Season: Off seasonHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
Barred sand bass
Retention open- Daily limit
- 4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin. No more than 4 of the 5 bass may be barred sand bass. This sub-limit is set to end June 1, 2028.
From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026), read Sep 13
Other species here
- Albacore tuna Retention open (10 per day)
- Cabezon Closed (No retention)
- California halibut Retention open (5 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 Closed (No retention)
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Barred sand bass is best here
Out of season for Barred sand bass · shoulder season starts in 9 weeks
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Catalina Harbor
- Depth
- 1-50 ft
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · Protected
- Season
- Off seasonBarred sand bass
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 Catalina Harbor
Catalina Harbor is a bay in Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands, California. Depth is 1-50 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are lingcod, rockfish and surfperch. It is peak season now for lingcod, and shoulder season for rockfish, surfperch, California halibut and leopard shark. Lingcod peak in April and from November through December. Rockfish peak from April through June. Surfperch peak from December through March.
Tackle & technique
- Barred sand bass
- Barred sand bass hold on the sand and rock edge of reefs, artificial reefs, breakwaters and bays, mostly in less than 90 feet of water. In summer they stack up over sand flats in 60 to 120 feet to spawn, and a plastic or live anchovy bounced on the bottom under the boat will catch them. A sudden drop in water temperature from upwelling can shut the bite off for a day or two.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Lobster Point52
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: LingcodPeak season- Lingcod 52
- Rockfish 45
- California yellowtail 35
14 kt WNWL 8:24 AM · 3.1 ftH 2:07 PM · 4.8 ft
- Lobster Bay52
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: LingcodPeak season- Lingcod 52
- Rockfish 45
- Surfperch 34
14 kt WNWL 8:24 AM · 3.1 ftH 2:07 PM · 4.8 ft
- Isthmus Cove52
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: LingcodPeak season- Lingcod 52
- Rockfish 45
- Surfperch 41
14 kt WNWL 8:24 AM · 3.1 ftH 2:07 PM · 4.8 ft
- Ballast Point50
Cape · 0.1 mi
Top: LingcodPeak season- Lingcod 50
- Rockfish 44
- Surfperch 35
14 kt WNWL 8:24 AM · 3.1 ftH 2:07 PM · 4.8 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.