Waterlands

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California yellowtailRetention open

Cape · California

Resort Point

33.77°N · 118.42°W · Cape · Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands

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Best score today · 8 PM · California yellowtail

73/100Great
Now
667 PM PDT
Best window
8-10 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing4.4 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 7 PM · now

Time7PNOW
Score66Great
Tide4.4 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.1 knmodeled · toward E
Wind6 kn Wgusts 14 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.2 ft · 9 s
Air temp71°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy31% cloud
Water73°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Yellowtail

Retention open
Daily limit
10 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 24 in, fork length. Five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.
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 (10 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 (5 per day)
  • Chinook salmon Retention open (2 per day (2 salmon combined))
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When California yellowtail is best here

Peak season for California yellowtail · 1 more week at peak

California yellowtail season by week of the year. Peak season for California yellowtail · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

California yellowtail in California

Spot profile

Resort Point

Depth
30-50 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposed
Season
Peak seasonCalifornia yellowtail

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 Resort Point

Resort Point is a cape in Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands, California. Depth in the nearest water is 30-50 ft. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, California halibut and kelp bass. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, California halibut and leopard shark, and shoulder season for kelp bass, lingcod, rockfish and surfperch. California yellowtail peak from July through September. California halibut peak from May through September. Kelp bass peak from June through August.

Tackle & technique

California yellowtail
Yellowtail school around the offshore islands, banks, high spots and kelp paddies from spring into fall, moving north from Baja as the water warms past about 64 degrees. Fly-line a sardine or mackerel, cast a surface iron to breaking fish, or drop a heavy iron and wind it fast when they hold deep. Heavy line matters because they run straight for kelp and rock.
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.
Kelp bass
Kelp bass live in kelp beds, rocky reefs and breakwaters, most often in 9 to 70 feet of water, and seldom move far from home. In summer cast swimbaits or fish live anchovies along the up-current edge of the kelp and let them swim into the canopy. In winter the bigger fish move to reefs in 90 feet or more, where a squid-tipped jig works better.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Resort Point Cove

    Bay · 0.1 mi

    72
    Top: California halibutPeak season
    • California halibut 72
    • Leopard shark 66
    • California yellowtail 61

    6 kt WL 1:22 AM · 0.5 ftH 8:17 AM · 3.9 ft

  • Lunada Bay

    Bay · 0.2 mi

    72
    Top: California halibutPeak season
    • California halibut 72
    • Leopard shark 66
    • California yellowtail 61

    6 kt WL 1:22 AM · 0.5 ftH 8:17 AM · 3.9 ft

  • Christmas Tree Cove

    Bay · 0.4 mi

    72
    Top: California halibutPeak season
    • California halibut 72
    • Leopard shark 61
    • California yellowtail 61

    6 kt WL 1:22 AM · 0.5 ftH 8:17 AM · 3.9 ft

  • Palos Verdes Point

    Cape · 0.5 mi

    66
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 66
    • California halibut 64
    • Kelp bass 59

    6 kt WL 1:22 AM · 0.5 ftH 8:17 AM · 3.9 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.