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California yellowtailRetention openCape · California
San Mateo Point
33.39°N · 117.60°W · Cape · Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 5 PM · California yellowtail
- Now
- 648 PM PDT
- Best window
- 8 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing5.0 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when San Mateo 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
Friday, Sep 25 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
78Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 5 kt WPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
69Water temp: 75°F, warmLight: DuskSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.3 ftSeason & habitat · California yellowtail
Species seasonality
81Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
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)
Source: CDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California yellowtail is best here
Peak season for California yellowtail · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
San Mateo Point
- Depth
- 20-25 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · 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 San Mateo Point
San Mateo 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 20-25 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and 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
- Crawfish Rock67
Bar · 7.1 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 67
- California halibut 63
- Lingcod 60
5 kt WL 1:56 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:10 AM · 4.5 ft
- Dana Point66
Cape · 8.6 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 66
- California halibut 58
- Kelp bass 58
5 kt WL 1:56 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:10 AM · 4.5 ft
- Capistrano Bight65
Bay · 4.5 mi
Top: California halibutPeak season- California halibut 65
- California yellowtail 62
- Surfperch 59
5 kt WL 1:56 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:10 AM · 4.5 ft
- Goff Island65
Cape · 13 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 65
- California halibut 58
- Kelp bass 56
5 kt WL 2:09 AM · 0.2 ftH 8:29 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.