Waterlands

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Leopard sharkRetention open

Bar · California

White Rock

32.89°N · 118.44°W · Bar · Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands

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Best score today · 7 AM · Leopard shark

75/100Great
Now
303 AM PDT
Best window
6-8 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding0.3 ft ▲

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

Notify me when White Rock scores 75+

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 AM · now

Time3ANOW
Score30Fair
Tide0.3 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.4 knmodeled · toward W
Wind8 kn Wgusts 11 · steady
Sea stateModerate3.9 ft · 9 s
Air temp68°Mild
WeatherClear16% cloud
Water72°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Leopard shark

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 36 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

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))
  • 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 Leopard shark is best here

Peak season for Leopard shark · 1 more week at peak

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

Leopard shark in California

Spot profile

White Rock

Depth
70-150 ftNearest water
Structure
Ledge · Outer · ExposedLedge · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonLeopard shark

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 White Rock

White Rock is a bar in Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands, California. Depth in the nearest water is 70-150 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads ledge, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, barred sand bass and lingcod. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, California halibut and leopard shark, and shoulder season for barred sand bass, lingcod, rockfish and kelp bass. California yellowtail peak from July through September. Barred sand bass peak from June through August. Lingcod peak in April and from November through December.

Tackle & technique

Leopard shark
Leopard sharks cruise shallow mudflats, sloughs and channel edges in bays, most often in less than 15 feet of water, and follow the flooding tide onto the flats to feed on crabs, worms, clams and small fish. Anchor or fish from shore or a pier with a sliding sinker rig and a chunk of squid, mackerel or ghost shrimp on the bottom. The bite is often better into the evening and at night.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Cove Point

    Cape · 5.1 mi

    60
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 60
    • Kelp bass 51
    • Lingcod 51

    10 kt WNWH 8:32 AM · 4.4 ftL 1:57 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Lost Point

    Cape · 4.8 mi

    58
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 58
    • Lingcod 52
    • Rockfish 51

    10 kt WNWH 8:32 AM · 4.4 ftL 1:57 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Mosquito Cove

    Bay · 3.2 mi

    55
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 55
    • Lingcod 54
    • California halibut 53

    10 kt WNWH 8:32 AM · 4.4 ftL 1:57 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Seal Cove

    Bay · 5.3 mi

    53
    Top: LingcodShoulder season
    • Lingcod 53
    • California yellowtail 53
    • Rockfish 52

    8 kt WH 8:32 AM · 4.4 ftL 1:57 PM · 1.8 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.