Waterlands

NWS zone PZZ535 · Northern California

Monterey Bay fishing forecast

California · Pacific coast

Score now

79Great
Striped bass · 5:00 PM PDT
Named spots
50
Species scored
11
Tide stations
1
Open in the tide mapAll California bay systems

Overview

Monterey Bay is NWS marine zone PZZ535 on the California Pacific coast, in the Northern California species region. The Waterlands engine treats it as inland water (bays, sounds, straits). It holds 50 named features from the USGS Geographic Names Information System and has 1 NOAA tide station nearby.

11 species are scored here in this forecast; Striped bass, Rockfish, Surfperch and Cabezon are at peak season now.

At 5:00 PM it scores 79 (great), led by Striped bass. The best window for the rest of today is 5-8 PM (ebb tide), peaking at 79 for Striped bass. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM, scoring 82.

Best times to fish

Waterlands engine forecast computed 8:48 AM PDT.

Best window today

5-8 PM · Ebb tide

Top species: Striped bass

79Great

Best hour of each day, next 14 days

  1. Wed, Sep 16

    79

    5 PM

    Striped bass

  2. Thu, Sep 17

    82

    6 PM

    Striped bass

    Best day

  3. Fri, Sep 18

    81

    7 PM

    Striped bass

  4. Sat, Sep 19

    76

    4 AM

    Striped bass

  5. Sun, Sep 20

    75

    4 AM

    Striped bass

  6. Mon, Sep 21

    76

    5 PM

    Striped bass

  7. Tue, Sep 22

    76

    4 AM

    Striped bass

  8. Wed, Sep 23

    75

    5 PM

    Striped bass

  9. Thu, Sep 24

    79

    5 PM

    Striped bass

  10. Fri, Sep 25

    80

    6 PM

    Striped bass

  11. Sat, Sep 26

    75

    6 PM

    Striped bass

  12. Sun, Sep 27

    79

    2 AM

    Striped bass

  13. Mon, Sep 28

    79

    2 AM

    Striped bass

  14. Tue, Sep 29

    80

    5 PM

    Striped bass

Species · 11

Listed for the Northern California region. Scores are this hour; season is where the species is in its year.

79Great
Striped bassMorone saxatilis · sea-run

Peak season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (82)

74Great
RockfishSebastes spp. · nearshore

Peak season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (76)

65Great
LingcodOphiodon elongatus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 12 PM (69)

65Great
White seabassAtractoscion nobilis · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 6 PM (69)

64Good
Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytscha · sea-run

Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (68)

62Good
SurfperchEmbiotocidae (mainly Amphistichus spp.) · surf

Peak season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (74)

61Good
CabezonScorpaenichthys marmoratus · nearshore

Peak season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (74)

56Good
Pacific halibutHippoglossus stenolepis · bottom

Shoulder season, about 2 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (66)

50Good
Kelp greenlingHexagrammos decagrammus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (64)

33Fair
California halibutParalichthys californicus · bottom

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (64)

30Fair
Leopard sharkTriakis semifasciata · inshore

Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 PM (66)

Named spots · 50

Ranked by score this hour. Each spot has its own hourly forecast, tide, current and regulations.

38 more spots, A to Z

Nearest tide stations

MontereyNOAA 941345015.3 mi

Regulations

CDFW saltwater regulations Buy a California fishing license License types

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with CDFW Sep 16, 2026.

This bay system’s spots fall in Central Management Area (50 spots), North of Point Conception (50 spots), Monterey and south salmon area (50 spots) and South of Point Arena (50 spots).

No reviewed rules for the species listed here are on file yet. Check with CDFW before you keep a fish.

Other California bay systems