Monterey Bay Fishing Forecast & Spots | California

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; Lingcod and Kelp greenling are at peak season now.

At 7:00 PM it scores 75 (great), led by Lingcod. The best window for the rest of today is 7-10 PM (ebb tide), peaking at 75 for Lingcod. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM, scoring 78.

Best times to fish

Waterlands engine forecast computed 7:04 PM PDT.

Best window today

7-10 PM · Ebb tide

Top species: Lingcod

75Great

Best hour of each day, next 14 days

Sat, Oct 31
78
6 PM
Lingcod
Best day
Sun, Nov 1
70
5 PM
Lingcod
Mon, Nov 2
70
6 PM
Lingcod
Tue, Nov 3
69
8 AM
Lingcod
Wed, Nov 4
69
8 AM
Lingcod
Thu, Nov 5
71
9 AM
Lingcod
Fri, Nov 6
57
12 AM
Lingcod
Sat, Nov 7
46
12 AM
Lingcod
Sun, Nov 8
65
7 AM
Lingcod
Mon, Nov 9
67
6 PM
Lingcod
Tue, Nov 10
70
3 PM
Lingcod
Wed, Nov 11
69
7 AM
Lingcod
Thu, Nov 12
65
3 PM
Lingcod
Fri, Nov 13
65
12 AM
Striped bass

Species · 11

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

75Great

LingcodOphiodon elongatus · nearshore

Peak season, about 4 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (78)

peak

72Great

Striped bassMorone saxatilis · sea-run

Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (75)

shoulder

64Good

RockfishSebastes spp. · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 8 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (67)

shoulder

60Good

White seabassAtractoscion nobilis · nearshore

Off season, about 4 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (63)

off

57Good

Kelp greenlingHexagrammos decagrammus · nearshore

Peak season, about 4 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 4 PM (67)

peak

48Good

SurfperchEmbiotocidae (mainly Amphistichus spp.) · surf

Shoulder season, about 25 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 4 PM (59)

shoulder

47Good

CabezonScorpaenichthys marmoratus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 4 PM (57)

shoulder

45Good

California halibutParalichthys californicus · bottom

Off season, about 21 more weeks · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 4 PM (55)

off

35Fair

Pacific halibutHippoglossus stenolepis · bottom

Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (35)

30Fair

Leopard sharkTriakis semifasciata · inshore

Off season, about 17 more weeks · Best day Mon, Nov 9 at 4 PM (35)

off

20Poor

Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytscha · sea-run

Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 12 AM (20)

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 Oct 31, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 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).

Central Groundfish Management Area · CDFW

CabezonRetention open

10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined) · No minimum size limit.

Season: Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

California halibutRetention open

Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

2 fish north of a line due west magnetic from Point Sur, Monterey County. 5 fish south of that line. The Point Sur line runs due west magnetic, not along a latitude line. Check which side of it you are fishing.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Kelp greenlingRetention open

10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined) · No minimum size limit.

Season: Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. CDFW limits and seasons cover kelp and rock greenlings together.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

LingcodRetention open

2 per day · Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

RockfishRetention open

10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined) · No minimum size limit.

Season: Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. Within the 10-fish RCG limit: no more than 1 copper rockfish, 2 canary rockfish, and 2 vermilion/sunset rockfish. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. Yelloweye, cowcod, bronzespotted and quillback rockfish may not be kept.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Ocean waters north of Point Conception (34°27' N. lat.) · CDFW

Striped bassRetention open

2 per day · Minimum 18 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

Angling, spearfishing or bow and arrow only. No sinker over 4 pounds, no power-driven gurdy or winch, no snagging. The CDFW San Francisco Bay District page states the same limits for the bay: two fish, 18 inches total length.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

White seabassRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Pigeon Point to the U.S./Mexico Border (Monterey and south) · CDFW

Chinook salmonClosed

No retention

Season: Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026

The fall season south of Pigeon Point is September 1 through 30 only. Fish may be taken only during the open season (Section 1.14).

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

South of Point Arena (Pacific halibut) · CDFW

Pacific halibutRetention open

1 per day · 1 in possession

Season: Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Closes early if the quota for south of Point Arena is reached. Check the CDFW Pacific halibut page before fishing. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks. The 2026 booklet (Section 28.20) still says the season ends November 15 statewide. CDFW web pages and the 2026 federal rule (91 FR 23369) keep south of Point Arena open through December 31.

CDFW Current Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations, San Francisco Region (updated September 1, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Statewide

Leopard sharkRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 36 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

SurfperchRetention open

20 per day · Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.

Season: No closed season on file

In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Monterey Bay fishing forecast

Overview

Best times to fish

Species · 11

Named spots · 50

Nearest tide stations

Regulations

Other California bay systems