Waterlands

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California halibutRetention open

Cape · California

Arrowhead Point

36.56°N · 121.94°W · Cape · Monterey Bay

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Best score today · 7 PM · California halibut

79/100Great
Now
473 PM PDT
Best window
6-11 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Flooding4.5 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions

Friday, Sep 25 · 12 AM

Time12A
Score30Fair
Tide3.6 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward NNE
Wind9 kn NNWgusts 11 · steady
Sea stateRough4.9 ft · 9 s
Air temp62°Mild
WeatherClear13% cloud
Water60°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Central Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

California halibut

Retention open
Daily limit
Not published
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 22 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
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.

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

Other species here

  • Albacore tuna Retention open (25 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))
  • 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)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When California halibut is best here

Shoulder season for California halibut · 6 more weeks at shoulder

California halibut season by week of the year. Shoulder season for California halibut · 6 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

California halibut in California

Spot profile

Arrowhead Point

Depth
5-50 ftDrop-off
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonCalifornia halibut

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Arrowhead Point

Arrowhead Point is a cape in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is 5-50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, surfperch and rockfish. It is peak season now for cabezon, surfperch, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, Chinook salmon, kelp greenling and lingcod. Cabezon peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Rockfish peak from May through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
Cabezon
Cabezon sit in rock crevices, kelp beds and jetty boulders from the intertidal zone to about 100 feet and feed mostly on crabs and small fish. Fish a fish-finder rig with sand shrimp, squid or crab right on the bottom in the rocks, or drag a lead-head grub slowly through the kelp. Expect snags, and do not eat the roe, which is toxic.
Surfperch
Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Stillwater Cove

    Bay · 0.2 mi

    66
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 66
    • Cabezon 62
    • California halibut 55

    12 kt NWH 4:03 PM · 4.6 ftL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ft

  • Pescadero Point

    Cape · 0.6 mi

    62
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 62
    • Pacific halibut 59
    • Rockfish 59

    12 kt NWH 4:03 PM · 4.6 ftL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ft

  • Carmel Bay

    Bay · 1.5 mi

    59
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 59
    • Rockfish 58
    • Surfperch 56

    12 kt NWH 4:03 PM · 4.6 ftL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ft

  • The Pinnacles

    Bar · 1.6 mi

    59
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 59
    • Rockfish 59
    • Cabezon 56

    12 kt NWH 4:03 PM · 4.6 ftL 12:15 AM · 0.8 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.