Waterlands

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SurfperchRetention open

Cape · California

Cannery Point

36.52°N · 121.94°W · Cape · Monterey Bay

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Best score today · 12 AM · Surfperch

71/100Great
Now
6310 AM PDT
Best window
10 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing3.9 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions

Wednesday, Sep 23 · 11 PM

Time11P
Score53Good
Tide4.0 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind7 kn Ngusts 10
Sea stateRough5.2 ft · 9 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy30% cloud
Water61°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Central Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Surfperch

Retention open
Daily limit
20 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
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.

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))
  • California halibut Retention open
  • 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)
  • 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 Surfperch is best here

Peak season for Surfperch · 1 more week at peak

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

Surfperch in California

Spot profile

Cannery Point

Depth
1-90 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonSurfperch

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 Cannery Point

Cannery Point is a cape in Monterey Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is 1-90 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 Chinook salmon. It is peak season now for cabezon, surfperch, striped bass and rockfish, and shoulder season for Chinook salmon, Pacific halibut, kelp greenling and lingcod. Cabezon peak from May through September. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Chinook salmon peak from June through August.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
Chinook salmon
Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Whalers Cove

    Bay · 0.1 mi

    69
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 69
    • Pacific halibut 62
    • Cabezon 61

    8 kt NNWL 2:20 PM · 2.6 ftH 8:12 PM · 4.9 ft

  • Bluefish Cove

    Bay · 0.2 mi

    69
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 69
    • Pacific halibut 62
    • Cabezon 61

    8 kt NNWL 2:20 PM · 2.6 ftH 8:12 PM · 4.9 ft

  • Big Dome Cove

    Bay · 0.5 mi

    69
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 69
    • Pacific halibut 62
    • Cabezon 61

    8 kt NNWL 2:20 PM · 2.6 ftH 8:12 PM · 4.9 ft

  • North Point

    Cape · 0.7 mi

    65
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 65
    • Pacific halibut 61
    • Striped bass 60

    8 kt NNWL 2:20 PM · 2.6 ftH 8:12 PM · 4.9 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.