UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
SurfperchRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 AM · Surfperch
- Now
- 302 PM PST
- Best window
- 2 PM-12 AMMoving water
- Tide now
- Flooding2.8 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when McWay Cove scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions
Thursday, Nov 12 · 4 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
10Tide: EbbingWind & pressure
ECMWF
75Wind: 7 kt SPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
60Water temp: 68°F, warmLight: DuskSolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Surfperch
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: Out of range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Central Groundfish Management Area
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 Closed (No retention)
- 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)
Source: CDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Surfperch is best here
Shoulder season for Surfperch · 25 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
McWay Cove
- Depth
- 35-60 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · drop-off
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSurfperch
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 McWay Cove
McWay Cove is a bay in Monterey Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is 35-60 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are cabezon, California halibut and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for kelp greenling and lingcod, and shoulder season for cabezon, rockfish, striped bass and surfperch. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May through August. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.
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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Grimes Point30
Cape · 4.9 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
6 kt SSEH 5:31 PM · 4.3 ftL 12:04 AM · 0.3 ft
- Cooper Point30
Cape · 11 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
6 kt SSEH 5:37 PM · 4.3 ftL 12:13 AM · 0.4 ft
- Lopez Point30
Cape · 11 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
4 kt SH 5:31 PM · 4.3 ftL 12:04 AM · 0.3 ft
- Molera Point30
Cape · 13 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
6 kt SSEH 5:37 PM · 4.3 ftL 12:13 AM · 0.4 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.