UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
LingcodRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 6 PM · Lingcod
- Now
- 512 PM PDT
- Best window
- 5 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.4 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Mitchell 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, Oct 1 · 5 PM
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: EbbingWind & pressure
ECMWF
87Wind: 2 kt SPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
66Water temp: 65°F, hotLight: DuskSolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Lingcod
Species seasonality
62Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Central Groundfish Management Area
Lingcod
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 22 in, total length
- Season
- Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- 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.
From CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 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)
- 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)
Source: CDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Lingcod is best here
Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Mitchell Cove
- Depth
- Up to 30 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonLingcod
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 Mitchell Cove
Mitchell Cove is a bay in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is up to 30 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are surfperch, cabezon and striped bass. It is peak season now for surfperch, cabezon, striped bass and rockfish, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, kelp greenling, lingcod and white seabass. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Cabezon peak from May through September. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Lingcod
- Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Santa Cruz Anchorage64
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 64
- Cabezon 62
- Surfperch 62
4 kt SWH 6:25 PM · 4.6 ftL 1:52 AM · 0.5 ft
- Black Point64
Cape · 2.7 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 64
- Cabezon 61
- Striped bass 61
4 kt SWH 6:25 PM · 4.6 ftL 1:52 AM · 0.5 ft
- Soquel Point64
Cape · 3.6 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 64
- Cabezon 61
- Striped bass 61
4 kt SWH 6:25 PM · 4.6 ftL 1:52 AM · 0.5 ft
- Steamer Lane59
Channel · 0.9 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 59
- Pacific halibut 58
- Rockfish 58
4 kt SWH 6:25 PM · 4.6 ftL 1:52 AM · 0.5 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.