Waterlands

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CabezonRetention open

Cape · California

Pescadero Point

36.56°N · 121.95°W · Cape · Monterey Bay

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Best score today · 7 PM · Striped bass

77/100Great
Now
644 PM PDT
Best window
6-11 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High4.6 ft

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

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24-hour conditions

Thursday, Sep 24 · 12 AM

Time12A
Score74Great
Tide3.0 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward W
Wind7 kn NNEgusts 10 · steady
Sea stateRough5.7 ft · 9 s
Air temp62°Mild
WeatherMostly cloudy70% cloud
Water61°FModel

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Central Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Cabezon

Retention open
Daily limit
10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
No minimum size limit.
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. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. 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))
  • 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)
  • 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 Cabezon is best here

Peak season for Cabezon · 1 more week at peak

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

Cabezon in California

Spot profile

Pescadero Point

Depth
10-100 ftDrop-off
Structure
Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Peak seasonCabezon

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 Pescadero Point

Pescadero Point is a cape in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is 10-100 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, Pacific halibut and surfperch. 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. Pacific halibut peak from May through July. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
Pacific halibut
Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack 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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Stillwater Cove

    Bay · 0.6 mi

    68
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 68
    • Cabezon 65
    • California halibut 59

    10 kt NNWL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 8:13 AM · 3.6 ft

  • Arrowhead Point

    Cape · 0.6 mi

    67
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 67
    • Surfperch 63
    • Pacific halibut 62

    10 kt NNWL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 8:13 AM · 3.6 ft

  • Sunset Point

    Cape · 1.2 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Pacific halibut 61
    • Surfperch 58

    10 kt NNWL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 8:13 AM · 3.6 ft

  • The Pinnacles

    Bar · 1.0 mi

    61
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 61
    • Cabezon 57
    • Rockfish 56

    10 kt NNWL 12:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 8:13 AM · 3.6 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.