UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CabezonRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 1 AM · Lingcod
- Now
- 309 AM PST
- Best window
- 9 AM-12 AMMoving water
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.5 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Sunset Point 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
100Tide: EbbingWind & pressure
ECMWF
33Wind: 20 kt SPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
53Water temp: 66°F, hotLight: DuskSolunar: Near a majorSeason & habitat · Lingcod
Species seasonality
95Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In range
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Central Groundfish Management Area
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 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)
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cabezon is best here
Shoulder season for Cabezon · 3 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Sunset Point
- Depth
- 35-110 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
- Season
- Shoulder 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 Sunset Point
Sunset Point is a cape in Monterey Bay, California. Depth in the nearest water is 35-110 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are cabezon, kelp greenling and lingcod. 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. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November.
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.
- Kelp greenling
- Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Stillwater Cove54
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: LingcodPeak season- Lingcod 54
- Rockfish 44
- Surfperch 36
16 kt SL 12:07 PM · 2.1 ftH 5:37 PM · 4.3 ft
- Cypress Point30
Cape · 0.8 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- Kelp greenling 30
- Lingcod 30
16 kt SL 12:07 PM · 2.1 ftH 5:37 PM · 4.3 ft
- The Pinnacles30
Bar · 0.9 mi
Top: California halibutOff season- California halibut 30
- Kelp greenling 30
- Lingcod 30
16 kt SL 12:07 PM · 2.1 ftH 5:37 PM · 4.3 ft
- Pescadero Point30
Cape · 1.2 mi
Top: CabezonShoulder season- Cabezon 30
- Kelp greenling 30
- Lingcod 30
16 kt SL 12:07 PM · 2.1 ftH 5:37 PM · 4.3 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.