Waterlands

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LingcodRetention open

Bar · California

Sur Rock

36.28°N · 121.89°W · Bar · Monterey Bay

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Best score today · 9 AM · Lingcod

77/100Great
Now
5710 AM PDT
Best window
10-11 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing3.7 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions

Tuesday, Sep 22 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score66Great
Tide3.0 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.4 knmodeled · toward WNW
Wind12 kn NNWgusts 15 · building
Sea stateRough5.2 ft · 10 s
Air temp61°Mild
WeatherOvercast88% cloud
Water59°FBias corrected

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Central Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Lingcod is best here

Shoulder season for Lingcod · 1 more week at shoulder

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

Lingcod in California

Spot profile

Sur Rock

Depth
45-80 ft
Structure
Ledge · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonLingcod

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 Sur Rock

Sur Rock is a bar in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is 45-80 ft. Its profile reads ledge, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, rockfish and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, surfperch and striped bass, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, Pacific halibut, lingcod and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Rockfish peak from May through September. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.

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.
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.
Rockfish
Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Molera Point

    Cape · 1.6 mi

    71
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 71
    • Surfperch 64
    • Kelp greenling 62

    4 kt WL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Point Sur

    Cape · 1.7 mi

    71
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 71
    • Surfperch 64
    • Kelp greenling 62

    8 kt NNWL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Cooper Point

    Cape · 3.6 mi

    71
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 71
    • Surfperch 65
    • Chinook salmon 62

    4 kt WL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Kasler Point

    Cape · 9.0 mi

    71
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 71
    • Kelp greenling 62
    • Rockfish 62

    5 kt NNWL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 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.