UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Chinook salmonRetention openSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Chinook salmon
- Now
- 444 AM PDT
- Best window
- 4-10 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.1 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when The Pinnacles 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 · rolling from now
Conditions · 4 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
77Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 6 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
27Water temp: 62°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 4.6 ftSeason & habitat · Chinook salmon
Species seasonality
42Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Central Groundfish Management Area
Chinook salmon
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day (2 salmon combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 20 in, total length
- Season
- Sep 1 to Sep 30, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Oct 1
- Other
- Coho may not be kept. Salmon may not be filleted on a boat. No more than two daily bag limits on land, and one daily bag limit on a vessel. NOAA Fisheries can close open days early when the harvest guideline is near. Any salmon except coho. North of Point Conception: no more than two single-point, single-shank barbless hooks and one rod. Between 40°10' N. lat. and Point Conception, when bait fishing by any means other than trolling, use no more than two barbless circle hooks, hard tied no more than 5 inches apart. The 20,000 Chinook fall harvest guideline is shared with the area from 38°02' N. lat. to Pigeon Point.
From CDFW 2026 Ocean Salmon Sport Regulations (updated August 19, 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
- 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 Chinook salmon is best here
Shoulder season for Chinook salmon · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
The Pinnacles
- Depth
- 70-140 ftDrop-off
- Structure
- Bar · Outer · ExposedBar · drop-off
- Season
- Shoulder seasonChinook salmon
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 The Pinnacles
The Pinnacles is a bar in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is 70-140 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bar, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are rockfish, lingcod and striped bass. It is peak season now for rockfish, striped bass, cabezon and surfperch, and shoulder season for lingcod, white seabass, Pacific halibut and kelp greenling. Rockfish peak from May through September. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Chinook salmon
- Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.
- 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.
- 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 Cove68
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 68
- Surfperch 64
- White seabass 62
6 kt NWH 9:03 AM · 3.8 ftL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ft
- Sunset Point67
Cape · 0.9 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 67
- Rockfish 65
- Cabezon 61
6 kt NWH 9:03 AM · 3.8 ftL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ft
- Pescadero Point67
Cape · 1.0 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 67
- Rockfish 65
- Cabezon 61
6 kt NWH 9:03 AM · 3.8 ftL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ft
- Carmel Bay65
Bay · 1.2 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 65
- Lingcod 58
- Surfperch 54
6 kt NWH 9:03 AM · 3.8 ftL 1:38 PM · 2.9 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.