Waterlands

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LingcodRetention open

Bar · California

Yankee Point Breaker

36.48°N · 121.95°W · Bar · Monterey Bay

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Best score today · 7 AM · Lingcod

70/100Great
Now
559 AM PDT
Best window
9 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
High3.8 ft

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

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24-hour conditions

Tuesday, Sep 29 · 4 PM

Time4P
Score66Great
Tide2.6 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward S
Wind6 kn NNWgusts 14 · steady
Sea stateRough5.5 ft · 10 s
Air temp60°Mild
WeatherClear10% cloud
Water60°FModel

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

Yankee Point Breaker

Depth
70-190 ftDrop-off
Structure
Bar · Outer · ExposedBar · drop-off
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 Yankee Point Breaker

Yankee Point Breaker is a bar in Monterey Bay, California. Depth is 70-190 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bar, outer water and exposed.

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

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.
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.
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

  • Yankee Point

    Cape · 0.7 mi

    73
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 73
    • Chinook salmon 66
    • Kelp greenling 64

    6 kt NWL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Pelican Point

    Cape · 1.7 mi

    73
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 73
    • Surfperch 68
    • Chinook salmon 66

    6 kt NWL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Whalers Cove

    Bay · 2.6 mi

    73
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 73
    • Cabezon 67
    • California halibut 66

    6 kt NWL 1:38 PM · 2.9 ftH 7:24 PM · 4.8 ft

  • Cannery Point

    Cape · 2.7 mi

    73
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 73
    • Surfperch 68
    • Chinook salmon 66

    6 kt NWL 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.