NWS zone PZZ676 · Southern California

Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands fishing forecast

California · Pacific coast

Score now

68Great

California yellowtail · 4:00 PM PDT

Named spots: 9
Species scored: 13
Tide stations: 0

Open in the tide map All California bay systems

Overview

Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands is NWS marine zone PZZ676 on the California Pacific coast, in the Southern California species region. The Waterlands engine treats it as offshore. It holds 9 named features from the USGS Geographic Names Information System.

13 species are scored here in this forecast; California yellowtail, California halibut, Yellowfin tuna, Mahi-mahi and Pacific bluefin tuna are at peak season now.

At 4:00 PM it scores 68 (great), led by California yellowtail. The best window for the rest of today is 4-7 PM (flood tide), peaking at 70 for California yellowtail. Over the next 14 days the best hour is Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM, scoring 78.

Best times to fish

Waterlands engine forecast computed 4:07 PM PDT.

Best window today

4-7 PM · Flood tide

Top species: California yellowtail

70Great

Best hour of each day, next 14 days

Tue, Sep 22
74
7 AM
California yellowtail
Wed, Sep 23
74
7 AM
California yellowtail
Thu, Sep 24
75
7 AM
California yellowtail
Fri, Sep 25
72
7 AM
California yellowtail
Sat, Sep 26
74
7 AM
California yellowtail
Sun, Sep 27
74
7 AM
California yellowtail
Mon, Sep 28
67
8 AM
California yellowtail
Tue, Sep 29
75
5 PM
California yellowtail
Wed, Sep 30
78
5 PM
California yellowtail
Best day
Thu, Oct 1
74
9 AM
California yellowtail
Fri, Oct 2
61
7 AM
Mahi-mahi
Sat, Oct 3
70
7 PM
California yellowtail
Sun, Oct 4
72
7 AM
Leopard shark
Mon, Oct 5
72
8 AM
Leopard shark

Species · 13

Listed for the Southern California region. Scores are this hour; season is where the species is in its year.

68Great

California yellowtailSeriola dorsalis · pelagic

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (78)

peak

61Good

California halibutParalichthys californicus · bottom

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (73)

peak

58Good

Yellowfin tunaThunnus albacares · pelagic

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 PM (68)

peak

58Good

Kelp bassParalabrax clathratus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 5 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (73)

shoulder

58Good

LingcodOphiodon elongatus · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 5 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (68)

shoulder

58Good

RockfishSebastes spp. · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 9 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (67)

shoulder

56Good

Mahi-mahiCoryphaena hippurus · pelagic

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 5 PM (67)

peak

55Good

Barred sand bassParalabrax nebulifer · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 PM (66)

shoulder

54Good

SurfperchEmbiotocidae (mainly Amphistichus spp.) · surf

Shoulder season, about 9 more weeks · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (62)

shoulder

50Good

Pacific bluefin tunaThunnus orientalis · pelagic

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (60)

peak

48Good

White seabassAtractoscion nobilis · nearshore

Shoulder season, about 5 more weeks · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (64)

shoulder

43Fair

Leopard sharkTriakis semifasciata · inshore

Peak season, about 1 more week · Best day Sun, Oct 4 at 7 AM (72)

peak

37Fair

Albacore tunaThunnus alalunga · pelagic

Shoulder season, about 1 more week · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (44)

shoulder

Named spots · 9

Ranked by score this hour. Each spot has its own hourly forecast, tide, current and regulations.

Nearest tide stations

No NOAA tide station page sits within 60 km of this zone’s center.

Regulations

CDFW saltwater regulations Buy a California fishing license License types

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with CDFW Sep 22, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.

This bay system’s spots fall in South of Point Conception (9 spots), Monterey and south salmon area (9 spots), South of Point Arena (9 spots) and Southern Management Area (9 spots).

Ocean waters south of Point Conception (34°27' N. lat.) · CDFW

Albacore tunaRetention open

10 per day

Season: No closed season on file

Tuna filleted on a boat or brought ashore as fillets south of Point Conception must be bagged individually by fish and cut into the six pieces Section 27.65 describes. In addition to the general limit of 20 finfish.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

White seabassRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Southern Groundfish Management Area · CDFW

California halibutRetention open

5 per day · 5 in possession · Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

LingcodRetention open

2 per day · Minimum 22 in, total length

Season: Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas (Section 27.50). Boat-based take only shoreward of the 50-fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area line. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Rockfish(nearshore)Retention open

10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined) · No minimum size limit.

Season: Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026

Changes to closed on Oct 1, 2026

Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas (Section 27.50). Within the 10-fish RCG limit: no more than 1 copper rockfish, 2 canary rockfish, and 2 vermilion/sunset rockfish. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. Boat-based take only shoreward of the 50-fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area line. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat. Yelloweye, cowcod, bronzespotted and quillback rockfish may not be kept.

CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Statewide

Barred sand bassRetention open

4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined) · Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.

Season: No closed season on file

Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin. No more than 4 of the 5 bass may be barred sand bass. This sub-limit is set to end June 1, 2028.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Kelp bassRetention open

5 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined) · Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.

Season: No closed season on file

Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Leopard sharkRetention open

3 per day · Minimum 36 in, total length

Season: No closed season on file

Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Mahi-mahiRetention open

10 per day

Season: No closed season on file

Counts toward the general limit of 20 finfish, no more than 10 of any one species.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Pacific bluefin tunaRetention open

2 per day

Season: No closed season on file

In addition to the general limit of 20 finfish. Applies to all bluefin possessed, regardless of where taken.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

SurfperchRetention open

20 per day · Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.

Season: No closed season on file

In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Yellowfin tunaRetention open

10 per day

Season: No closed season on file

Counts toward the general limit of 20 finfish.

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026

YellowtailRetention open

10 per day · Minimum 24 in, fork length. Five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.

Season: No closed season on file

CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026