Waterlands

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RockfishRetention open

Bay · California

Blue Banks Anchorage

33.98°N · 119.67°W · Bay · Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 7 AM · Rockfish

75/100Great
Now
492 PM PDT
Best window
4-10 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Low1.9 ft

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Wed · 77

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 2 PM · now

Time2PNOW
Score49Good
Tide1.9 ftLow
Current0.5 knmodeled · toward W
Wind3 kn SWgusts 9 · steady
Sea stateModerate2.6 ft · 10 s
Air temp73°Warm
WeatherClear1% cloud
Water75°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Rockfish(nearshore)

Retention open
Daily limit
10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
No minimum size limit.
Season
Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Oct 1
Other
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.

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

Other species here

  • Albacore tuna Retention open (10 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 (5 per day)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
Always check with CDFW ↗Fishing license ↗

Source: CDFW · synced today

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Rockfish is best here

Shoulder season for Rockfish · 9 more weeks at shoulder

Rockfish season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Rockfish · 9 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Rockfish in California →

Spot profile

Blue Banks Anchorage

Depth
50-70 ftNearest water
Structure
Bay · Outer · Semi-exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonRockfish

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 Blue Banks Anchorage

Blue Banks Anchorage is a bay in Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands, California. Depth in the nearest water is 50-70 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 13 species here; the best right now are mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna and California halibut. It is peak season now for mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, California halibut and California yellowtail, and shoulder season for lingcod, rockfish, kelp bass and barred sand bass. Mahi-mahi peak from August through September. Yellowfin tuna peak from August through September. California halibut peak from May through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
Mahi-mahi
Mahi feed near the surface along weedlines, floating debris, buoys and current edges offshore, in water from the low 70s to the low 80s. Troll ballyhoo or small skirted lures along the weed, and when a school comes up behind the boat keep one hooked fish in the water while you pitch cut bait or jigs to the rest. Look for birds working over weed and flotsam.
Yellowfin tuna
Yellowfin feed in blue water along canyon edges, the shelf break, current edges, deepwater platforms and FADs, usually from the surface to about 300 feet. Troll ballyhoo, spreader bars and cedar plugs early in the day, then chunk butterfish or sardines, fish live hardtails, or drop jigs to marks. Around Gulf platforms and in the canyons the night bite on chunks and jigs is often better than the day.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Valley Anchorage

    Bay · 0.5 mi

    62
    Top: Mahi-mahiPeak season
    • Mahi-mahi 62
    • Yellowfin tuna 60
    • California halibut 54

    3 kt SWL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:17 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Bowen Point

    Cape · 3.1 mi

    62
    Top: Mahi-mahiPeak season
    • Mahi-mahi 62
    • Yellowfin tuna 60
    • California yellowtail 52

    3 kt SWL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:17 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Prisoners Harbor

    Bay · 3.0 mi

    55
    Top: California halibutPeak season
    • California halibut 55
    • California yellowtail 53
    • Kelp bass 51

    3 kt SWL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:17 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Tinkers Harbor

    Bay · 4.0 mi

    55
    Top: California halibutPeak season
    • California halibut 55
    • Leopard shark 54
    • California yellowtail 53

    3 kt SWL 2:18 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:17 PM · 5.2 ft

Open in the tide map

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.