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California halibutRetention openBay · California
Elephant Seal Cove
33.48°N · 119.04°W · Bay · Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · California halibut
- Now
- 305 AM PDT
- Best window
- 6-8 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding1.8 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Elephant Seal Cove 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.8 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 1 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
7Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 73°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 4.8 ftSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
90Season: PeakHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
California halibut
Retention open- Daily limit
- 5 per day
- Possession
- 5 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 22 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 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))
- 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)
- 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 California halibut is best here
Peak season for California halibut · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Elephant Seal Cove
- Depth
- About 35 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposed
- Season
- Peak seasonCalifornia halibut
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 Elephant Seal Cove
Elephant Seal Cove 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 about 35 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 13 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, yellowfin tuna and barred sand bass. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi and Pacific bluefin tuna, and shoulder season for barred sand bass, kelp bass, surfperch and white seabass. California yellowtail peak from July through September. Yellowfin tuna peak from August through September. Barred sand bass peak from June through August.
Tackle & technique
- California halibut
- California halibut are ambush feeders that lie on sand or mud bottom, mostly in water shallower than 100 feet and often inside bays, harbors and estuaries. Drift or slow-troll a live anchovy or sardine on a sliding sinker rig, or bounce a swimbait along the bottom over flats, channel edges and sandy areas near structure. Keep the bait within a foot or two of the bottom and give a fish time to turn the bait before setting the hook.
- California yellowtail
- Yellowtail school around the offshore islands, banks, high spots and kelp paddies from spring into fall, moving north from Baja as the water warms past about 64 degrees. Fly-line a sardine or mackerel, cast a surface iron to breaking fish, or drop a heavy iron and wind it fast when they hold deep. Heavy line matters because they run straight for kelp and rock.
- 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
- Webster Point63
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 63
- Yellowfin tuna 57
- Kelp bass 54
1 kt WSWH 8:33 AM · 4.2 ftL 2:04 PM · 1.8 ft
- Arch Point63
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 63
- Yellowfin tuna 58
- Kelp bass 54
1 kt WSWH 8:33 AM · 4.2 ftL 2:04 PM · 1.8 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.