Waterlands

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Pacific bluefin tunaRetention open

Cape · California

Webster Point

33.48°N · 119.05°W · Cape · 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 · Pacific bluefin tuna

72/100Great
Now
499 AM PDT
Best window
10 AM-1 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing4.2 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 AM · now

Time9ANOW
Score49Good
Tide4.2 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.9 knmodeled · toward N
Wind2 kn ESEgusts 3 · steady
Sea stateRough4.7 ft · 9 s
Air temp70°Warm
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water73°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Pacific bluefin tuna

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
In addition to the general limit of 20 finfish. Applies to all bluefin possessed, regardless of where taken.

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))
  • 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 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 Pacific bluefin tuna is best here

Peak season for Pacific bluefin tuna · 1 more week at peak

Pacific bluefin tuna season by week of the year. Peak season for Pacific bluefin tuna · 1 more week at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Pacific bluefin tuna in California

Spot profile

Webster Point

Depth
40-50 ft
Structure
Point · Outer · Exposed
Season
Peak seasonPacific bluefin tuna

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 Webster Point

Webster Point is a cape in Outer waters from Santa Cruz Island to San Clemente Island to 60 NM offshore including San Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands, California. Depth is 40-50 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

Pacific bluefin tuna
Pacific bluefin feed on the offshore banks and around the Channel Islands in water of roughly 62 to 68 degrees, anywhere from the surface to about 300 feet. Find breezing or foaming fish or sonar marks, then fly-line sardines on light fluorocarbon, drop a flat-fall or knife jig to the marks, or fly a kite for the larger fish. Night jigging on overnight trips often outfishes the day.
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

  • Elephant Seal Cove

    Bay · 0.5 mi

    59
    Top: Yellowfin tunaPeak season
    • Yellowfin tuna 59
    • California yellowtail 59
    • Mahi-mahi 56

    2 kt ESEL 2:04 PM · 1.8 ftH 7:56 PM · 5.1 ft

  • Arch Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    59
    Top: Yellowfin tunaPeak season
    • Yellowfin tuna 59
    • California yellowtail 59
    • Mahi-mahi 56

    2 kt ESEL 2:04 PM · 1.8 ftH 7:56 PM · 5.1 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.