Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

California halibutRetention open

Bay · California

Coyote Point Yacht Harbor

37.59°N · 122.32°W · Bay · San Francisco Bay South of the Bay Bridge

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 12 AM · California halibut

81/100Great
Now
6911 AM PDT
Best window
7-10 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding6.3 ft ▲

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

Notify me when Coyote Point Yacht Harbor scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 11 AM · now

Time11ANOW
Score69Great
Tide6.3 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood0.5 kn · toward SE
Wind2 kn NNEgusts 10 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.5 ft · 7 s
Air temp67°Mild
WeatherClear4% cloud
Water66°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

California halibut

Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
2 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 (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))
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When California halibut is best here

Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder

California halibut season by week of the year. Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

California halibut in California

Spot profile

Coyote Point Yacht Harbor

Depth
1-6 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonCalifornia halibut

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Coyote Point Yacht Harbor

Coyote Point Yacht Harbor is a bay in San Francisco Bay South of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is 1-6 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are surfperch, cabezon and California halibut. It is peak season now for surfperch, cabezon, rockfish and striped bass, and shoulder season for California halibut, leopard shark, kelp greenling and lingcod. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May 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.
Surfperch
Surfperch feed in the troughs and holes within about 30 feet of the waterline, just outside the first set of breakers. Cast a two-hook high-low or Carolina rig with size 4 to 2 hooks and a 1 to 6 ounce pyramid sinker and let the surge work it through the trough. Fish the incoming tide on beaches with a steep drop, and switch to jetties, pilings and bays when the surf is too big.
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

  • Seal Slough

    Gut · 1.7 mi

    73
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 73
    • California halibut 68
    • Leopard shark 66

    2 kt NNEL 5:14 PM · 2.2 ftH 10:43 PM · 7.1 ft

  • Little Coyote Point

    Cape · 3.1 mi

    70
    Top: California halibutShoulder season
    • California halibut 70
    • Cabezon 68
    • Leopard shark 68

    2 kt NNEL 5:14 PM · 2.3 ftH 10:59 PM · 7.3 ft

  • Coyote Point

    Cape · 0.4 mi

    68
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 68
    • Surfperch 66
    • Kelp greenling 63

    2 kt NNEL 5:14 PM · 2.2 ftH 10:43 PM · 7.1 ft

  • San Bruno Shoal

    Bar · 4.2 mi

    67
    Top: California halibutShoulder season
    • California halibut 67
    • Surfperch 66
    • Cabezon 62

    3 kt WL 5:14 PM · 2.2 ftH 10:43 PM · 7.1 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.