Waterlands

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RockfishRetention open

Bar · California

Berkely Reef

37.88°N · 122.33°W · Bar · San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge

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Best score today · 7 AM · Rockfish

75/100Great
Now
6910 AM PDT
Best window
6-9 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding5.0 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 AM · now

Time10ANOW
Score69Great
Tide5.0 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentFlood0.2 kn · toward E
Wind2 kn NWgusts 8 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.6 ft · 8 s
Air temp64°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy31% cloud
Water64°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Rockfish

Retention open
Daily limit
10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
No minimum size limit.
Season
Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. All groundfish fishing is prohibited at Cordell Bank. 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. 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 (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))
  • California halibut Retention open (2 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Rockfish is best here

Peak season for Rockfish · 1 more week at peak

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

Rockfish in California

Spot profile

Berkely Reef

Depth
About 7 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Reef · Inner · Semi-exposedReef · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonRockfish

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 Berkely Reef

Berkely Reef is a bar in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is about 7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are rockfish, cabezon and California halibut. It is peak season now for rockfish, cabezon, surfperch and striped bass, and shoulder season for California halibut, lingcod, kelp greenling and white seabass. Rockfish peak from May through September. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May through August.

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.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • 69
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 69
    • California halibut 68
    • Cabezon 67

    2 kt NWH 11:05 AM · 5.1 ftL 4:36 PM · 2.1 ft

  • Fleming Point

    Cape · 1.2 mi

    67
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 67
    • Striped bass 67
    • Cabezon 66

    2 kt NWH 11:12 AM · 5.0 ftL 4:39 PM · 2.2 ft

  • Point Isabel

    Cape · 1.6 mi

    67
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 67
    • Striped bass 67
    • Cabezon 66

    2 kt NWH 11:12 AM · 5.0 ftL 4:39 PM · 2.2 ft

  • Berkeley Point

    Cape · 1.2 mi

    66
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 66
    • Striped bass 66
    • Rockfish 65

    2 kt WSWH 11:03 AM · 5.3 ftL 4:29 PM · 2.3 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.