Waterlands

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SurfperchRetention open

Bay · California

Brickyard Cove

37.91°N · 122.39°W · Bay · 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 · 8 PM · Surfperch

79/100Great
Now
6612 PM PDT
Best window
7-10 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing5.2 ft ▼

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score66Great
Tide5.2 ft ▼Ebbing
CurrentSlack0.1 kn
Wind2 kn NEgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateLight chop1.6 ft · 8 s
Air temp69°Warm
WeatherPartly cloudy31% cloud
Water64°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Surfperch

Retention open
Daily limit
20 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

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))
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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 Surfperch is best here

Peak season for Surfperch · 1 more week at peak

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

Surfperch in California

Spot profile

Brickyard Cove

Depth
6-35 ftSlope
Structure
Bay · Inner · Semi-exposedBay · slope
Season
Peak seasonSurfperch

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 Brickyard Cove

Brickyard Cove is a bay in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is 6-35 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are surfperch, California halibut and cabezon. It is peak season now for surfperch, cabezon, striped bass and rockfish, and shoulder season for California halibut, leopard shark, kelp greenling and Pacific halibut. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. California halibut peak from May through August. Cabezon peak from May through September.

Tackle & technique

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.
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.
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

  • Sandpiper Spit

    Bar · 0.5 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 64
    • California halibut 62
    • Surfperch 61

    2 kt NEL 4:36 PM · 2.1 ftH 10:17 PM · 5.7 ft

  • Cypress Point

    Cape · 1.1 mi

    64
    Top: California halibutShoulder season
    • California halibut 64
    • Cabezon 62
    • Surfperch 60

    2 kt NEL 4:44 PM · 2.3 ftH 10:28 PM · 5.8 ft

  • Point Potrero Reach

    Channel · 0.4 mi

    63
    Top: California halibutShoulder season
    • California halibut 63
    • Surfperch 61
    • Striped bass 59

    2 kt NEL 4:36 PM · 2.1 ftH 10:17 PM · 5.7 ft

  • Top: California halibutShoulder season
    • California halibut 63
    • Surfperch 61
    • Cabezon 58

    2 kt NEL 4:44 PM · 2.3 ftH 10:28 PM · 5.8 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.