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California halibutRetention openBar · California
Castro Rocks
37.93°N · 122.42°W · Bar · San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 8 PM · California halibut
- Now
- 6312 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
Notify me when Castro Rocks 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 · 12 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
99Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
91Wind: 2 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
64Water temp: 64°F, primeLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Near a majorSeas: 1.6 ftSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
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)
Source: CDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California halibut is best here
Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Castro Rocks
- Depth
- 5-50 ftDrop-off
- Structure
- Ledge · Inner · Semi-exposedLedge · drop-off
- 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 Castro Rocks
Castro Rocks 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 5-50 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads ledge, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, California halibut and rockfish. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, surfperch and striped bass, and shoulder season for California halibut, Pacific halibut, kelp greenling and lingcod. Cabezon peak from May through September. California halibut peak from May through August. Rockfish peak from May through September.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Point Molate65
Cape · 1.0 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 65
- Surfperch 61
- Kelp greenling 60
2 kt NEL 4:58 PM · 2.1 ftH 10:51 PM · 5.7 ft
- Point Orient65
Cape · 1.8 mi
Top: CabezonPeak season- Cabezon 65
- Surfperch 63
- Kelp greenling 60
2 kt NEL 4:58 PM · 2.1 ftH 10:51 PM · 5.7 ft
- Southampton Shoal Channel64
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: California halibutShoulder season- California halibut 64
- Surfperch 64
- Striped bass 61
2 kt NEL 4:44 PM · 2.3 ftH 10:28 PM · 5.8 ft
- Cypress Point64
Cape · 1.6 mi
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
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.