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Pacific halibutRetention openBay · California
Creamery Bay
38.07°N · 122.96°W · Bay · 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 · 6 PM · Striped bass
- Now
- 423 AM PDT
- Best window
- 5-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.5 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Creamery Bay 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 · 3 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
93Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
88Wind: 2 kt NEPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
3Water temp: 57°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 7.9 ftSeason & habitat · Pacific halibut
Species seasonality
41Season: ShoulderHabitat: Structure unmappedRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
Pacific halibut
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day
- Possession
- 1 in possession
- Size
- Not published
- Season
- Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Closes early if the quota for south of Point Arena is reached. Check the CDFW Pacific halibut page before fishing. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks. The 2026 booklet (Section 28.20) still says the season ends November 15 statewide. CDFW web pages and the 2026 federal rule (91 FR 23369) keep south of Point Arena open through December 31.
From CDFW Current Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations, San Francisco Region (updated September 1, 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 Closed (No retention)
- 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)
- 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 yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Pacific halibut is best here
Shoulder season for Pacific halibut · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- Not here
- This week
Spot profile
Creamery Bay
- Depth
- Not sampled
- Structure
- Bay
- Season
- Shoulder seasonPacific halibut
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14. Depths are feet below the DEM vertical datum, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Creamery Bay
Creamery Bay is a bay in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are Pacific halibut, Chinook salmon and cabezon. It is peak season now for cabezon, rockfish, striped bass and surfperch, and shoulder season for Pacific halibut, Chinook salmon, California halibut and kelp greenling. Pacific halibut peak from May through July. Chinook salmon peak from June through August. Cabezon peak from May through September.
Tackle & technique
- Pacific halibut
- Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.
- Chinook salmon
- Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.
- 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
- Bull Point59
Cape · 1.5 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 59
- Lingcod 53
- Chinook salmon 48
2 kt NEL 5:02 AM · 0.3 ftH 11:18 AM · 4.6 ft
- Schooner Bay54
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 54
- Lingcod 48
- Chinook salmon 44
2 kt NEL 5:02 AM · 0.3 ftH 11:18 AM · 4.6 ft
- Drakes Estero44
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 44
- Rockfish 44
- Surfperch 44
2 kt NEL 3:29 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:05 AM · 4.8 ft
- Barries Bay42
Bay · 1.2 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 42
- Chinook salmon 34
- Cabezon 30
2 kt NEL 3:29 AM · 0.4 ftH 10:05 AM · 4.8 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.