Waterlands

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California halibutRetention open

Bay · California

Drakes Bay

38.01°N · 122.92°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 · 11 PM · California halibut

72/100Great
Now
3010 AM PDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
High4.8 ft

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

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14-day forecast

Best days to fish

Best: Fri · 76

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 10 AM · now

Time10ANOW
Score30Fair
Tide4.8 ftHigh
Current0.7 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind1 kn Wgusts 8 · building
Sea stateRough6.0 ft · 9 s
Air temp66°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy32% cloud
Water57°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)
Always check with CDFW ↗Fishing license ↗

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

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

Spot profile

Drakes Bay

Depth
50-80 ft
Structure
Bay · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonCalifornia halibut

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 464 m grid. Depths are feet below mean sea level, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Drakes Bay

Drakes Bay 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 50-80 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, kelp greenling and surfperch. It is peak season now for cabezon, surfperch, striped bass and rockfish, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, Chinook salmon, Pacific halibut and white seabass. Cabezon peak from May through September. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Surfperch peak in May and from July 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.
Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

View all on map →
  • Bull Point

    Cape · 3.6 mi

    65
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 65
    • Rockfish 64
    • Striped bass 61

    1 kt WH 11:18 AM · 4.6 ftL 5:14 PM · 2.0 ft

  • Estero De Limantour

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Surfperch 63
    • Kelp greenling 59

    1 kt WL 3:28 PM · 2.4 ftH 9:21 PM · 5.5 ft

  • Drakes Estero

    Bay · 2.8 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonPeak season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Surfperch 64
    • Kelp greenling 59

    1 kt WL 3:28 PM · 2.4 ftH 9:21 PM · 5.5 ft

  • Barries Bay

    Bay · 3.3 mi

    60
    Top: SurfperchPeak season
    • Surfperch 60
    • Chinook salmon 50
    • Pacific halibut 48

    1 kt WL 3:28 PM · 2.4 ftH 9:21 PM · 5.5 ft

Open in the tide map

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.