Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

White seabassRetention open

Bay · California

Estero De Limantour

38.03°N · 122.91°W · Bay · San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 11 PM · White seabass

72/100Great
Now
393 PM PDT
Best window
11 PM-12 AMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing2.4 ft ▼

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

Notify me when Estero De Limantour scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 PM · now

Time3PNOW
Score39Fair
Tide2.4 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.3 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind5 kn NWgusts 15 · steady
Sea stateRough5.5 ft · 9 s
Air temp78°Warm
WeatherClear3% cloud
Water59°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

San Francisco Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

White seabass

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

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 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)
  • 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)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When White seabass is best here

Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder

White seabass season by week of the year. Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

White seabass in California

Spot profile

Estero De Limantour

Depth
1-3 ft
Structure
Bay · Inner · Semi-exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonWhite seabass

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 Estero De Limantour

Estero De Limantour 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 1-3 ft. Its profile reads bay, inner water and semi-exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

White seabass
White seabass hold along kelp bed edges and over nearby sand where market squid gather, usually in 20 to 80 feet of water and shallower as the water warms. Fish a live squid on a dropper loop or fly-line a sardine near the kelp at dawn, dusk and after dark, especially around the spring full moon. Tagged fish spend most of their time in 52 to 66 degree water.
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.
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 Point

    Cape · 2.2 mi

    64
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 64
    • Striped bass 59
    • Lingcod 57

    5 kt NWL 5:14 PM · 2.0 ftH 10:30 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Home Bay

    Bay · 2.2 mi

    58
    Top: RockfishPeak season
    • Rockfish 58
    • Striped bass 56
    • Lingcod 52

    5 kt NWL 5:14 PM · 2.0 ftH 10:30 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Drakes Bay

    Bay · 1.6 mi

    53
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 53
    • Cabezon 51
    • Striped bass 50

    5 kt NWL 3:28 PM · 2.4 ftH 9:21 PM · 5.5 ft

  • Drakes Estero

    Bay · 1.9 mi

    52
    Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season
    • Pacific halibut 52
    • Cabezon 51
    • Surfperch 51

    5 kt NWL 3:28 PM · 2.4 ftH 9:21 PM · 5.5 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.