UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CabezonRetention openBay · California
Horseshoe Bay
37.83°N · 122.48°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 · 7 PM · Cabezon
- Now
- 4710 AM PDT
- Best window
- 6-9 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding4.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Horseshoe 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 · 10 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
63Tide: FloodingCurrent: 2.1 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
89Wind: 2 kt WSWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
33Water temp: 63°F, warmLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Near a majorSeas: 4.7 ftSeason & habitat · Cabezon
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
Cabezon
Retention open- Daily limit
- 10 per day (10 rockfish, cabezon and greenlings combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- No minimum size limit.
- Season
- Apr 1 to Dec 31, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Shore-based anglers and spear divers are exempt from groundfish seasons and depth limits. All groundfish fishing is prohibited at Cordell Bank. RCG complex: all rockfish, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenlings combined. A descending device must be aboard when fishing from a boat.
From CDFW Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations (updated June 23, 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))
- 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)
- 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 Cabezon is best here
Peak season for Cabezon · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Horseshoe Bay
- Depth
- 5-90 ftDrop-off
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · drop-off
- Season
- Peak seasonCabezon
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 Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe 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 5-90 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are surfperch, Chinook salmon and striped bass. It is peak season now for surfperch, striped bass, rockfish and cabezon, and shoulder season for Chinook salmon, Pacific halibut, lingcod and white seabass. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September. Chinook salmon peak from June through August. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Kirby Cove68
Bay · 0.9 mi
Top: SurfperchPeak season- Surfperch 68
- Rockfish 62
- Lingcod 58
2 kt WSWH 10:59 AM · 4.8 ftL 4:20 PM · 2.2 ft
- Vista Point64
Cape · 0.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 64
- Surfperch 63
- Chinook salmon 60
2 kt WSWH 10:59 AM · 4.8 ftL 4:20 PM · 2.2 ft
- Point Cavallo63
Cape · 0.2 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 63
- Surfperch 63
- Chinook salmon 59
2 kt WSWH 10:59 AM · 4.8 ftL 4:20 PM · 2.2 ft
- Golden Gate60
Channel · 1.2 mi
Top: RockfishPeak season- Rockfish 60
- Striped bass 60
- Chinook salmon 58
2 kt WSWH 10:49 AM · 4.9 ftL 4:06 PM · 2.2 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.