UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
CabezonRetention openBar · California
Santa Clara Shoal
38.09°N · 121.65°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 · 11 PM · Cabezon
- Now
- 582 PM PDT
- Best window
- 11 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.0 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Santa Clara Shoal 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 · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
95Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.1 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 3 kt NNWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
44Water temp: 68°F, hotLight: Bright sunSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.0 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 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)
- 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
Santa Clara Shoal
- Depth
- 3-5 ft
- Structure
- Shoal · Inner · Semi-exposed
- Season
- Peak seasonCabezon
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 Santa Clara Shoal
Santa Clara Shoal 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 3-5 ft. Its profile reads shoal, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are striped bass, California halibut and surfperch. It is peak season now for striped bass, surfperch, rockfish and cabezon, and shoulder season for California halibut, leopard shark, lingcod and white seabass. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October. California halibut peak from May through August. Surfperch peak in May and from July through September.
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.
- Striped bass
- Striped bass feed where moving tide pushes bait past structure: inlets, points, jetties, bridge pilings and rips in the surf, usually in 2 to 40 feet of water. Fish dawn, dusk and night hardest, casting plugs, bucktails and soft plastics or drifting live bunker and eels, and chunk bait on the bottom in current. In midsummer the larger fish drop deeper or feed mostly after dark.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Webb Reach73
Channel · 2.7 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 73
- Leopard shark 67
- California halibut 65
3 kt NWH 3:59 PM · 2.2 ftL 9:42 PM · 0.8 ft
- Oulton Point72
Cape · 0.5 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 72
- Rockfish 67
- Cabezon 64
3 kt NNWH 3:31 PM · 2.2 ftL 9:09 PM · 1.1 ft
- Big Break71
Bay · 6.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 71
- Surfperch 70
- Leopard shark 69
3 kt NNWH 3:57 PM · 2.7 ftL 9:31 PM · 0.9 ft
- San Andreas Shoal62
Bar · 3.4 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 62
- California halibut 59
- Surfperch 59
3 kt NWH 3:59 PM · 2.2 ftL 9:42 PM · 0.8 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.