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California halibutRetention openChannel · California
West Reach
38.04°N · 121.88°W · Channel · 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 · California halibut
- Now
- 515 PM PDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing2.3 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when West Reach 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 · 5 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
31Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
93Wind: 3 kt NWPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC
69Water temp: 70°F, warmLight: Late afternoonSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · California halibut
Species seasonality
65Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area
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 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 California halibut is best here
Shoulder season for California halibut · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
West Reach
- Depth
- 1-40 ftSlope
- Structure
- Channel · Inner · ProtectedChannel · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCalifornia halibut
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 West Reach
West Reach is a channel in San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge, California. Depth is 1-40 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads channel, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are striped bass, lingcod and rockfish. It is peak season now for striped bass, rockfish, cabezon and surfperch, and shoulder season for lingcod, Chinook salmon, California halibut and leopard shark. Striped bass peak from June through July and from September through October. Lingcod peak from April through May and from October through November. Rockfish peak from May 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.
- 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.
- Lingcod
- Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Point Wall79
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 79
- Rockfish 69
- Lingcod 65
3 kt NWL 7:51 PM · 1.1 ftH 1:29 AM · 3.6 ft
- Point Wise79
Cape · 1.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 79
- Rockfish 69
- Lingcod 65
3 kt NWL 7:26 PM · 1.4 ftH 12:59 AM · 4.1 ft
- Spoonbill Creek77
Gut · 1.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 77
- Lingcod 65
- Rockfish 64
3 kt NWL 7:51 PM · 1.1 ftH 1:29 AM · 3.6 ft
- Point Emmet76
Cape · 0.1 mi
Top: Striped bassPeak season- Striped bass 76
- Rockfish 66
- Lingcod 62
3 kt NWL 7:51 PM · 1.1 ftH 1:29 AM · 3.6 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.