Species guide · California
Lingcod fishing in California
Ophiodon elongatus, a nearshore species also called ling, lings and ling cod. Listed for the Northern California and Southern California regions. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Inner waters from Point Mugu to San Mateo Pt. CA including Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands at 69, one of 11 California bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Northern California
Shoulder season, about 1 more week- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Peak season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: Apr to May, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Jan.
Research notes, Northern California region
Post-spawn fish feed hard in spring and large fish move onto shallow reefs in fall ahead of spawning. 2026 boat groundfish season in the Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco and Central areas is closed Jan 1 to Mar 31 and open Apr 1 to Dec 31 at all depths; shore anglers and divers are exempt from season and depth limits. Minimum size 22 inches.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Southern California
Shoulder season, about 6 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Shoulder season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Peak season
Peak: Apr, Nov to Dec. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Jan.
Research notes, Southern California region
Less abundant than farther north, caught on deeper rocky reefs and around the Channel Islands. 2026 Southern Management Area: boat groundfish closed Jan 1 to Mar 31, all depths Apr 1 to Jun 30, inside 50 fathoms Jul 1 to Sep 30, and Oct 1 to Dec 31 open for lingcod only seaward of 50 fathoms. Seasonality here is low confidence.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 11
California bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's lingcod score this hour.
Best window today 5-7 PM (69) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (69) · 117 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (68) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (68) · 17 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (67) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (67) · 9 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (69) · 61 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (72) · 28 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (69) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (72) · 27 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (70) · 159 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (65) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 12 PM (69) · 50 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (69) · 30 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (64) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (70) · 28 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 42°F to 62°F, best between 46°F and 55°F.
- Water depth
- 10 to 330 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, pinnacle, ledge, kelp, jetty, point and channel, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with light current.ADF&G's Sitka guide says lingcod wait on reef tops and outcrops for tidal current to bring bait past and often feed when the tide is running; at slack, fish deeper. ODFW recommends incoming tides for shore anglers on jetties. In big-tide inside waters, strong current makes it hard to keep a jig near the bottom, so the building and easing parts of the tide are the practical windows.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 6 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
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.
- Methods
- vertical jigging, drift fishing, bait fishing on the bottom, casting from jetties and rocky shore
- Lures
- 6 to 12 oz lead-head jigs with swimbait or grub tails, metal bar and diamond jigs, silver spoons, large curly-tail grubs
- Bait
- herring, whole squid, octopus, salmon belly strips, live small fish where legal
Regulations
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with CDFW Sep 16, 2026.
No reviewed lingcod rule for California is on file yet. Check with CDFW before you keep one.