Waterlands

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SurfperchRetention open

Cape · California

Brockway Point

34.02°N · 120.15°W · Cape · Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island CA and westward 60 nm including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 7 AM · Surfperch

70/100Great
Now
293 AM PDT
Best window
6-9 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding0.2 ft ▲

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 3 AM · now

Time3ANOW
Score29Fair
Tide0.2 ft ▲Flooding
Current0.5 knmodeled · toward SSW
Wind15 kn NWgusts 24 · easing
Sea stateVery rough7.0 ft · 9 s
Air temp65°Mild
WeatherClear6% cloud
Water71°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Surfperch

Retention open
Daily limit
20 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 10.5 in, total length. Redtail surfperch only. No minimum size for other surfperch.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
In San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, surfperch are closed April 1 through July 31 and the limit is 5 (shiner perch excepted). 20 surfperch in combination, not more than 10 of any one species. Shiner perch have a separate limit of 20.

From CDFW 2026 California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (last updated July 17, 2026), read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Albacore tuna Retention open (10 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 (5 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)
  • White seabass Retention open (3 per day)
  • Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
  • Yellowtail Retention open (10 per day)

Source: CDFW · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Surfperch is best here

Shoulder season for Surfperch · 9 more weeks at shoulder

Surfperch season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Surfperch · 9 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Surfperch in California

Spot profile

Brockway Point

Depth
7-30 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonSurfperch

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 Brockway Point

Brockway Point is a cape in Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island CA and westward 60 nm including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, California. Depth in the nearest water is 7-30 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, lingcod and rockfish. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, California halibut and leopard shark, and shoulder season for lingcod, rockfish, barred sand bass and kelp bass. California yellowtail peak from July through September. Lingcod peak in April and from November through December. Rockfish peak from April through June.

Tackle & technique

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.
California yellowtail
Yellowtail school around the offshore islands, banks, high spots and kelp paddies from spring into fall, moving north from Baja as the water warms past about 64 degrees. Fly-line a sardine or mackerel, cast a surface iron to breaking fish, or drop a heavy iron and wind it fast when they hold deep. Heavy line matters because they run straight for kelp and rock.
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

  • Rodes Reef

    Bar · 1.6 mi

    51
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 51
    • Rockfish 46
    • Lingcod 45

    3 kt WNWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft

  • Beacon Reef

    Bar · 5.7 mi

    51
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 51
    • Rockfish 46
    • Lingcod 45

    3 kt WNWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft

  • Northwest Anchorage

    Bay · 5.7 mi

    48
    Top: Kelp bassShoulder season
    • Kelp bass 48
    • California yellowtail 47
    • Barred sand bass 46

    3 kt WNWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft

  • Tacott Shoal

    Bar · 5.4 mi

    38
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 38
    • White seabass 33
    • California halibut 30

    15 kt NWH 9:08 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:34 PM · 1.8 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.