Waterlands

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Barred sand bassRetention open

Cape · California

Carrington Point

34.04°N · 120.04°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 · Barred sand bass

70/100Great
Now
379 AM PDT
Best window
10 AM-1 PMEbb tide
Tide now
High4.3 ft

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

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 AM · now

Time9ANOW
Score37Fair
Tide4.3 ftHigh
Current0.8 knmodeled · toward WNW
Wind1 kn NNEgusts 4 · steady
Sea stateRough5.6 ft · 10 s
Air temp71°Warm
WeatherClear0% cloud
Water71°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

Barred sand bass

Retention open
Daily limit
4 per day (5 kelp bass, barred sand bass and spotted sand bass combined)
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 14 in, total length. Or 10 inches alternate length.
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Fillets must be at least 7.5 inches long with a one-inch square patch of skin. No more than 4 of the 5 bass may be barred sand bass. This sub-limit is set to end June 1, 2028.

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)
  • 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)
  • 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)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Barred sand bass is best here

Shoulder season for Barred sand bass · 1 more week at shoulder

Barred sand bass season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Barred sand bass · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Barred sand bass in California

Spot profile

Carrington Point

Depth
25-45 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Outer · Exposed
Season
Shoulder seasonBarred sand bass

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 Carrington Point

Carrington 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 25-45 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, surfperch and kelp bass. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, California halibut and leopard shark, and shoulder season for surfperch, kelp bass, lingcod and rockfish. California yellowtail peak from July through September. Surfperch peak from December through March. Kelp bass peak from June through August.

Tackle & technique

Barred sand bass
Barred sand bass hold on the sand and rock edge of reefs, artificial reefs, breakwaters and bays, mostly in less than 90 feet of water. In summer they stack up over sand flats in 60 to 120 feet to spawn, and a plastic or live anchovy bounced on the bottom under the boat will catch them. A sudden drop in water temperature from upwelling can shut the bite off for a day or two.
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.
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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Coati Point

    Cape · 0.6 mi

    56
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 56
    • Surfperch 49
    • Kelp bass 48

    1 kt NNEL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:25 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Corral Point

    Cape · 0.9 mi

    56
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 56
    • Surfperch 49
    • Kelp bass 48

    1 kt NNEL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:25 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Northwest Anchorage

    Bay · 1.5 mi

    56
    Top: SurfperchShoulder season
    • Surfperch 56
    • California yellowtail 51
    • Kelp bass 49

    1 kt NNEL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:25 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Beacon Reef

    Bar · 0.5 mi

    55
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 55
    • Kelp bass 50
    • Surfperch 47

    1 kt NNEL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ftH 8:25 PM · 5.2 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.