Waterlands

UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN

Barred sand bassRetention open

Cape · California

Coati Point

34.03°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
4712 PM PDT
Best window
4-8 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Ebbing2.9 ft ▼

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

Notify me when Coati Point scores 75+

Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.

Sign in to set an alert

24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score47Good
Tide2.9 ft ▼Ebbing
Current0.5 knmodeled · toward NW
Wind2 kn Wgusts 9 · steady
Sea stateRough5.6 ft · 10 s
Air temp76°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

Coati Point

Depth
6-40 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 Coati Point

Coati 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 6-40 ft. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

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

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.
Kelp bass
Kelp bass live in kelp beds, rocky reefs and breakwaters, most often in 9 to 70 feet of water, and seldom move far from home. In summer cast swimbaits or fish live anchovies along the up-current edge of the kelp and let them swim into the canopy. In winter the bigger fish move to reefs in 90 feet or more, where a squid-tipped jig works better.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Beacon Reef

    Bar · 1.0 mi

    66
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 66
    • Barred sand bass 58
    • Kelp bass 58

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

  • Corral Point

    Cape · 0.4 mi

    64
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 64
    • Kelp bass 54
    • Lingcod 54

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

  • Carrington Point

    Cape · 0.6 mi

    64
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 64
    • Kelp bass 54
    • Lingcod 54

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

  • Northwest Anchorage

    Bay · 0.9 mi

    59
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 59
    • Kelp bass 55
    • Lingcod 54

    2 kt WL 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.