Waterlands

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White seabassRetention open

Cape · California

Crook Point

34.01°N · 120.36°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 · White seabass

70/100Great
Now
303 AM PDT
Best window
6-9 AMFlood tide
Tide now
Low0.2 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
Score30Fair
Tide0.2 ftLow
Current0.8 knmodeled · toward SSW
Wind15 kn NWgusts 24 · easing
Sea stateVery rough8.0 ft · 9 s
Air temp65°Mild
WeatherClear6% cloud
Water67°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Southern Groundfish Management Area

IN EFFECT NOW

White seabass

Retention open
Daily limit
3 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 28 in, total length. Or twenty and one-half inches alternate length (Section 28.35).
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
CDFW pages disagree on the alternate length: the regulation text says 20.5 inches, the booklet summary table 21.5 inches, and the regional web pages 20 inches. Total length is 28 inches on all of them.

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)
  • Surfperch Retention open (20 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 White seabass is best here

Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder

White seabass season by week of the year. Shoulder season for White seabass · 5 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

White seabass in California

Spot profile

Crook Point

Depth
10-45 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonWhite seabass

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 Crook Point

Crook 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 10-45 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

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

Tackle & technique

White seabass
White seabass hold along kelp bed edges and over nearby sand where market squid gather, usually in 20 to 80 feet of water and shallower as the water warms. Fish a live squid on a dropper loop or fly-line a sardine near the kelp at dawn, dusk and after dark, especially around the spring full moon. Tagged fish spend most of their time in 52 to 66 degree water.
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 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.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Bay Point

    Cape · 3.0 mi

    43
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 43
    • Lingcod 34
    • Rockfish 33

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

  • Cuyler Harbor

    Bay · 2.6 mi

    40
    Top: California yellowtailPeak season
    • California yellowtail 40
    • Surfperch 33
    • Lingcod 32

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

  • Wycoff Ledge

    Bar · 1.8 mi

    30
    Top: Barred sand bassShoulder season
    • Barred sand bass 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Kelp bass 30

    20 kt NNWH 9:08 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:34 PM · 1.8 ft

  • Tyler Bight

    Bay · 3.3 mi

    30
    Top: Barred sand bassShoulder season
    • Barred sand bass 30
    • California halibut 30
    • Leopard shark 30

    20 kt NNWH 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.