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Leopard sharkRetention openCape · California
Skunk Point
33.98°N · 119.98°W · Cape · Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island CA and westward 60 nm including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Leopard shark
- Now
- 304 AM PDT
- Best window
- 6-9 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.6 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Skunk Point scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 4 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
97Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.8 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
92Wind: 2 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
56Seas over the limit · capped at 30Water temp: 71°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.1 ftSeason & habitat · Leopard shark
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
Leopard shark
Retention open- Daily limit
- 3 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 36 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Closed in the Groundfish Exclusion Areas off southern California.
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))
- 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)
Source: CDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Leopard shark is best here
Peak season for Leopard shark · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Skunk Point
- Depth
- 20-40 ftDrop-off
- Structure
- Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
- Season
- Peak seasonLeopard shark
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 Skunk Point
Skunk 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 is 20-40 ft, with a drop-off. 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 white seabass. 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
- Leopard shark
- Leopard sharks cruise shallow mudflats, sloughs and channel edges in bays, most often in less than 15 feet of water, and follow the flooding tide onto the flats to feed on crabs, worms, clams and small fish. Anchor or fish from shore or a pier with a sliding sinker rig and a chunk of squid, mackerel or ghost shrimp on the bottom. The bite is often better into the evening and at night.
- 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
- East Point62
Cape · 2.8 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 62
- Kelp bass 53
- Lingcod 51
2 kt NWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft
- Santa Cruz Channel61
Channel · 3.0 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 61
- Lingcod 57
- Rockfish 57
2 kt NWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft
- Southeast Anchorage57
Bay · 1.6 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 57
- Barred sand bass 56
- Kelp bass 55
2 kt NWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 ft
- Bechers Bay57
Bay · 3.3 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 57
- Barred sand bass 55
- Kelp bass 52
2 kt NWH 9:02 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:27 PM · 1.9 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.