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California yellowtailRetention openBar · California
Tacott Shoal
34.01°N · 120.24°W · Bar · 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 · California yellowtail
- Now
- 534 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 Tacott Shoal 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
82Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.5 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
84Wind: 12 kt NNWPressure: FallingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
45Water temp: 67°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.2 ftSeason & habitat · California yellowtail
Species seasonality
68Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Southern Groundfish Management Area
Yellowtail
Retention open- Daily limit
- 10 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 24 in, fork length. Five fish less than 24 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
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)
- White seabass Retention open (3 per day)
- Yellowfin tuna Retention open (10 per day)
Source: CDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When California yellowtail is best here
Peak season for California yellowtail · 1 more week at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Tacott Shoal
- Depth
- 20-60 ft
- Structure
- Shoal · Outer · Exposed
- Season
- Peak seasonCalifornia yellowtail
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 Tacott Shoal
Tacott Shoal is a bar in Waters from Pt. Sal to Santa Cruz Island CA and westward 60 nm including San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, California. Depth is 20-60 ft. Its profile reads shoal, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 9 species here; the best right now are California yellowtail, white seabass and barred sand bass. It is peak season now for California yellowtail, California halibut and leopard shark, and shoulder season for white seabass, barred sand bass, kelp bass and lingcod. California yellowtail peak from July through September. White seabass peak from April through July. Barred sand bass peak from June through August.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Brennan Reef57
Bar · 3.0 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 57
- Lingcod 50
- Rockfish 50
12 kt NNWH 9:08 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:34 PM · 1.8 ft
- Cardwell Point57
Cape · 3.2 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 57
- Lingcod 48
- Rockfish 47
12 kt NNWH 9:08 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:34 PM · 1.8 ft
- Bay Point57
Cape · 4.9 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 57
- Lingcod 48
- Rockfish 47
12 kt NNWH 9:08 AM · 4.3 ftL 2:34 PM · 1.8 ft
- San Miguel Passage52
Channel · 1.7 mi
Top: California yellowtailPeak season- California yellowtail 52
- Lingcod 48
- Rockfish 47
12 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.