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CabezonRetention openBay · Washington
Jefferson Cove
47.76°N · 124.45°W · Bay · Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Cabezon
- Now
- 491 PM PDT
- Best window
- 7-10 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing6.5 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Jefferson Cove 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 · 1 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
88Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
94Wind: 5 kt WNWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 57°F, primeLight: Partly cloudySolunar: Between periodsSeas: 6.3 ftSeason & habitat · Cabezon
Species seasonality
48Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Marine Area 3 (La Push)
Cabezon
Retention open- Daily limit
- 1 per day (9 bottomfish combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- No minimum size.
- Season
- Mar 14 to Oct 17, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Oct 18
- Other
- The C-shaped yelloweye rockfish conservation area off the north coast is closed to halibut and bottomfish fishing.
From WDFW North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Chinook salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Chum salmon Catch & release (No retention)
- Coho salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Kelp greenling Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
- Lingcod Retention open (2 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
- Pacific cod Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
- Pacific halibut Retention open (1 per day)
- Pink salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Rockfish Retention open (7 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
- Sablefish Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
- Sockeye salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)
Source: WDFW · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Cabezon is best here
Shoulder season for Cabezon · 31 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Jefferson Cove
- Depth
- About 15 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposed
- Season
- Shoulder seasonCabezon
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 Jefferson Cove
Jefferson Cove is a bay in Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm, Washington. Depth in the nearest water is about 15 ft. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 12 species here; the best right now are coho salmon, Chinook salmon and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for coho salmon, Chinook salmon and albacore tuna, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, surfperch, cabezon and rockfish. Coho salmon peak from July through September. Chinook salmon peak from July through September. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Cabezon
- Cabezon sit in rock crevices, kelp beds and jetty boulders from the intertidal zone to about 100 feet and feed mostly on crabs and small fish. Fish a fish-finder rig with sand shrimp, squid or crab right on the bottom in the rocks, or drag a lead-head grub slowly through the kelp. Expect snags, and do not eat the roe, which is toxic.
- Coho salmon
- Coho feed in the top 30 to 50 feet along tide rips, kelp edges and bait schools, and often hit within a few feet of the surface. Troll faster than for Chinook, 2 to 4 mph, with a small flasher and hoochie, bucktail fly or herring, or cast spinners and flies from beaches near stream mouths as fish stage in late summer. The hour around a tide change is often the best window.
- Chinook salmon
- Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- North Rock61
Bar · 1.4 mi
Top: Coho salmonPeak season- Coho salmon 61
- Chinook salmon 58
- Cabezon 57
5 kt WNWL 5:07 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:05 PM · 7.9 ft
- Perkins Reef61
Bar · 2.4 mi
Top: Coho salmonPeak season- Coho salmon 61
- Cabezon 57
- Chinook salmon 57
5 kt WNWL 5:07 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:05 PM · 7.9 ft
- Toleak Point60
Cape · 6.3 mi
Top: Chinook salmonPeak season- Chinook salmon 60
- Coho salmon 59
- Kelp greenling 57
5 kt WNWL 5:18 PM · 2.6 ftH 11:10 PM · 7.7 ft
- Browns Point57
Cape · 9.5 mi
Top: Chinook salmonPeak season- Chinook salmon 57
- Coho salmon 56
- Albacore tuna 53
5 kt WNWL 5:07 PM · 2.7 ftH 11:05 PM · 7.9 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 WDFW before you keep a fish.