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RockfishRetention openCape · Washington
Point of Arches
48.25°N · 124.70°W · Cape · West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 AM · Cabezon
- Now
- 536 AM PDT
- Best window
- 7 AM-1 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Flooding0.9 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Point of Arches 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 · 6 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
78Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 10 kt NWPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
37Water temp: 58°F, primeLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 5.8 ftSeason & habitat · Rockfish
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)
Rockfish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 7 per day (9 bottomfish combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- No minimum size.
- Season
- Mar 14 to Oct 17, 2026
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Special rules from Oct 18
- Other
- West of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line: canary sublimit 5, and copper, quillback and vermilion rockfish may not be possessed in May, June and July. East of the line: only black, blue/deacon, yellowtail and widow rockfish may be kept. Yelloweye may not be kept anywhere. The C-shaped yelloweye rockfish conservation area off the north coast is closed to halibut and bottomfish fishing. Vessels fishing for bottomfish or halibut must carry a descending device rigged for immediate use.
From WDFW North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Cabezon Retention open (1 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
- Chinook salmon Closed (No retention)
- Chum salmon Closed (No retention)
- Coho salmon Closed (No retention)
- 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 Closed (No retention)
- Sablefish Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
- Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
- Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)
Source: WDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Rockfish is best here
Shoulder season for Rockfish · 31 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Point of Arches
- Depth
- 1-15 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRockfish
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below the DEM vertical datum, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Point of Arches
Point of Arches is a cape in West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Washington. Depth in the nearest water is 1-15 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are rockfish, cabezon and kelp greenling. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for rockfish, cabezon, kelp greenling and lingcod. Rockfish peak from May through August. Cabezon peak from May through August. Kelp greenling peak from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Rockfish
- Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.
- 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.
- Kelp greenling
- Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Spike Rock57
Bar · 1.0 mi
Top: RockfishShoulder season- Rockfish 57
- Lingcod 55
- Cabezon 54
10 kt NWH 11:42 AM · 7.3 ftL 5:22 PM · 2.9 ft
- Strawberry Rock57
Bar · 4.9 mi
Top: RockfishShoulder season- Rockfish 57
- Lingcod 55
- Cabezon 54
10 kt NWH 11:42 AM · 7.3 ftL 5:22 PM · 2.9 ft
- Father and Son56
Bar · 1.5 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 56
- Rockfish 53
- Lingcod 52
10 kt NWH 11:46 AM · 7.2 ftL 5:30 PM · 2.6 ft
- Makah Bay54
Bay · 5.3 mi
Top: Pacific halibutShoulder season- Pacific halibut 54
- Rockfish 54
- Lingcod 53
10 kt NWH 11:42 AM · 7.3 ftL 5:22 PM · 2.9 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.