Waterlands

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CabezonRetention open

Cape · Washington

Waadah Point

48.39°N · 124.60°W · Cape · West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca

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Best score today · 8 AM · Cabezon

64/100Good
Now
5912 PM PDT
Best window
7 PM-12 AMFlood tide
Tide now
High6.0 ft

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score59Good
Tide6.0 ftHigh
CurrentFlood0.6 kn · toward ESE
Wind6 kn WSWgusts 7 · steady
Sea stateRough5.7 ft · 10 s
Air temp55°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy34% cloud
Water58°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

IN EFFECT NOW

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
Special rules from Oct 18
Other
East of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line cabezon stays open year-round. 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 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)
  • Rockfish Retention open (7 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Sablefish Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Cabezon is best here

Shoulder season for Cabezon · 31 more weeks at shoulder

Cabezon season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Cabezon · 31 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Cabezon in Washington

Spot profile

Waadah Point

Depth
15-80 ftDrop-off
Structure
Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
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 Waadah Point

Waadah Point is a cape in West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Washington. Depth is 15-80 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are cabezon, kelp greenling and Pacific halibut. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for cabezon, kelp greenling, Pacific halibut and surfperch. Cabezon peak from May through August. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Pacific halibut peak from May through July.

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.
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.
Pacific halibut
Halibut sit on sand and gravel bottoms near drop-offs, bars and pinnacles, most often in 90 to 500 feet in Alaska and on the shelf off Washington, Oregon and far northern California. Anchor up-current of a likely edge and fish herring, squid, octopus or a salmon head on a circle hook with 24 to 32 ounces of weight, or bounce a large jig on the bottom. The best bite usually comes in the hour around slack tide.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Koitlah Point

    Cape · 1.6 mi

    59
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 59
    • Kelp greenling 58
    • Pacific halibut 54

    6 kt WL 5:46 PM · 2.8 ftH 11:27 PM · 6.8 ft

  • Dtokoah Point

    Cape · 1.2 mi

    58
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 58
    • Kelp greenling 58
    • Surfperch 49

    5 kt WL 5:46 PM · 2.8 ftH 11:27 PM · 6.8 ft

  • Klachopis Point

    Cape · 1.5 mi

    58
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 58
    • Kelp greenling 58
    • Surfperch 49

    5 kt WL 5:46 PM · 2.8 ftH 11:27 PM · 6.8 ft

  • Neah Bay

    Bay · 1.0 mi

    57
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 57
    • Kelp greenling 57
    • Surfperch 54

    5 kt WL 5:46 PM · 2.8 ftH 11:27 PM · 6.8 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 WDFW before you keep a fish.