Now until tomorrow 10 amCalifornia halibut
The bite peaks at 100. Water is 67°, close to the 64° California halibut like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
California halibut range 55–72°
From the west-northwest
Sunset 5:05 pm
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Waning crescent
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are California regulations for these waters.
Right in California halibut's ideal range. California halibut prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 4–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 2/person/day north of Point Sur, Monterey County. 22" total length minimum.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North of Point Sur
Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Oct. More on California halibut
Right in white seabass's ideal range. White seabass prefers incoming tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 10–100 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 28" total length (20" alternate length) minimum, 3/person/day, but only 1/day south of Point Conception from Mar 15 to Jun 15.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · California
Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Sep. More on white seabass
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Above rockfish's active range (45–58°F) — fish move deep. Holds 20–300 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10/person/day in combination (rockfish, cabezon, greenlings): no more than 1 copper, 2 canary, 2 vermilion/sunset (4 in the Northern area). No quillback, yelloweye, cowcod or bronzespotted at any time. Boats: closed Jan 1–Mar 31; south of Point Conception, all depths Apr–Jun, inside 50 fathoms Jul–Sep, then closures and depth limits through Dec. Shore anglers and spear divers are exempt from the season and depth rules.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · California
Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Dec. More on rockfish
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. California CDFW has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory
A deep, productive bay on the central California coast — rockfish and lingcod on the reefs, California halibut on the sandy flats, and white seabass in the kelp, with salmon offshore in season. Fished from boats and the Monterey and Santa Cruz wharves. Live tide and water temperature from the Monterey station.
California halibut: 22" minimum, 2 a day north of Point Sur. Rockfish and lingcod: boats closed Jan 1–Mar 31, open all depths Apr–Dec; shore anglers exempt.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Monterey Bay you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Monterey Bay is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Rockfish, California Halibut, White Seabass. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Monterey Bay against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Monterey Bay has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. California halibut: 22" minimum, 2 a day north of Point Sur. Rockfish and lingcod: boats closed Jan 1–Mar 31, open all depths Apr–Dec; shore anglers exempt.
state agency regulations apply at Monterey Bay. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
Yes. Monterey Bay sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
