Fishing Hot Spots

Lake guides for this map

Month-by-month patterns, fish, ramps and rules for each water:

All fishing guides →

Fishing Hot Spots by area

Piers, harbors, kelp points, islands and offshore banks. Tap one to fly to it on the map.

Yellowtail on the kelp, calico bass on the rocks and tuna offshore

Southern California is kelp, rock and sand. Calico bass, sheephead and sand bass live on the kelp beds and breakwaters all year, California halibut lie on the sand in the bays and off the beaches, and the piers are full of mackerel, perch, corbina and croaker. In spring and summer the yellowtail, barracuda, bonito and white seabass show up around Catalina, San Clemente Island, the Coronado Islands and the kelp along the coast.

Offshore, the banks off San Diego (Coronado, Thirtymile and Fortymile Banks) and the outer banks (Cortes and Tanner) are where the summer and fall tuna, yellowtail and dorado fishing happens. Rockfish and lingcod are on the deeper rocks when the season is open.

You need a California sport fishing license, except on public piers. Southern California has many marine protected areas: in State Marine Reserves you cannot fish at all, and Conservation Areas have their own limits. Rockfish seasons and depth limits change often, and Cortes and Tanner Banks sit in the Cowcod Conservation Area. Check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife before you go.