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FISHING GUIDE · MONTEREY BAY, CALIFORNIA
Monterey Bay, California Fishing Guide
Monterey Bay is known for king salmon, rockfish and lingcod, with California halibut on the sandy flats near Santa Cruz. Party boats from Monterey, Moss Landing and Santa Cruz run rockfish and salmon trips, and private boats troll the deep water over Soquel Hole. The whole bay sits inside a national marine sanctuary, and the Monterey Peninsula has a chain of state marine reserves and conservation areas.
📍 Central California coast between Santa Cruz and Monterey. Party boats run from Monterey (Chris' Fishing Trips), Moss Landing (Kahuna Sportfishing) and Santa Cruz (Stagnaro's). Salmon spots include Soquel Hole, Three Trees and Soldiers Club; bottom fishing trips go as far as Franklin Point.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Central & Northern California map →
Quick facts
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was designated on September 18, 1992, and covers 6,094 square miles with 276 miles of shoreline.
- The sanctuary has known depths of 12,743 feet.
- Monterey Bay is in CDFW's Central Groundfish Management Area (Pigeon Point to Point Conception).
- In 2026 the ocean salmon season from Pigeon Point to the Mexican border ran April 11 - August 31 (harvest guideline 21,800 Chinook), with a fall season September 1-30.
- North of Point Sur the California halibut limit is 2 fish; south of Point Sur it is 5.
What you can catch
- Chinook (king) salmon
Trolled or mooched in 170-250 feet near Soquel Hole, Three Trees and Soldiers Club; 2 per day, no coho. - Rockfish
Main party-boat fish; open Apr 1 - Dec 31 at all depths in 2026. - Lingcod
Caught on rockfish trips; 2 fish, 22-inch minimum. - California halibut
Shallow sand near Santa Cruz; 22 inches, 2 fish (north of Point Sur). - Cabezon and greenling
Part of the 10-fish rockfish/cabezon/greenling bag. - Dungeness crab
Hoop nets or traps in season; limit 10, 5 3/4-inch minimum.
Month by month
| January | Boat-based rockfish and lingcod closed (Jan 1 - Mar 31). Dungeness crab season open. |
|---|---|
| February | Groundfish closed for boats. Crab season open. |
| March | Groundfish closed for boats. Crab season open. |
| April | Rockfish and lingcod open all depths Apr 1. Salmon opened Apr 11, 2026 (24-inch minimum through May 15). |
| May | Salmon and rockfish. Salmon minimum drops to 20 inches after May 15. |
| June | Salmon and rockfish. Crab season closed after Jun 30, 2026. |
| July | Salmon, rockfish and lingcod; halibut on the Santa Cruz flats. |
| August | Spring/summer salmon season ran through Aug 31, 2026. |
| September | 2026 fall salmon season Sep 1-30 south of Pigeon Point. Rockfish open. |
| October | Rockfish and lingcod open all depths. Salmon closed south of Pigeon Point. |
| November | Crab season set to open Sat Nov 7, 2026 (can be delayed for whale safety). |
| December | Rockfish and lingcod open through Dec 31; crab season open. |
Tips
- Soquel Canyon and Portuguese Ledge SMCAs allow only pelagic finfish such as salmon; do not bottom fish for rockfish there.
- When fishing salmon with bait (not trolling), use no more than two barbless circle hooks; salmon may not be filleted on the boat.
- Carry a descending device; it is required for rockfish fishing from a boat.
- Check the CDFW salmon tracker and hotline (707-576-3429) before each trip; days can close in-season.
- Check CDFW's Whale-Safe Fisheries page before setting crab traps; the season can be delayed or restricted.
Rules and license
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW); NOAA Fisheries / Pacific Fishery Management Council; Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) · Official rules page ↗
- California sport fishing license required for anglers 16 and older. No Ocean Enhancement Validation is needed here (it applies south of Point Arguello).
- 2026 salmon (Pigeon Point to Mexico): Apr 11 - Aug 31 and Sep 1-30; 2 salmon per day, no coho; 24 inches through May 15, 20 inches after. 2027 dates are set in March-April 2027.
- Central groundfish area 2026: closed Jan 1 - Mar 31; open at all depths Apr 1 - Dec 31. Rockfish/cabezon/greenling 10 combined (1 copper, 2 vermilion/sunset, 2 canary); lingcod 2 at 22 inches.
- No take of cowcod, yelloweye, quillback or bronzespotted rockfish at any time.
- No-take reserves: Lovers Point-Julia Platt, Asilomar, Carmel Pinnacles and Point Lobos SMRs.
- Limited-take areas: Edward F. Ricketts SMCA (finfish by hook and line), Pacific Grove Marine Gardens and Carmel Bay SMCAs (finfish), Point Lobos SMCA (salmon and albacore only), Soquel Canyon and Portuguese Ledge SMCAs (pelagic finfish only).
- Dungeness crab (counties south of Mendocino): Nov 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2026, and Nov 7, 2026 - Jun 30, 2027, subject to whale-safety delays.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 8 boat ramps and 2 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Boat ramp near Moss Landing Harbor
- Boat ramp near Sunny Cove
- Boat ramp near Whalers Cove
- Breakwater Marina
- Monterey Marina
- Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor
Sources
- https://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/welcome.html
- https://www.norcalfishreports.com/fish_reports/162038/fishing-is-great-in-monterey-bay-right-now.php
- https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon
- https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=242581&inline
- https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary
- https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Sport-Fishing
- https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=239985&inline
- https://wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.