Months come from each species' own season curve around Bodega Bay. A strong month is strong for that fish, not a ranking against the others. Time of day, when it is shown, is today's forecast and moves with the tide.
Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) | ||||||||||||
| California Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October none, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September good, October good, November good, December good. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. California Halibut: January none, February poor, March good, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October fair, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February none, March fair, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September excellent, October poor, November none, December none. Dungeness Crab: January good, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October good, November excellent, December excellent. Cabezon: January fair, February good, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May fair, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October peak, November good, December none.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
Chinook are ocean-feeding off Bodega Bay primarily spring through fall, building as fish stage and feed on anchovy/krill from May, peaking June-August when mature fish congregate before their fall river runs. Numbers taper sharply from September into October as fish enter the Sacramento/rivers to spawn, leaving nearshore waters largely empty in winter.
Good in January, February, August, September, October, November and December.
Lingcod are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers present year-round in Bodega Bay's rocky bottom and offshore reefs, so abundance never hits zero. The winter (Dec–Mar) nesting season concentrates males guarding egg masses on shallower reefs producing a modest late-winter presence, while the strongest local abundance builds through late summer and early fall (Aug–Oct) as fish feed heavily and post-spawn recruits fill in, with a slight early-summer dip during upwelling turbulence.
Good in May, June, July, August, September and October.
Rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef and rock-structure fish, so biological abundance stays near baseline year-round with no true absences. A gentle summer-through-early-fall bulge (Jul–Sep) reflects warmer, calmer nearshore conditions concentrating fish on shallower structure and post-recruitment young-of-year swelling local populations, while winter storms disperse and push fish deeper without removing them from Bodega waters.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
California halibut move into Bodega Bay's shallow sandy flats and estuary mouths as water warms in spring, peaking late spring through early summer (May–July) when they spawn and forage in nearshore waters. Abundance tapers through fall as fish move deeper and offshore with cooling water, staying lowest in cold winter months though never fully absent since this is near the northern edge of their range.
Peaks in April, May, June, July and August.
Pacific (California) halibut migrate into Bodega Bay's shallow sandy flats and nearshore waters as water warms, with a spring buildup and a strong late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) driven by anchovy and squid forage. Abundance drops sharply in late fall as fish move offshore to deeper water for winter, leaving a genuine cold-water lull in mid-winter.
Excellent in November and December.
Dungeness crab are resident year-round in Bodega Bay, so abundance never hits zero; peak biomass occurs in fall (Oct–Nov) after the summer molt when crabs have hardened, filled out, and aggregated in nearshore grounds. Abundance gradually declines through late winter and spring as harvest, natural mortality, and the soft-shell molting period thin the legal-size adult population before rebuilding again into summer and fall.
Excellent in July.
Cabezon are resident nearshore reef fish present year-round in Bodega Bay's rocky habitat, so abundance stays relatively broad and flat. The peak in summer (weeks 25-30, July) reflects post-spawn recovery, warmer settled water, and peak feeding activity, while the late-winter dip (Jan-Feb) corresponds to spawning-guard behavior and reduced roaming when males guard nests.
Peaks in June, July, August, September and October.
Coho off Bodega Bay stage and enter coastal waters as adults primarily in the fall (Sept–Nov) ahead of spawning runs into Russian River tributaries, driving the strong late-Oct/early-Nov peak. A modest spring bump reflects immature/feeder coho and returning jacks in the near-shore upwelling zone, while summer and midwinter show minimal adult ocean presence in this southern-edge range.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in May, June, July and August. Lingcod is good in January, February, August, September, October, November and December. Rockfish (Aggregate) is good in May, June, July, August, September and October. California Halibut peaks in May, June, July and August. Halibut peaks in April, May, June, July and August. Dungeness Crab is excellent in November and December.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Lingcod 8 AM to 7 PM, Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 7 PM, California Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM, Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM and Cabezon 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.