Months come from each species' own season curve around Crescent City. 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 | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) | ||||||||||||
| Blue Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Cod |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February good, March excellent, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September excellent, October good, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Blue Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Cod: January excellent, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October good, November good, December excellent.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June, July and August.
Crescent City Chinook build through spring as ocean-feeding fish stage off the Klamath/Smith River mouths, with a strong late-summer to early-fall peak (late July–September) as mature adults stack up before their fall river runs. Abundance drops sharply through October–November as fish enter freshwater to spawn, leaving the nearshore ocean largely empty of Chinook through winter.
Excellent in March and September.
Lingcod are resident on Crescent City's nearshore reefs year-round, but abundance concentrates as spawning males guard nests in late winter/early spring (Feb–Apr) and again in fall (Sep–Oct) when fish move shallow to feed. Summer sees fish disperse deeper and thin on accessible structure, while heavy winter swells and post-spawn dispersal create the lowest inshore densities.
Excellent in June and July.
Black rockfish are a resident, non-migratory nearshore species off Crescent City, so they remain present year-round with only modest seasonal variation. Abundance peaks in summer (June–August) when warmer water, calm seas, and strong nearshore baitfish concentrations pull fish shallow and aggregate them on reefs, with a slight dip in late spring during upwelling and a gradual decline through fall/winter as fish spread and move deeper.
Excellent in July.
Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented bottomfish present year-round off Crescent City, so the curve stays near baseline with no biological absence. A modest summer-to-early-fall bump (June–September) reflects warmer, calmer water and upwelling-driven forage that concentrate fish shallower and boost local density before winter storms disperse them back to deeper reefs.
Excellent in July.
Blue rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers off Crescent City, so they're present year-round with no true biological absence. Abundance appears highest late spring through early fall (roughly April–September) when they move shallower and school densely near kelp and rocky structure during upwelling and warmer surface temps, with modest winter thinning as fish go deeper and disperse during rough conditions.
Excellent in January and December.
Pacific Cod in the far northern California waters off Crescent City are near their southern range edge, so they're a cool-water demersal fish present year-round but most abundant in late summer through fall (Aug–Oct) when deeper shelf aggregations build and juveniles recruit. Abundance dips in late winter/early spring as fish disperse to deeper, colder water during the post-spawn period, though they never fully leave the region.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Lingcod is excellent in March and September. Black Rockfish is excellent in June and July. Rockfish (Aggregate) is excellent in July. Blue Rockfish is excellent in July. Cod is excellent in January and December.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Lingcod 8 AM to 7 PM, Black Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM, Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 7 PM and Blue Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.