Months come from each species' own season curve around Fort Bragg. 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) | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Blue Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Halibut |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September excellent, 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 fair, December good. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April excellent, May good, June good, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Blue Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Cabezon: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Halibut: January none, February none, March fair, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October none, November none, 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.
Fort Bragg Chinook stage offshore along the Mendocino coast as ocean feeding fish, building from late spring into a strong early-to-mid summer peak (June–July) driven by anchovy and krill forage and cooler upwelled water. Abundance tapers through August–September as mature fish begin staging for river entry and leave the immediate coastal zone, with near-absence in winter when the stock is dispersed or spawning in rivers.
Good in January, February, August, September, October and December.
Lingcod are resident groundfish present year-round on Fort Bragg's rocky reefs, so abundance never drops to zero. Peaks appear in late winter/early spring (Feb-Apr) when males guard nests in shallower structure and again in late summer/early fall (Aug-Oct) when adults are aggressive and concentrated on nearshore reefs during upwelling-driven productivity.
Good in April, May, June, July, August and September.
Rockfish are resident, non-migratory bottom dwellers off Fort Bragg, so biological abundance stays fairly flat year-round with no true zeros. Peak presence occurs in summer through early fall (June–September) when warmer, calmer nearshore conditions and strong baitfish/upwelling cycles concentrate fish on reefs, while winter storms and cooler water push some fish deeper and slightly reduce nearshore density.
Excellent in April.
Black rockfish are resident year-round on Fort Bragg's nearshore reefs, so abundance stays relatively broad with no true absence. Peak abundance occurs late spring through early summer (April–June) as fish move shallower to feed during upwelling and post-spawn, with a mild secondary plateau in late summer; winter shows the lowest presence as fish disperse deeper during storms and cold water.
Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Blue rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef fish along the Fort Bragg coast, so abundance stays relatively flat year-round with only modest seasonal variation. The gentle spring-through-summer peak (April–August) reflects post-spawn recruitment and warmer, calmer upwelling-driven conditions concentrating fish on nearshore reefs, while winter storms and cooler water disperse them slightly, keeping numbers near baseline but never absent.
Good in April, May, September and October.
Cabezon are resident, non-migratory rockfish-associates present in Fort Bragg's rocky nearshore reefs year-round, so abundance stays near baseline with no true zeros. Peaks occur in spring (Mar–Apr) when males guard nests and fish move shallow to spawn, and a secondary fall bump (Sep–Oct) reflects strong feeding and abundant juveniles recruiting to the reef; slight late-winter dips reflect cold-water dispersal into deeper structure.
Peaks in April, May, June, July and August.
Pacific halibut are rare visitors at Fort Bragg's southern edge of their range, appearing in low numbers as fish move south/inshore during warm-water summer months. Abundance peaks late May through early July when bait pushes and warmer nearshore water draw the few stragglers in, then tapers off by fall with near-absence through winter.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in May, June, July and August. Lingcod is good in January, February, August, September, October and December. Rockfish (Aggregate) is good in April, May, June, July, August and September. Black Rockfish is excellent in April. Blue Rockfish is good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September. Cabezon is good in April, May, September and October.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Lingcod 8 AM to 7 PM, Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 7 PM, Black Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM, Blue Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM, Cabezon 8 AM to 7 PM and Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.