About Colby Reef

Colby Reef is an outer-exposed sand flat off Fort Bragg, California, running 25 to 50 feet deep on the open coast. Lingcod hold over the bottom here with peaks in January through February and again in August through September, while black rockfish run strong from March into August and blue rockfish stay active March through September. Chinook salmon move through the water column from April into September, and cabezon come on over the sand in spring and again in early fall. Anglers work lingcod and black rockfish with metal jigs, swimbaits, and leadhead jigs across the flat, while blue rockfish respond to shrimp fly rigs tipped with squid strips. Trolling anchovies, herring, spoons, or hoochies covers the salmon window, and cabezon take squid, shrimp, and crab worked hard on the bottom.