About Goat Island

Goat Island is an outer, exposed rock pinnacle off Fort Bragg, California, rising through water that runs 70 to 155 feet deep. The structure holds aggregate rockfish and lingcod year-round, with rockfish peaking April through September and lingcod strongest in January and February and again in August and September. Chinook salmon move through from April to September, taken by trolling anchovies, herring, spoons, and hoochies across the open water above the reef, or by mooching whole anchovies and herring. Down on the rock, bottom fishing with shrimp flies, squid strips, swimbaits, and metal jigs works the rockfish, while jigging metal jigs, swimbaits, and leadhead jigs targets lingcod holding tight to the pinnacle. Cabezon share the same bottom through spring and fall, responding to squid, shrimp, market fish strips, and crab.