Months come from each species' own season curve around Half Moon 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) | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| California Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February poor, March excellent, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August excellent, September none, October none, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February good, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Halibut: January none, February none, March poor, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. California Halibut: January none, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October poor, November none, December none. Dungeness Crab: January excellent, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June poor, July poor, August fair, September good, October good, November excellent, December excellent. Cabezon: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June fair, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. Black 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.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in April, May, June and July.
Chinook stage off Half Moon Bay as they stC mature and stage before the Sacramento/Central Valley run, building through spring upwelling and anchovy/krill concentrations to twin peaks in mid-June and late July–August. Abundance drops sharply through fall as fish enter San Francisco Bay and rivers to spawn, leaving winter waters biologically near-empty.
Good in February, March, August, September and October.
Lingcod are resident, structure-oriented bottom fish present in Half Moon Bay reefs year-round, so abundance never drops to zero. A spring peak (Mar–Apr) reflects males guarding nests on shallower rocky structure and moving inshore, while the strongest peak comes in late summer/early fall (Aug–Oct) when post-spawn fish are aggressive, water is productive, and juveniles have recruited, with a modest late-winter lull as some larger fish disperse to deeper offshore banks.
Good in May, June, July, August and September.
Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented groundfish present year-round off Half Moon Bay, so abundance stays broad and never hits zero. Peak biomass occurs mid-summer through early fall (Jul–Sep) when upwelling-driven productivity, warmer settled water, and post-spawn aggregations concentrate fish on the reefs, while winter storms and cooler water in Jan–Mar disperse fish deeper for a modest low.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
True Pacific halibut are only sporadic strays in central California waters, with the best (still uncommon) presence during warmer summer months when they follow forage north into nearshore banks, peaking late spring through mid-summer. Winter brings deep-water dispersal and near-absence from the shallow Half Moon Bay grounds.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
California halibut move into Half Moon Bay's shallow flats and nearshore soft bottom as water warms in spring, peaking May–June when spawning aggregations and bait push fish inshore. Abundance tapers through fall as fish disperse to deeper water, with a low but persistent winter presence since some resident fish remain in the region year-round.
Excellent in January, November and December.
Dungeness crab are resident but abundance of legal-size adults peaks in fall (Sep–Nov) as crabs finish molting and fill out with meat ahead of the traditional November season opener. Lowest biomass of harvestable adults occurs late spring/early summer (May–July) during and just after the soft-shell molt, when many crabs are thin, molting, or newly recruited.
Good in April, May, July, August, September and October.
Cabezon are resident, non-migratory reef/kelp fish present year-round in Half Moon Bay's rocky nearshore, so abundance stays fairly stable. The clearest peak is late summer/early fall (Aug–Oct) when warmer water and post-spawn recruitment concentrate active fish on the reefs, with a secondary lift in late spring during the winter/spring spawning aggregations; the mildest dip is mid-winter when cold water reduces activity.
Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.
Black rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers at Half Moon Bay, so they persist year-round with no biological absence. Abundance rises through spring and peaks in late summer/early fall (roughly weeks 20–34) when warm, settled water, strong upwelling-driven baitfish, and fish moving into shallower nearshore reefs concentrate the population, then tapers modestly in winter as fish disperse to deeper structure during storms.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in April, May, June and July. Lingcod is good in February, March, August, September and October. Rockfish (Aggregate) is good in May, June, July, August and September. Halibut peaks in May, June, July and August. California Halibut peaks in May, June, July and August. Dungeness Crab is excellent in January, November and December.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 4 PM to 7 PM, Lingcod 8 AM to 7 PM, Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 7 PM, California Halibut 8 AM to 7 PM, Cabezon 8 AM to 7 PM and Black Rockfish 8 AM to 7 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.