Huntington Beach Fishing Report & Forecast

When to fish Huntington Beach

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.

California Halibut: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. Kelp Bass: January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. White Seabass: January none, February fair, March excellent, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August good, September poor, October poor, November poor, December none. Barred Sand Bass: January poor, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August excellent, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor. Yellowtail: January none, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September excellent, October fair, November poor, December none. California Sheephead: January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June fair, July good, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Rockfish (Aggregate): January good, February good, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December good. Bonito: January none, February none, March poor, April good, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October fair, November none, December none. Cabezon: January good, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June good, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Calico Bass: January poor, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July peak, August excellent, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. California Barracuda: January none, February none, March fair, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. Kelp Greenling: January good, February good, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October good, November good, December good. Leopard Shark: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. Lingcod: January excellent, February excellent, March fair, April poor, May fair, June poor, July poor, August fair, September good, October excellent, November excellent, December excellent. Nearshore Rockfish: January good, February good, March good, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December good. Sculpin: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June excellent, July good, August good, September good, October good, November fair, December fair.

• California Halibut. California halibut are resident year-round in Huntington Beach nearshore flats and surf zone, but abundance climbs in spring (Mar–Jun) as fish move shallow to spawn and warming water triggers feeding, peaking late spring/early summer. A secondary early-fall bump reflects post-spawn feeding and bait-driven activity, while winter fish move deeper and slow down, lowering nearshore presence without ever truly disappearing.
• Kelp Bass. Kelp bass are resident, non-migratory reef fish so they never truly disappear, but abundance in accessible nearshore kelp and structure peaks with warm water and the summer spawn (roughly May–August), with a late-spring pre-spawn bump and a strong midsummer high. Winter's cooler water pushes fish deeper and slower, lowering catchable nearshore density without eliminating the stock.
• White Seabass. White seabass off Huntington Beach peak in spring (March–May) when they move inshore to spawn over squid grounds and along kelp/reef edges, with a strong secondary summer bump tied to warm-water squid spawns and grunion cycles. Winter presence is lowest as fish scatter to deeper offshore water, though they never fully leave SoCal, keeping baseline above zero year-round.
• Barred Sand Bass. Barred sand bass are resident year-round off Huntington Beach but aggregate into dense spawning schools over deeper flats and edges from late spring through mid-summer, producing the June–July peak. Fish disperse to deeper structure in cold winter months, lowering local shallow-water abundance without ever leaving the region entirely.
• Yellowtail. Southern California yellowtail hold at low winter levels but never fully leave inshore/island waters, then build strongly from late spring as water warms and squid/bait cycles fire, peaking April–June around spring spawn and again with a warm-water bump in September. Numbers taper through fall as temperatures drop, with warm ENSO years extending abundance later into December.
• California Sheephead. California Sheephead are resident reef fish present year-round on Huntington Beach's rocky structure and artificial reefs, so abundance never hits zero. Peaks appear late spring (spawning aggregations May–July) and early fall (warm-water activity and post-spawn foraging), with a slight winter dip as cooler temperatures reduce activity on the shallow reefs.
• Rockfish (Aggregate). Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented bottom dwellers on the reefs and hard bottom off Huntington Beach, so biological abundance stays essentially flat year-round with no migratory runs. Minor seasonal shifts occur as some species move deeper in colder months, but the aggregate stock remains present at baseline throughout the year.
• Bonito. Pacific bonito abundance off Huntington Beach builds as inshore waters warm through spring, peaking in early summer (late May–June) and again in warm-water September–October pushes tied to squid and anchovy schools. Winter presence drops sharply as cooler water sends most fish south, though a residual population lingers in warm years near the power plant outflow and harbor.
• Cabezon. Cabezon are resident nearshore reef/structure fish in Southern California and don't migrate, so abundance stays fairly flat year-round. The summer peak (Jul–early Aug) reflects post-spawn recovery and warmer water increasing activity and feeding around Huntington's jetties and reefs, while the late-winter/early-spring dip corresponds to their nest-guarding spawning period when fish are more sedentary and localized.
• Calico Bass. Calico bass are resident year-round in Huntington Beach kelp and reef structure, so they never hit zero, but abundance concentrates in warm-water months. Spring peak (May–June) reflects the pre-spawn aggregation on the reefs, and a second late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) tracks warmest water and heavy bait presence before fish disperse and slow in winter's cold, dirty water.
• California Barracuda. California barracuda migrate north into Huntington Beach waters as coastal temps rise, arriving in force by late spring with a strong early-summer peak (May–June) tied to warming water and spawning aggregations. A secondary late-summer/early-fall bump reflects returning schools chasing bait before they retreat south as water cools through fall; a resident remnant lingers in winter, so abundance never fully zeroes but stays low January–March.
• Kelp Greenling. Kelp Greenling are a cold-water, northern nearshore rocky-reef species whose range effectively ends around Point Conception; Huntington Beach's warm Southern California waters and sandy/soft-bottom nearshore habitat fall well south of any meaningful population, so biological abundance is essentially negligible and flat year-round with no real seasonal run.
• Leopard Shark. Leopard sharks are resident year-round in Huntington Beach nearshore flats, bays, and surf zone, but abundance peaks in late spring through early summer (weeks 9-16) when warming water draws them inshore for foraging and pupping aggregations. A secondary bump in late summer/early fall (weeks 30-34) reflects post-pupping feeding activity before cooler winter water pushes some fish to deeper, more dispersed habitat.
• Lingcod. Lingcod are resident bottomfish over Huntington Beach's rocky reefs and hard structure, so they are present year-round, but abundance and catchability peak in late fall through early spring (Oct–Apr) when cooler water pushes fish shallower and pre-spawn/spawning aggregations concentrate over nesting reefs. Late summer (Aug–Sep) shows the seasonal low as warmer water and post-spawn dispersal thin their local presence before the fall rebuild.
• Nearshore Rockfish. Nearshore rockfish are resident, non-migratory structure-oriented fish that hold on the same reefs and hard bottom year-round off Huntington Beach, so biological abundance stays flat near baseline. Minor seasonal variation exists but true abundance shows no runs or gaps; apparent seasonality in catch is driven by the RCA/depth-based regulation cycle, which is handled downstream.
• Sculpin. California scorpionfish (sculpin) are resident structure-oriented bottomfish present year-round on SoCal reefs and wrecks, so the curve stays near baseline all season. The strong autumn peak (late Sept–early Nov) reflects their pre-spawn aggregation over rocky structure when they school densely, while late winter/early spring shows a mild dip as post-spawn fish disperse and colder water slows activity.

Before you go

Fishing Huntington Beach

Common questions about Huntington Beach

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