Months come from each species' own season curve around Huntington Beach. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Kelp Bass | ||||||||||||
| White Seabass | ||||||||||||
| Barred Sand Bass | ||||||||||||
| Yellowtail | ||||||||||||
| California Sheephead | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) | ||||||||||||
| Bonito | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Calico Bass | ||||||||||||
| California Barracuda | ||||||||||||
| Kelp Greenling | ||||||||||||
| Leopard Shark | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Nearshore Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Sculpin |
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.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Excellent in March, April, May, June and July.
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.
Excellent in July.
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.
Peaks in April, May, June and July.
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.
Peaks in May, June and July.
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.
Peaks in May, June, July and August.
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.
Excellent in August.
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.
Good in January, February, March and December.
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.
Peaks in May, June, July, August and September.
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.
Good in January, February, June, July and August.
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.
Peaks in July.
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.
Peaks in April, May, June, July and August.
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.
Good in January, February, March, September, October, November and December.
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.
Excellent in April, May, June, July and August.
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.
Excellent in January, February, October, November and December.
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.
Good in January, February, March, April and December.
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.
Excellent in June.
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.
It depends on the species. California Halibut is excellent in March, April, May, June and July. Kelp Bass is excellent in July. White Seabass peaks in April, May, June and July. Barred Sand Bass peaks in May, June and July. Yellowtail peaks in May, June, July and August. California Sheephead is excellent in August.
On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are California Halibut 7 AM to 6 PM, Kelp Bass 7 AM to 6 PM, White Seabass 7 AM to 6 PM, Barred Sand Bass 7 AM to 6 PM, Yellowtail 7 AM to 2 PM, California Sheephead 7 AM to 6 PM, California Scorpionfish 7 AM to 2 PM, Bonito 7 AM to 2 PM, California Barracuda 7 AM to 11 AM, Leopard Shark 8 AM to 2 PM and Lingcod 9 AM to 1 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.