Best Time to Fish Monterey

Months come from each species' own season curve around Monterey. 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.

When to fish Monterey

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.

Relative abundance by month for each species around Monterey
Species	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Lingcod
Chinook Salmon
Copper Rockfish
Blue Rockfish
California Halibut
Black Rockfish
Cabezon
Rockfish (Aggregate)

Lingcod. Lingcod are resident year-round on Monterey's rocky reefs, so abundance never hits zero. The spring peak (Mar–May) reflects males guarding nests in shallower structure making them highly concentrated and catchable, and a secondary fall peak (Sep–Oct) follows post-spawn recovery and aggressive feeding before winter, with a mild summer dip as larger fish move deeper.
Chinook Salmon. Monterey Bay Chinook are ocean-phase fish staging offshore before their Central Valley/Sacramento river runs; abundance builds through spring as fish move inshore chasing anchovy and krill, peaks May–July when mature ocean fish concentrate in the bay before their fall spawning migration, then declines sharply through late summer as fish enter freshwater rivers. Winter is near-absent since the stock is upriver spawning or juveniles are too small to be present in the bay.
Copper Rockfish. Copper rockfish are non-migratory, structure-oriented residents in Monterey's rocky reefs and kelp, so abundance stays fairly flat year-round with no true absence. The late-summer through early-fall peak (Aug–Oct) reflects post-spawn recruitment and juveniles/adults concentrating on nearshore reefs as water warms and kelp cover is dense, with a slight winter dip during cooler, stormier conditions.
Blue Rockfish. Blue Rockfish are non-migratory residents of Monterey's kelp forests and rocky reefs, so they're present year-round with only modest seasonal shifts. Abundance peaks in spring through early summer (Mar–Jun) when upwelling boosts productivity and juveniles recruit to kelp canopies, with a secondary late-summer bump; winter storms and deeper dispersal slightly reduce nearshore density.
California Halibut. California halibut move onto Monterey's shallow sandy flats to spawn and feed as water warms from spring through fall, producing a broad late-spring/early-summer peak (May–July) and a secondary fall bump (Aug–Sep) tied to warm water and abundant baitfish. In cold winter months many fish move deeper and offshore, lowering nearshore abundance but never to zero since some resident fish remain.
Black Rockfish. Black rockfish are non-migratory resident reef fish present year-round in Monterey's nearshore rocky waters, so abundance stays broadly near baseline with no true zeros. A mild spring peak reflects post-upwelling aggregation, and the strongest peak in late summer/early fall (Aug–Sep) tracks warmer stable water, abundant baitfish, and juvenile recruitment adding to biomass, with a modest winter dip during storm-driven turbulence.
Cabezon. Cabezon are resident nearshore reef/kelp fish present year-round in Monterey waters, so abundance never hits zero. The strongest peak falls late winter through spring (Feb–May) when males guard nests in shallow rocky structure and adults concentrate in accessible areas, with a secondary late-summer/early-fall bump; deep-winter and late-fall show slightly lower nearshore presence as some fish hold in deeper structure.
Rockfish (Aggregate). Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented, non-migratory fish present in Monterey's rocky reefs and Monterey Bay Canyon edges all year, so abundance stays broad and flat. A slight summer-to-early-fall bump reflects upwelling-driven productivity, warmer stable conditions, and juvenile recruitment concentrating fish on shallower reefs, while winter storms and cooler water push some fish deeper but never remove the stock.

Time of day on October 31, 2026

These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.

Lingcod8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
Copper Rockfish8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
Blue Rockfish8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
California Halibut8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
Black Rockfish8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
Cabezon8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours
Rockfish (Aggregate)8 AM to 3 PM · 7 fishable hours

By species

Lingcod

Good in January, March, April, May, September, October, November and December.

Lingcod are resident year-round on Monterey's rocky reefs, so abundance never hits zero. The spring peak (Mar–May) reflects males guarding nests in shallower structure making them highly concentrated and catchable, and a secondary fall peak (Sep–Oct) follows post-spawn recovery and aggressive feeding before winter, with a mild summer dip as larger fish move deeper.

Chinook Salmon

Peaks in April, May, June and July.

Monterey Bay Chinook are ocean-phase fish staging offshore before their Central Valley/Sacramento river runs; abundance builds through spring as fish move inshore chasing anchovy and krill, peaks May–July when mature ocean fish concentrate in the bay before their fall spawning migration, then declines sharply through late summer as fish enter freshwater rivers. Winter is near-absent since the stock is upriver spawning or juveniles are too small to be present in the bay.

Copper Rockfish

Good in April, July, August and September.

Copper rockfish are non-migratory, structure-oriented residents in Monterey's rocky reefs and kelp, so abundance stays fairly flat year-round with no true absence. The late-summer through early-fall peak (Aug–Oct) reflects post-spawn recruitment and juveniles/adults concentrating on nearshore reefs as water warms and kelp cover is dense, with a slight winter dip during cooler, stormier conditions.

Blue Rockfish

Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.

Blue Rockfish are non-migratory residents of Monterey's kelp forests and rocky reefs, so they're present year-round with only modest seasonal shifts. Abundance peaks in spring through early summer (Mar–Jun) when upwelling boosts productivity and juveniles recruit to kelp canopies, with a secondary late-summer bump; winter storms and deeper dispersal slightly reduce nearshore density.

California Halibut

Peaks in April, May, June, July and August.

California halibut move onto Monterey's shallow sandy flats to spawn and feed as water warms from spring through fall, producing a broad late-spring/early-summer peak (May–July) and a secondary fall bump (Aug–Sep) tied to warm water and abundant baitfish. In cold winter months many fish move deeper and offshore, lowering nearshore abundance but never to zero since some resident fish remain.

Black Rockfish

Excellent in August.

Black rockfish are non-migratory resident reef fish present year-round in Monterey's nearshore rocky waters, so abundance stays broadly near baseline with no true zeros. A mild spring peak reflects post-upwelling aggregation, and the strongest peak in late summer/early fall (Aug–Sep) tracks warmer stable water, abundant baitfish, and juvenile recruitment adding to biomass, with a modest winter dip during storm-driven turbulence.

Cabezon

Good in February, March, April, May and September.

Cabezon are resident nearshore reef/kelp fish present year-round in Monterey waters, so abundance never hits zero. The strongest peak falls late winter through spring (Feb–May) when males guard nests in shallow rocky structure and adults concentrate in accessible areas, with a secondary late-summer/early-fall bump; deep-winter and late-fall show slightly lower nearshore presence as some fish hold in deeper structure.

Rockfish (Aggregate)

Good in May, June, July, August, September and October.

Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented, non-migratory fish present in Monterey's rocky reefs and Monterey Bay Canyon edges all year, so abundance stays broad and flat. A slight summer-to-early-fall bump reflects upwelling-driven productivity, warmer stable conditions, and juvenile recruitment concentrating fish on shallower reefs, while winter storms and cooler water push some fish deeper but never remove the stock.

Common questions about Monterey

›What is the best time of year to fish Monterey?

It depends on the species. Lingcod is good in January, March, April, May, September, October, November and December. Chinook Salmon peaks in April, May, June and July. Copper Rockfish is good in April, July, August and September. Blue Rockfish is good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September. California Halibut peaks in April, May, June, July and August. Black Rockfish is excellent in August.

›What time of day is best to fish Monterey?

On October 31, 2026, the forecast windows are Lingcod 8 AM to 3 PM, Copper Rockfish 8 AM to 3 PM, Blue Rockfish 8 AM to 3 PM, California Halibut 8 AM to 3 PM, Black Rockfish 8 AM to 3 PM, Cabezon 8 AM to 3 PM and Rockfish (Aggregate) 8 AM to 3 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.