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BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralCalifornia Halibut · Open

Santa Rosa Reef

35.16°N · 120.79°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralCalifornia Halibut · Open

Santa Rosa Reef Fishing Forecast

Updated today

California Halibut fishing at Santa Rosa Reef looks good today.
The best time to go is 7 AM to 7 PM, with the tide flooding.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Santa Rosa Reef from 0 to 100, reading the tide, current, wind and weather for California Halibut. The higher the score, the better your odds. Green means go.

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Santa Rosa Reef, on the live map

Every spot is scored for today, out of 100. Green is worth the trip, amber is fair, red is slow.

Best score for the day · 9 AM
87/100
GOOD

Now 82 · 11 AM PDT

BEST WINDOW
7 AM-7 PM
Tide flooding
CDFW · Groundfish Management Area Central · California Halibut openRegulations ↗5 per day · min 22"

14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
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24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

Tap or drag to read any hour

Conditions
Time
11 AM
Now
Score
82
Good
Tide
4.3 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
6 kn
ENE · steady
Sea state
Easy
2.5 ft @ 11 s SW
Air temp
60°
Mild
Weather
Rain
1.1 mm/h
Hour 11 AM. Score 82 Good. Tide 4.3ft Rising ▲. Current +0.7kn Flood. Wind 6kn ENE G7. Sea 2.5 ft @ 11 s SW Easy. Air 60.1°.

Why this score

Current
0.3 kn light
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

California Halibut
Retention open
Daily limit
5 per day
Possession
5 in possession
Size
Minimum 22"
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Open year-round. Daily bag and total possession limit is 5 fish south of Point Sur, Monterey County. Minimum size limit 22 inches total length.
Other species here
Bonito Retention openEnglish Sole Retention openSanddab Retention openWhiting Retention openBat Ray Retention openLeopard Shark Retention open
Always check with CDFW ↗

Source: CDFW · Groundfish Management Area Central · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When California Halibut is best at this spot

Off seasonOff season for California Halibut
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season

SPOT PROFILE

DEPTH
20-45 ft
Sand
STRUCTURE
Flat
Outer Exposed

About Santa Rosa Reef

Santa Rosa Reef is an outer, exposed sand flat off Morro Bay, California, running 20 to 45 feet deep. The reef's primary draw is California Halibut, which peaks from June through August, alongside a steady mix of Pacific Sanddab, English Sole, Pacific Whiting, Bat Ray, Leopard Shark, and Bonito. Drift fishing is the dominant approach for halibut here, working live anchovy, live smelt, squid, or swimbaits across the sand at depth. Anglers also cover water by trolling swimbaits, hootchies, and diving plugs, or by jigging leadhead jigs, swimbaits, and metal jigs over the flat. The open sand bottom and outer exposure make drifting with the current the most practical way to keep bait moving through holding fish.

CUSTOM ALERT
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Santa Rosa Reef is one of the spots we track around Morro Bay. More spots in Morro Bay · All of California.

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