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BoatGroundfish Management Area SouthernCalifornia Halibut · Open

Del Mar Kelp

32.97°N · 117.28°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area SouthernCalifornia Halibut · Open

Del Mar Kelp Fishing Forecast

Updated today

California Halibut fishing at Del Mar Kelp looks good today.
The best time to go is 7 AM to 7 PM, with the tide flooding.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Del Mar Kelp 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.

California Halibut
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Del Mar Kelp, on the live map

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

Species

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Best score for the day · 12 PM
87/100
GOOD

Now 83 · 9 AM PDT

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

14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
Sun
Nov 1
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Thu
Nov 12

24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

Tap or drag to read any hour

Conditions
Time
9 AM
Now
Score
83
Good
Tide
3.5 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
3 kn
ESE · steady
Sea state
Flat
2.5 ft @ 11 s SW
Air temp
66°
Warm
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 9 AM. Score 83 Good. Tide 3.5ft Rising ▲. Current +0.6kn Flood. Wind 3kn ESE G9. Sea 2.5 ft @ 11 s SW Flat. Air 66.4°.

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 possession limit is 5 fish south of Point Sur, Monterey County. Minimum size 22 inches total length.
Other species here
California Sheephead Retention openCalifornia Barracuda Retention openLeopard Shark Retention openOcean Whitefish Retention openBarred Sand Bass Retention openWhite Seabass Retention openKelp Bass Retention openCalifornia Scorpionfish Retention open
Always check with CDFW ↗

Source: CDFW · Groundfish Management Area Southern · 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
100-600 ft
Sand
STRUCTURE
Flat
Outer Exposed

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Other productive spots within easy run

Scripps Canyon
Groundfish Management Area Southern
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Top: SablefishSHOULDER SEASON
Sablefish 83 · Yellowfin tuna 78 · Dorado 78
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H 1:16 PM · 1.6 m
L 9:24 PM · -0.0 m
Point Loma Kelp Beds
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Top: California SheepheadSHOULDER SEASON
California Sheephead 86 · White Seabass 86 · California Halibut 86
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L 9:22 PM · -0.0 m
Zuniga Jetty / Zuniga Shoal
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Top: California HalibutOFF SEASON
California Halibut 86 · White Seabass 86 · Kelp Bass 78
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H 1:14 PM · 1.6 m
L 9:22 PM · -0.0 m
Point Loma Whistler Buoy
Groundfish Management Area Southern
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Top: California HalibutOFF SEASON
California Halibut 86 · White Seabass 86 · Barred Sand Bass 83
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H 1:14 PM · 1.6 m
L 9:22 PM · -0.0 m

About Del Mar Kelp

Del Mar Kelp is an outer-exposed sand flat off San Diego, running from roughly 100 to 600 feet deep. The flat produces California Halibut from March through June, with White Seabass peaking March through July and Barred Sand Bass moving in from June through August. Halibut come to drift fishing over the sand with live anchovies, live sardines, or swimbaits, while White Seabass respond to live bait fishing with live squid, sardine, or mackerel across the same ground. Deeper stretches hold Ocean Whitefish, best worked on a dropper loop with squid or cut mackerel from March through October, and California Sheephead take squid strips and rock crab on the bottom from July through September. Leopard Shark and California Barracuda round out the summer, the sharks caught soaking squid or mackerel on the bottom and the barracuda taken trolling diving plugs and feathers from April into September.

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Del Mar Kelp is one of the spots we track around Oceanside. More spots in Oceanside · All of California.

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