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BoatGroundfish Management Area SouthernCalifornia Halibut · Open

Imperial Beach Flats

32.58°N · 117.15°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area SouthernCalifornia Halibut · Open

Imperial Beach Flats Fishing Forecast

Updated today

California Halibut fishing at Imperial Beach Flats looks good today.
The best time to go is 7 AM to 7 PM, with the tide flooding.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Imperial Beach Flats 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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Imperial Beach Flats, 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 · 10 AM
86/100
GOOD

Now 86 · 11 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
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24-Hour Conditions

All times PDT

Tap or drag to read any hour

Conditions
Time
11 AM
Now
Score
86
Good
Tide
4.6 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
4 kn
SW · steady
Sea state
Flat
2.5 ft @ 12 s SW
Air temp
71°
Warm
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 11 AM. Score 86 Good. Tide 4.6ft Rising ▲. Current +0.8kn Flood. Wind 4kn SW G6. Sea 2.5 ft @ 12 s SW Flat. Air 70.7°.

Why this score

Current
Slack
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
Leopard Shark Retention openEnglish Sole Retention openBarred Sand Bass Retention openStarry Flounder Retention openBonito Retention openSpotted Sand 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
5-25 ft
Sand
STRUCTURE
Flat
Outer Exposed

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California Sheephead 86 · White Seabass 86 · California Halibut 85
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About Imperial Beach Flats

Imperial Beach Flats is an outer-exposed sand flat off San Diego, running from about 5 to 25 feet deep at the southern end of the county's coastline. California Halibut anchor the fishery here, peaking March through June, when anglers work the sand with drift fishing using live anchovies, live sardines, or swimbaits. Summer shifts the focus to Barred Sand Bass from June through August, taken by drifting live anchovies, sardines, or squid, alongside Leopard Shark that hold near the bottom from June into September and respond to squid, mackerel, or market squid soaked on the sand. Pacific Bonito move through the same months, chased with live anchovies and sardines or by casting surface iron and metal jigs. The open sand bottom also holds Spotted Sand Bass, California Scorpionfish, English Sole, and Starry Flounder, giving the flat a broad seasonal spread across its shallow-to-moderate depths.

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Imperial Beach Flats is one of the spots we track around San Diego. More spots in San Diego · All of California.

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