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BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralLingcod · Open

Needle Rock Point

36.95°N · 122.11°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralLingcod · Open

Needle Rock Point Fishing Forecast

Updated today

Lingcod fishing at Needle Rock Point looks good today.
The best time to go is 7 AM to 7 PM, with the tide ebbing.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Needle Rock Point from 0 to 100, reading the tide, current, wind and weather for Lingcod. The higher the score, the better your odds. Green means go.

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Needle Rock Point, 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 · 8 AM
85/100
GOOD

Now 85 · 11 AM PDT

BEST WINDOW
7 AM-7 PM
Tide ebbing
CDFW · Groundfish Management Area Central · Lingcod openRegulations ↗2 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
85
Good
Tide
4.1 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
5 kn
WSW · steady
Sea state
Easy
3 ft @ 12 s S
Air temp
63°
Mild
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 11 AM. Score 85 Good. Tide 4.1ft Rising ▲. Current +0.7kn Flood. Wind 5kn WSW G5. Sea 3 ft @ 12 s S Easy. Air 62.8°.

Why this score

Current
0.6 kn light
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Lingcod
Retention open
Daily limit
2 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 22"
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Open all depths Apr 1–Dec 31. §28.27. Daily bag limit 2 fish per person. Minimum size 22 inches (55.9 cm) total length. Filleting aboard vessel: minimum 14 inches in length with entire skin attached. Descending device required aboard vessel per §27.20(b)(2).
Season
Apr 1 to Dec 31
Other species here
Copper Rockfish Retention openCalifornia Sheephead Retention openBlue Rockfish Retention openChinook Salmon ClosedBlack Rockfish Retention openCabezon Retention open
Always check with CDFW ↗

Source: CDFW · Groundfish Management Area Central · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Lingcod is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Lingcod
~8 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff seasonClosed

SPOT PROFILE

DEPTH
25-75 ft
Rock
STRUCTURE
Kelp Reef
Outer Exposed

About Needle Rock Point

Needle Rock Point is an outer-exposed kelp reef off Santa Cruz, California, where rocky bottom structure holds fish across depths of 25 to 75 feet. Lingcod dominate the cooler months with a peak from September through February, while Black Rockfish run strong from May through September and Blue Rockfish hold from March through August. Copper Rockfish and Cabezon fill out the reef through spring and summer, and Chinook Salmon move through the area from March into July. Anglers work the rock and kelp edges with metal jigs, swimbaits, and lead-head jigs for lingcod and rockfish, dropping shrimp flies and squid strips to the bottom for copper rockfish and cabezon. Chinook are targeted higher in the water column by trolling anchovies, spoons, hoochies, and flashers over the reef.

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Needle Rock Point is one of the spots we track around Santa Cruz. More spots in Santa Cruz · All of California.

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