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BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralLingcod · Open

Seal Rock Hump

36.94°N · 122.03°W

BoatGroundfish Management Area CentralLingcod · Open

Seal Rock Hump Fishing Forecast

Updated today

Lingcod fishing at Seal Rock Hump looks good today.
The best time to go is 7 AM to 7 PM, with the tide flooding.

ReelCaster scores every hour at Seal Rock Hump 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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Seal Rock Hump, 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 · 9 AM
87/100
GOOD

Now 86 · 11 AM PDT

BEST WINDOW
7 AM-7 PM
Tide flooding
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
86
Good
Tide
4.1 ft ▲
Flooding
Current
—
Flood
Wind
3 kn
SSW · steady
Sea state
Easy
2.5 ft @ 12 s SW
Air temp
63°
Mild
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 11 AM. Score 86 Good. Tide 4.1ft Rising ▲. Current +0.7kn Flood. Wind 3kn SSW G5. Sea 2.5 ft @ 12 s SW Easy. Air 62.6°.

Why this score

Current
Slack
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
California Halibut Retention openBlack Rockfish Retention openQuillback Rockfish ClosedChinook Salmon ClosedCopper Rockfish Retention openRockfish (Aggregate) Retention openCanary Rockfish 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
40-90 ft
Rock
STRUCTURE
Pinnacle
Outer Exposed

About Seal Rock Hump

The Seal Rock Hump is a rocky pinnacle rising from the outer, exposed waters off Santa Cruz, holding structure across a depth range of roughly 40 to 90 feet. The rock draws a strong groundfish population, with lingcod peaking September through February and copper rockfish running best March through September alongside black rockfish from May through September. Lingcod hold tight to the pinnacle and respond to jigging with metal jigs, swimbaits, and lead-head jigs, while copper rockfish come to bottom fishing with shrimp flies, squid strips, and swimbaits worked close to the rock. California halibut move through from April to August and are targeted by drifting live anchovies, live smelt, or shiner perch across the sand edges near the structure. Chinook salmon pass through in the open water above the hump from March to July, taken by trolling anchovies, spoons, hoochies, and flashers.

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

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