Today's best fishing in Ventura: 7 AM to 10 AM

When to fish Ventura

Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.

White Seabass: January poor, February fair, March peak, April peak, May peak, June peak, July peak, August good, September fair, October poor, November none, December none. California Halibut: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September fair, October poor, November poor, December poor. Kelp Bass: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Calico Bass: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December poor. Barred Sand Bass: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor. Yellowtail: January none, February none, March fair, April fair, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October good, November none, December none. California Sheephead: January poor, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August excellent, September excellent, October good, November fair, December fair. Bocaccio Rockfish: January good, February fair, March fair, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August good, September good, October good, November good, December good. Lingcod: January good, February excellent, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October good, November excellent, December good.

• White Seabass. White Seabass around Ventura peak in spring (March–May) as fish move inshore to spawn near the Channel Islands and along local kelp beds, coinciding with squid spawning aggregations. A secondary late-summer bump (July–August) reflects warm-water bait activity, while winter shows lowest but non-zero abundance as fish disperse to deeper, cooler water.
• California Halibut. California Halibut are resident year-round in the Ventura area but show a strong spring spawning aggregation in shallow flats and bays (Mar–May, peaking around April–May) and a secondary late-summer/early-fall bump (Aug–Sep) as warm water and bait draw fish onto the sandy nearshore. Winter sees the lowest concentrations as fish move deeper and disperse, though they never fully leave.
• Kelp Bass. Kelp bass are resident year-round in Ventura's kelp forests and rocky reefs, so abundance never hits zero, but warming water drives higher activity and aggregation from late spring through summer. The strongest peak falls in July–August during the spawning season when fish stack up on structure in warm water, with a secondary spring build-up; winter shows the lowest activity as cooler water pushes fish deeper and reduces concentration.
• Calico Bass. Calico bass are resident year-round in Ventura's kelp and reef structure, so they never hit zero, but abundance and activity climb sharply as water warms from late spring into summer. The peak spans late June through early September, coinciding with the spawn (which concentrates fish on shallow reefs and kelp edges) and warm 65–70°F water, while winter's cold slows metabolism and pushes fish deeper and less concentrated.
• Barred Sand Bass. Barred sand bass aggregate on Ventura-area flats and reefs for their early-summer spawn, driving a sharp late-June through July peak when warming water and squid/bait cycles concentrate fish. They disperse to deeper structure and are less abundant inshore in winter, though never fully absent from Southern California waters.
• Yellowtail. Ventura yellowtail abundance builds as water warms in late spring, peaks mid-July through August when warm-water pushes and squid/bait concentrations hold fish around the Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz) and local high spots. A secondary early-summer bump reflects spring migrants, while winter shows a residual low but nonzero presence since some fish overwinter in the warmer years and around structure.
• California Sheephead. California Sheephead are resident reef fish present year-round on Ventura's rocky structure and kelp beds, so abundance never hits zero. A late-spring/early-summer peak (May–July) coincides with warming water and spawning aggregations, and a second early-fall peak reflects renewed feeding activity before winter, when cooler water pushes fish deeper and slows their movement, lowering catch-relevant presence in shallow reefs.
• Bocaccio Rockfish. Bocaccio are resident deep-reef rockfish present year-round off Ventura, so the curve stays near baseline with no biological absence. The late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Oct) reflects post-spawn recruitment and juveniles settling onto reefs plus adults aggregating over structure in warm-stable water, while the late-winter/early-spring dip corresponds to the deeper, more dispersed post-spawning distribution.
• Lingcod. Lingcod are resident on Ventura's rocky reefs and offshore banks year-round, so abundance never drops to zero. Peaks occur in late winter/early spring (Feb–Mar) when fish move shallow to spawn and guard nests, and again in fall (Oct–Nov) when mature fish stack up on structure; the summer lull reflects post-spawn dispersal to deeper, cooler water.

Before you go

Fishing Ventura

Nearby

• Santa Monica71 spots
• San Diego36 spots
• Newport Beach18 spots
• Monterey12 spots
• San Francisco9 spots
• Long Beach6 spots