The grounds · 180 ft · banks, ledges and wrecks
Yelloweye Rockfish
Sebastes ruberrimus. Prime water reaches Neah Bay in Pacific Northwest right now (46°F on the bottom).
LaneThe grounds · 30 fa (180 ft)
Depth it holds328–820 ft
Prime water43–54°F (workable 43–59°F)
Holds in the column328–820 ft down (on the bottom)
Judged onseabed temperature (RTOFS at depth)
Structurerequires deep rockpiles
The water column off Neah Bay
The strip is the water itself, coloured by temperature from the surface down to the 177 ft surveyed bottom at that spot — one band per RTOFS model level. The outlined stretch is where Yelloweye Rockfish's temperature band (43–59°F) and the depth it holds actually overlap. That thickness is the number that matters: it is how much water you can work, not just whether the spot is warm enough somewhere. One model cycle, not a weekly archive — this holds still while the surface map scrubs.
How it's fished
Deep rockpiles — long-lived, heavily restricted and often closed; know the rules and carry a descender.
Region by region — right now
| Region | Season | Prime water | Temp | Fish it at | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest | in season | reaches Neah Bay | 46°F | — | J F M A M J J A S |
| California | in season | reaches San Francisco | 51°F | — | J F M A M J J A S |
"Fish it at" is where this species' temperature band and its holding depth overlap in the water column, from the RTOFS profile (13 levels, 0–300 m) — the depth to actually put a bait, not just the place. "Prime water" is the furthest sampled station on the 30-fathom lane whose seabed temperature sits inside this species' band. It is water, not a sighting report.