California · named fishing ground
Nine Mile Bank
The nearshore San Diego bank — yellowtail, barracuda and calico bass, and the first stop on a tuna push.
What's biting here — right now
California Yellowtail99
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F in the prime band (64–73°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (49–295 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Better near kelp paddies offshore, high spots and island ridges if you can find it
Surface iron or live sardines at kelp paddies and high spots.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna47
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F workable (61–70°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (328–6560 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Glide the boat to foamers and sonar marks; flat-falls at night.
Lingcod5
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (45–55°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (66–361 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Large jigs or swimbaits pounded on rockpiles and pinnacles.
Rockfish (complex)5
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (45–57°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (66–492 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Shrimp flies or jigs over rocky reefs; check depth limits for the complex.
Chinook (King) Salmon5
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (48–57°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (66–295 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Downrigger flasher + spoon near bait balls along current seams and rips.
Albacore4
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (59–66°F prime)
Charted 300 ft suits this species (328–6560 ft ideal)
No strong temperature break nearby
Troll jigs at 6-8 kt on the warm side of clear blue-water breaks.
Calico Bass (Kelp Bass)4
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F workable (59–72°F prime)
Charted 300 ft marginal for this species (13–82 ft ideal)
No charted structure within 250 m — scored cautiously (charts don't mark all hard bottom)
Swimbaits and weedless plastics through kelp stringers and boiler rocks.
California Halibut1
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (57–68°F prime)
Charted 300 ft marginal for this species (16–131 ft ideal)
Drift live bait or swimbaits over sand flats adjacent to structure.
White Seabass1
In season (Jul)
SST 72°F outside preference (57–68°F prime)
Charted 300 ft marginal for this species (33–164 ft ideal)
Better near structure or edges if you can find it
Live squid over squid nests and kelp edges; dawn and grey light.
Live habitat-envelope scoring at this exact cell — SST, charted depth, charted structure and seabed, NOAA-designated habitat. The same engine and cards as tapping the spot in Fish mode.
Water temperature — last 10 weeks
2026-05-13 → 2026-07-22 · 65–72°F
Best months here
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Species in season by month for California (from the knowledge base). In season now: Albacore, California Halibut, White Seabass, California Yellowtail, Calico Bass (Kelp Bass), Lingcod, Rockfish (complex), Pacific Bluefin Tuna, Chinook (King) Salmon.
Other grounds in California
Cortez Bank
California Yellowtail · White Seabass · Bluefin Tuna
Tanner Bank
California Yellowtail · Rockfish (complex) · Calico Bass (Kelp Bass)
The Farallon Islands
Rockfish (complex) · Lingcod · Chinook (King) Salmon
Monterey Submarine Canyon
Chinook (King) Salmon · Rockfish (complex) · Albacore
Reuse welcome with attribution. Weekly regional report: California · Feed: RSS · all US grounds: /fishing.