week of Sep 28 · SST 63–73°F
California — this week
SST 63–73°F · Cabezon, California Halibut, Kelp Greenling prime. Live MUR satellite water temperatures (change is vs. seven days ago). Tap any spot on the chart with Fish mode on for a point-by-point breakdown.
Water temperature — south to north
| Spot | Now | Week Δ |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 73°F | 0°F |
| Channel Islands | 71°F | -1.4°F |
| Monterey | 64°F | +2.3°F |
| San Francisco | 63°F | +2°F |
Migration line — weekly movement
| Species | Prime water reach | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowfin Tuna | prime water reaches San Diego | retreated (was Channel Islands) |
| Albacore | prime water reaches San Francisco | steady |
The northernmost sampled spot whose water sits in the species' habitable band, now vs. a week ago. Fish follow temperature — this is the leading edge, not a sighting report.
In season now — temperature fit
| Species | Fit | Prime | Measured at | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabezon | 100 | 48–61°F | seabed | Crab or shrimp bait wedged into rocky bottom and kelp stringers close to shore. |
| California Halibut | 100 | 54–66°F | seabed | Drift live bait or swimbaits over sand flats adjacent to structure. |
| Kelp Greenling | 100 | 46–59°F | seabed | Small baits in the rocks and kelp — the reliable fish when the swell keeps you inshore. |
| Pacific Sanddab | 100 | 48–59°F | seabed | Multi-hook rigs with squid strips dragged on soft bottom; they come up several at a time. |
| Black Rockfish | 100 | 46–57°F | seabed | Swimbaits and jigs over shallow rock — the one rockfish that chases up off the bottom. |
| Canary Rockfish | 100 | 45–55°F | seabed | Deep rock and pinnacle edges — they school off the bottom above the structure. |
| Copper Rockfish | 100 | 46–57°F | seabed | Bait or jigs right in the rock — a homebody that holds tight to one piece of structure. |
| Lingcod | 100 | 43–55°F | seabed | Large jigs or swimbaits pounded on rockpiles and pinnacles. |
| Vermilion Rockfish | 100 | 46–57°F | seabed | Heavy jigs or bait on deep rock structure; the red one everyone hopes for on a deep drop. |
| Yelloweye Rockfish | 100 | 43–54°F | seabed | Deep rockpiles — long-lived, heavily restricted and often closed; know the rules and carry a descender. |
| California Corbina | 100 | 63–73°F | surface | Sand crabs fished right in the wash — sight-fish them cruising the trough on a rising tide. |
| Albacore | 100 | 59–66°F | surface | Troll jigs at 6-8 kt on the warm side of clear blue-water breaks. |
| California Yellowtail | 100 | 64–73°F | surface | Surface iron or live sardines at kelp paddies and high spots. |
| Opah (Moonfish) | 100 | 57–68°F | surface | A deep-drop bycatch of the offshore swordfish drops rather than a target you can plan on. |
Named grounds in California
Cortez Bank
California Yellowtail · White Seabass · Bluefin Tuna
Tanner Bank
California Yellowtail · Rockfish (complex) · Calico Bass (Kelp Bass)
Nine Mile Bank
California Yellowtail · Calico Bass (Kelp Bass) · Yellowfin Tuna
The Farallon Islands
Rockfish (complex) · Lingcod · Chinook (King) Salmon
Monterey Submarine Canyon
Chinook (King) Salmon · Rockfish (complex) · Albacore
Method: habitat-envelope scoring against live NOAA MUR SST at the sampled spots; season windows and envelopes hand-curated from NOAA Fisheries profiles. No catch hearsay — when it says a species fits, it means the water does.
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