Sit it outno barred surfperch window clears the bar in 36 hours
Barred surfperch is the best bet here today.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Barred surfperch range 50–68°
From the northwest
Sunrise 7:28 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are California regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Barred surfperch bite in 50–68° water, best near 60°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Barred surfperch prefers incoming tide. Holds 1–12 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. No minimum size. 20/person/day in combination of all surfperch (shiner perch separate), with no more than 10 of any one species. Open year-round.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · California
Season here: Year-round. More on barred surfperch
No water reading here right now. Redtail surfperch bite in 48–62° water, best near 55°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Redtail surfperch prefers incoming tide. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10½" total length minimum. 20/day in combination of all surfperch (shiner perch separate), no more than 10 of any one species. Open year-round.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · California
Season here: Mar–Aug. More on redtail surfperch
No water reading here right now. California halibut bite in 55–72° water, best near 64°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. California halibut prefers incoming tide. Holds 4–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 22" total length minimum. 5/person/day south of Point Sur (Monterey County); 2/day north of it. Open year-round.
Verified Oct 21, 2026 · California
Season here: Mar–Oct. More on California halibut
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. California CDFW has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory
A chain of open sand beaches south of Pillar Point, with no pier. Barred and redtail surfperch in the surf year-round and California halibut in summer.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Half Moon Bay State Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Half Moon Bay State Beach is listed on this site for 3 commonly-targeted species: Barred Surfperch, Redtail Surfperch, California Halibut. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Half Moon Bay State Beach against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Half Moon Bay State Beach has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location.
state agency regulations apply at Half Moon Bay State Beach. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
Yes. Half Moon Bay State Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
