About Monterey
Monterey Harbor sits on the south shore of Monterey Bay, behind a breakwater, about 3 miles southeast of Point Pinos, per U.S. Coast Pilot 7. The harbor and its grounds lie inside the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. For skippers who run their own boat, Monterey is a base for offshore and reef fishing along a rocky coast that opens to the Pacific.
Monterey shares the bay with Moss Landing on the east shore and Santa Cruz on the northwest shore. For the coast as a whole, see the wider Pacific Southwest.
Boat-based fishing for rockfish and lingcod is open April through December in the Central Management Area, per the CDFW groundfish regulations summary. Rules can change in season. Sanddabs are a soft-bottom target, Dungeness crab is a winter add-on, and California halibut work the sandy flats inside the bay. Salmon is a target only when CDFW opens it. Check the California regulations page before you fish.
Access and navigation
Four facilities serve boat owners:
- Monterey Harbor launch ramp – public launch ramp at the harbor office, at the foot of Figueroa Street by Municipal Wharf II
- Municipal Wharf II public hoist – 3-ton public hoist
- Monterey Municipal Marina – city-run slips and the harbor office
- Breakwater Cove Marina – privately operated, with a fuel dock
The entrance lies south of the Coast Guard pier breakwater. After winter storms, while swell is running, the current at the small-boat basin entrance can be very strong, setting mainly from the breakwater toward Municipal Wharf No. 1. Strong surge can also develop inside the harbor in heavy weather. Sea lions occupy the breakwater during the day, so expect company on the way out.
The harbor speed limit is 3 knots. The harbor monitors VHF 16 and 5A, and City of Monterey Harbor carries tide tables and harbor notices. A seasonal special anchorage and mooring area lies just east of Municipal Wharf No. 2, and mariners are asked not to transit it.
Along this coast, the summer sea breeze can reach 20 knots in the afternoon and persist at lower speeds until midnight. In the bay, spring and summer wind tends to come from the northwest, so plan the run home around it.
There is only one entrance. If conditions outside look bigger than you want, the inner bay toward the Del Monte Beach to Sand City flats makes for a shorter run than rounding Point Pinos.
Look at the water on arrival and read the NWS Coastal Waters Forecast for wind, wave height and period. If what you see looks bigger than you want, change plans.
Fishing conditions
The Monterey fishery has four main grounds: the rocky coast and reefs between Point Pinos and Carmel, Carmel Bay, Lopez Point, and the Del Monte Beach to Sand City flats. Kelp tends to thicken over the shallow rocky stretches, so watch your line and your prop.
Fishing is not allowed in certain state marine protected areas in and around the bay, and the state network lies within the sanctuary. Read the sanctuary fishing guidance page, then check boundaries on the CDFW Ocean Sport Fishing map before you set up.
For offshore edges, the OBS SST, Chlorophyll and Chart Contours layers in Breakpoint show where temperature and color break against the bottom. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Winter
Sanddabs, which have no bag limit per CDFW, and crab lead the winter list. Boat-based rockfish and lingcod are closed January 1 through March 31 in the Central Management Area. CDFW posts in-season changes on its groundfish pages, so check them before you go.
Spring
Rockfish and lingcod reopen April 1 on the reefs between Point Pinos and Carmel. Halibut can show on the Del Monte Beach to Sand City flats. Salmon is a target only if CDFW opens it. Northwest wind tends to build in the afternoon.
Summer
Rockfish and lingcod continue on the reefs and toward Carmel Bay and Lopez Point. The northwest afternoon wind tends to shape the run home, so plan the return before it builds. When warm water moves within range, Pacific bluefin can follow temperature and color edges.
Autumn
Rockfish and lingcod stay open through December 31, and the reefs hold fish into the last open day of the year. For the regional pattern, see bluefin on the Pacific Southwest coast.
