This page covers mahi-mahi, also called dorado, and what to expect fishing it from Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island. Mahi-mahi is not documented from this port specifically, so this page applies what holds for Southern California and the island and ties it to the harbor. For the harbor and moorings, see the Two Harbors port page. For identification and biology, see the mahi-mahi fishing guide. The wider picture is in the mahi-mahi fishing in the Pacific Southwest and the Pacific Southwest region guide.
When mahi-mahi show up around here
Along Southern California, dorado come in late summer and fall, in years when warm water arrives from the south. Around Catalina Island as a whole, dorado are reported in late summer, when the water is at its warmest. That is an island-wide pattern and not specific to Two Harbors. Watch the water temperature and the floating weed rather than the calendar.
Where boats run
Two Harbors sits at the west end of Santa Catalina Island, with Isthmus Cove on the north shore and Catalina Harbor on the south. The harbor is a mooring field run by the Catalina Island Company. Isthmus Cove gives shelter in south and west weather but is exposed to north and northeast wind. Catalina Harbor is funnel-shaped and open to the south, and Ballast Point, a sand spit, extends across part of its entrance. Vessels entering Catalina Harbor should keep about 150 yards off the shores, and you should check conditions yourself before running out.
Eagle Reef lies just west of the Isthmus entrance, and Ship Rock, Bird Rock and Harbor Reefs are charted near the approach, with lights and buoys marking several of them. Catalina has marine protected areas that restrict fishing, including Farnsworth Bank to the southeast of the west end, so check the state map before fishing near them.
Grounds and structure
The named grounds near the harbor are Ship Rock, Bird Rock, Eagle Reef, the High Spot and Johnson Rocks. These are documented as bait-fishing spots near the island, not as dorado grounds. No distance or depth is documented for any of them, so treat them as landmarks for the approach rather than dorado water.
How mahi-mahi are fished out of Two Harbors
No method is documented for dorado from Two Harbors. The general approach applies to the water around the island: run the floating kelp and debris offshore, troll feathers or ballyhoo along the weed edges, and keep a hooked fish in the water beside the boat so the school stays with it.
Who fishes them
No charter based at Two Harbors is documented. Mainland boats fish the island but are not based here. Skiff rentals at the Dive and Recreation Center allow shore and skiff fishing in season, but no species is named. No dorado tournament is documented.
FAQ
Are dorado caught at Two Harbors?
No Two Harbors catch is documented. Around the island as a whole, dorado are reported in late summer.
Is there a charter based here?
None is documented. Mainland boats fish the island, but they are not based at Two Harbors.
Can I fish from a skiff?
Skiff rentals at the Dive and Recreation Center allow shore and skiff fishing in season.
