This page covers swordfish fishing from Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island off Southern California. Boats cross San Pedro Channel and enter Avalon Bay between the Casino Point and Cabrillo Peninsula breakwaters, where moorings are assigned and there are no alongside berths. For the harbor and moorings, see the Avalon port page. Documented swordfish information for this port is historical only, and this guide says so plainly. The wider picture is in the swordfish fishing in the Pacific Southwest and the Pacific Southwest fishing guide.
When the species is around the port
No current swordfish season for Avalon is documented. Historical accounts describe anglers going out after swordfish from the Avalon pleasure pier. Across the Southern California bight, swordfish follow warm water, and the fall pattern brings them in. The timing moves from year to year with ocean conditions, so check the surface temperature and the edges on the day.
Where boats run
San Pedro Channel is about 17 miles wide between the mainland and the island. Prevailing winds in the channel are west and northwest and blow most afternoons, so a late return can meet more breeze than the morning run out. Casino Point Dive Park and Lover’s Cove are marine protected areas where fishing is prohibited, and Casino Point forms the north side of the harbor entrance, so check the boundaries before you set lines. Three anchorages for large passenger vessels lie just outside the bay. No swordfish distance or bearing from Avalon is documented. Check conditions yourself.
Grounds and structure
No swordfish ground is documented for Avalon. Named structure nearby includes Church Rock, an underwater seamount off the rock face with a kelp bed and a fishing spot, and The Ridge, east of the island’s east end, which is a place to look for floating kelp and pelagic fish in general. Silver Canyon sand flats hold sand bass and halibut. None is documented as a swordfish ground, so use these as orientation only.
How the species is fished out of the port
No current Avalon method is documented, so the general Southern California approach applies. Day anglers drop a squid bait on a circle or J hook, with a breakaway weight and lights, down to the bait layer and hold it there while the boat drifts the slope. The layer shows on the sounder alongside the bottom, and it shifts with light and water clarity. Night drifting lights the baits and stages them higher as the layer rises, drifting over slope edges. Sight-casting to finners with live mackerel or squid has traditionally been the recreational method.
Who fishes it
No current charter for swordfish out of Avalon is documented. One online booking listing reportedly offers swordfish trips, but its location and season are unclear, so ask the operator before you book. No swordfish tournament is documented for Avalon.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a swordfish season at Avalon?
No current season is documented for the port. Swordfish follow warm water, and the fall pattern brings them into range across the Southern California bight.
Has anyone fished for swordfish from the pier?
Historical accounts describe anglers going after swordfish from the Avalon pleasure pier. No current pier fishing for swordfish is documented.
Which method suits a first trip?
Daytime deep drop reaches fish along slopes in daylight, and night drifting meets the risen layer. Both need specialized gear, so a trip with a crew that handles the rigging is the easier start.
Is there a swordfish tournament here?
None is documented for Avalon.
