This page covers mahi-mahi, also called dorado, fished out of Newport Beach. Dorado show here only now and then, when coastal waters warm, and the documentation is thin. This page says what is and is not known. For the harbor, moorings and ramps, see the Newport Beach 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 are around Newport Beach
Dorado arrive periodically, as coastal waters warm. They are not documented as a steady fishery from the harbor. A dock count showed a few dorado landed by boats from Davey’s Locker, which confirms the fish reach the harbor’s boats, but the numbers are small. No month is documented for Newport Beach.
Where boats run
Newport Harbor is a yachting and sport fishing harbor entered between two lighted jetties, with the west jetty flashing green and the east jetty flashing red. The entrance is busy, and from April through November a bait barge sits close inside the east jetty, so inbound and outbound boats may have less room on that side. The harbor has a no-wake speed limit throughout, and the Balboa auto ferry crosses the main channel at peak times.
Santa Catalina Island lies a little more than 30 miles off the coast and is one of the islands the port’s offshore trips fish. No mahi-mahi-specific ground or run direction is documented from Newport Beach. Santa Ana winds can blow out of the northeast and east with great force for short periods and reach the entrance, so check the coastal forecast before a long run, and check conditions yourself.
Grounds and structure
Catalina Island is the only named structure documented for dorado from Newport Beach, and it lies more than 30 miles out. Closer to the harbor, the Newport Artificial Reef, Huntington Flats and Horseshoe Kelp are fished from the port for local species, not dorado. The Cortez and Tanner banks are documented for fall yellowtail rather than dorado.
How mahi-mahi are fished out of Newport Beach
No method is documented for dorado from Newport Beach. The general approach applies: troll feathers or ballyhoo along the edge of floating kelp or debris, scan for birds and bait, and keep a hooked fish in the water beside the boat while others cast.
Who fishes them
Davey’s Locker Sportfishing and Whale Watching, at its Newport Beach page, is the only charter documented as landing dorado from the harbor. No dorado tournament is documented for Newport Beach.
FAQ
When do dorado show off Newport Beach?
Only periodically, when coastal waters warm. No steady season is documented for the harbor.
How far out do the dorado come from?
No run distance or direction is documented for dorado. Catalina Island, a little more than 30 miles offshore, is the only named structure in the documentation.
Which boat should I call?
Davey’s Locker is the only charter documented as landing dorado from the harbor. Ask about recent catches before booking.
