About Point Arena
Arena Cove is a small open cove 2.5 miles southeast of Point Arena, on an exposed stretch of the Mendocino coast. It is the only launch point for boaters on this part of the California coast. Boats go in and out by a hoist on the municipal pier; there is no ramp and no enclosed harbor. Boat-based groundfish fishing runs April through December, per CDFW. Boats here target rockfish, lingcod, salmon and Dungeness crab (species detail in our Pacific Southwest fishing guide). This guide covers how to get out and back, where you can legally fish, and when.
Access and navigation at Arena Cove
The pier hoist is the only way into and out of Arena Cove with a trailer boat.
- Point Arena Municipal Pier hoist launch – hoist into Arena Cove, no ramp, open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting, per the city.
- Point Arena Municipal Pier wharf berthing – wharf berthing, fuel listed.
Because the hoist is open only from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., plan your departure and return inside that window.
The approach
The charted approach in U.S. Coast Pilot 7 starts at the lighted bell buoy, 0.6 mile southwest of the wharf end. From there it runs in on 074° to the wharf end. That line passes about 150 feet south of a rock covered 16 feet, which lies 300 yards 264° from the wharf end.
A breaker is reported in heavy southwest swell 0.8 mile west-southwest of the cove’s north point, and scattered kelp extends nearly out to that position. The Coast Pilot gives one charted approach, and we know of no second one. In thick summer weather, the edge of the kelp can be followed to within 300 yards of the buoy.
Hazards near the point
Three dangers sit close to the point:
- Arena Rock, 1.4 miles north of Point Arena Light, is covered 13 feet. It shows a breaker except in very smooth weather.
- A covered rock 200 yards north of Arena Rock rises abruptly from deep water. It breaks only in heavy weather.
- A reef that usually shows breakers extends about 0.6 mile northwest from the point. Arena Rock sits only 0.8 mile inside the 30-fathom curve, with abrupt shoaling.
Exposure
The cove sits in a slight indentation that can give small vessels shelter in northwest weather. It gives none from the south or west. Storms from the south have repeatedly damaged wharves in the cove, and south and southwest swell tends to decide the day.
In the offshore box that includes Point Arena, winds above 33 knots occur up to 6.1 percent of the time and seas above 9 feet up to 15.3 percent of the time. Both peak in May. Point Arena is also one of the foggiest spots on this coast.
Forecast and buoys
The official forecast is the NWS PZZ455 marine forecast, covering Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena out 10 nm. For observed conditions, use NDBC buoy 46014, 19 NM north of Point Arena. Station ANVC1 sits at Arena Cove itself and is listed on the same NDBC site.
Read wind, wave height and period together, and compare the forecast against what the buoys report. When you arrive, look at the water and read the PZZ455 forecast. If the cove looks bigger than you want, change the plan, including not launching.
The nearest other launch points on this coast are Albion, 16.5 miles north, Fort Bragg, 30 miles north, and Bodega Bay, 52 miles southeast.
Fishing conditions off Point Arena
Arena Canyon and Navarro Canyon begin directly off the point. Point Arena also sits in one of the major upwelling zones on the West Coast, which feeds the bait and the fish that follow it. Rockfish and lingcod are the reef staples here.
Chart Contours shows the canyon edges, and OBS SST and Chlorophyll show where the upwelling edge sits. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Two marine protected areas shape where you can fish:
- Point Arena State Marine Reserve lies off the point between about 38°56.4’N and 38°59.0’N. All take is prohibited.
- The adjoining Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area allows only recreational salmon trolling.
- Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area, 4 miles south of the point, also allows only recreational salmon trolling. It is a trolling ground only, not a bottom-fishing reef.
The Point Arena line at 38°57.5’N splits the Mendocino and San Francisco groundfish management areas, and rules can differ on each side. Check the CDFW groundfish regulations summary and CDFW in-season changes before fishing.
Winter
Boat-based rockfish, lingcod, cabezon and greenling fishing is closed January 1 through March 31. Possessing those species in those waters is unlawful during the closure, per CDFW. Dungeness crab timing is set by CDFW, so check the agency for the opener.
Hoist hours depend on the weather, and storms from the south are the documented exposure here.
Spring
Groundfish opens April 1 at all depths in the Mendocino and San Francisco areas, per CDFW, subject to in-season change. Targets are rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, and kelp and rock greenling.
May carries the highest wind and sea statistics, the 6.1 percent and 15.3 percent figures above. Check PZZ455 before you commit to a launch.
Summer
Targets are rockfish, lingcod and cabezon, plus Chinook salmon when open. Salmon seasons are set and changed by CDFW and federal managers, so check CDFW before you go. Salmon trolling is the only take allowed inside the conservation areas.
Fog is a factor. In thick weather, the kelp-edge note in the approach section applies. Warm water might come within albacore range in some years, and OBS SST is the layer to watch for it.
Autumn
Groundfish fishing continues through December 31, per CDFW. Dungeness crab opens on dates CDFW sets, so check the agency. Confirm CDFW in-season changes before each trip.
