Marina del Rey fishing spots and seasons
The country's biggest small-craft harbor, right on Santa Monica Bay: halibut flats, breakwater bass, and a straight run at Catalina.
Today's read out of Marina del Rey
Redondo Canyon grades Catching for calico bass today, scoring 81 out of 100.
One ground, read every day, so you can watch it move. A trial opens the rest: every species, and the best water in range. Updated SAT 31 OCT · 15:00 UPDATE. A Bite Score grades the conditions, it does not promise a fish.
Start free trial →A big bay of flats and rock
Marina del Rey opens straight onto Santa Monica Bay: a broad, sandy bay that's classic halibut water. Drift the flats for flatfish, work the harbor breakwaters and jetty rock for calico and bass, and you've got a full day without a long run.
When you want more, the bay's Horseshoe Kelp and a crossing to Catalina add yellows, seabass and deeper structure. It's a convenient, protected home port for the whole west side of LA.
Marina del Rey fish species
Leaving Marina del Rey, on any given week you could tangle with:
Fishing spots within range of Marina del Rey
- SANTA MONICA BAY FLATSBroad sand: the bay is classic halibut drifting water, with sand bass on the flats in summer.
- THE BREAKWATERS & JETTIESHarbor rock holding calico and bass close to the ramp.
- HORSESHOE KELPA deeper hard-bottom grounds out in the bay: bass and, when open, rockfish.
- CATALINA ISLANDA longer crossing for island kelp, yellowtail and white seabass.
Which ground holds which fish
The grounds above, grouped the other way round. Where to go is the part that does not move; what you may keep, and when, is not, so read the note at the foot of this page and check the current CDFW rules before you run.
Yellowtail
- CATALINA ISLAND
Calico Bass
- THE BREAKWATERS & JETTIES
- HORSESHOE KELP
Rockfish
- HORSESHOE KELP
Sand Bass
- SANTA MONICA BAY FLATS
Halibut
- SANTA MONICA BAY FLATS
Bonito
- THE BREAKWATERS & JETTIES
Sheephead
- THE BREAKWATERS & JETTIES
- CATALINA ISLAND
Whitefish
- CATALINA ISLAND
Sculpin
- HORSESHOE KELP
Thresher
- SANTA MONICA BAY FLATS
Best time to fish out of Marina del Rey
Marina del Rey fishes the bay hardest in the warm months: halibut drifting picks up in spring, sand bass move onto the flats to spawn in summer, and bonito show on a warm push. Catalina is a spring-to-fall run. Winter is slower on the bay.
Warmer = redder. A rough shape of the year, not a promise: the ocean writes its own calendar, which is exactly why you check the daily read.
More on Marina del Rey
Halibut from shore: catching California halibut off piers, beaches and jetties
You do not need a boat for a big halibut. Where shore fish lie in spring, how to rig live bait on a pier and lures in the surf, and how to get one up the rail.
White seabass and the squid spawn: why the ghosts follow the squid
Find the squid and you have found the seabass. The island squid grounds, the night and grey-light bite, and the rigs that put a live squid in front of a ghost.
California halibut: drifting live bait and bouncing swimbaits
Halibut lie in the sand and wait. Drift speed, the Carolina and sliding sinker rigs, swimbait leadheads and why you should never pump a halibut to the boat.
Calico bass in the kelp: fishing LA and Orange County's home-team fish
No long run and no warm-water year required. The breakwaters and kelp lines that hold calico close to home, and how to win the first seconds of the fight.
Fishing out of Marina del Rey and Santa Monica Bay through the year
A big sandy bay, harbor rock close to the dock, and Catalina when the water warms. Where the Marina del Rey boats fish, what bites in each season, and why.
Read the water from Marina del Rey
See today's Bite Score for the grounds you can actually reach from here.