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7,447-acre Bodega Bay fishing map with NOAA H11734 and historic hydrographic survey contours in MLLW (61.12% measured, 99.45% assessed), closure-filtered fishing spots, official fish and forage evidence, public access and current San Francisco Region rules. The water tops out around 87 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 7,448 acres, worked by 19.6 miles of shoreline, broken up by 36 islands. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 15% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 6.7 mi, about 2.4 mi across. Tomales Bay sits 10 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring california halibut on Bodega Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Bodega Bay channel edge — channel edge, 16 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a paddletail dragged on sand or a bucktail + strip.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Bodega Bay channel edge (16 ft) | Swimbait on 1/2-1 oz head (drifted), Hair raiser jig |
| Summer | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Bodega Bay channel edge (16 ft) | Paddletail dragged on sand, Bucktail + strip |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Bodega Bay channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier jig + swimbait (channels), Drifted bucktail |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | midday | Bodega Bay channel edge (16 ft) | Slow-dragged swimbait in deep channels |
When the water first warms, surfperch slide up into 2 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Bodega Bay channel edge: a channel edge around 16 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a 1–2 inch grub or a small paddletail rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (8 ft) | Small grub on a light jig, Sand-crab imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | 1-2 inch grub, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small jig and grub, Compact spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 35 ft | midday | Bodega Bay channel edge (16 ft) | Slow small grub, Light bottom jig |
Early season lingcod use the shallows, holding in 16 to 87 ft. Even in summer they hold at 10 to 87 ft; winter keeps them in 22 to 87 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 32 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is midday and early morning. Tie on a heavy swimbait or a metal jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 16 to 87 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (32 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 10 to 87 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 13 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (32 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 22 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (43 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
Come spring, look for cabezon tight to the bank in 8 to 80 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 87 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 87 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and midday. A crab-pattern jig or a heavy tube is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 80 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Compact swimbait |
| Summer | 5 to 87 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Heavy tube |
| Fall | 7 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Compact metal jig, Crab-pattern jig |
| Winter | 12 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Slow compact jig |
Early season kelp greenling use the shallows, holding in 5 to 70 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 87 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 87 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 9 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and midday. Tie on a small paddletail or a micro metal jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 70 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small grub, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 4 to 87 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small paddletail, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 6 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Small metal jig, Compact grub |
| Winter | 10 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Small slow jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: copper rockfish in 16 to 87 ft. The depth story barely changes: 9 to 87 ft through summer, 20 to 87 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for copper rockfish in spring. Plan around early morning and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical metal jig or a baitfish swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 16 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (32 ft) | Compact metal jig, Small swimbait |
| Summer | 9 to 87 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Vertical metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Fall | 13 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Slow-pitch jig, Compact swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 87 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (43 ft) | Slow-pitch jig |
Bodega Bay carries 140 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, about 67 ft down.
Access data: California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways — Westside Regional Park. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for California waters are set by the California DFW (San Francisco Region ocean fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Bodega Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Bodega Bay is about 87 ft (27 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target california halibut, surfperch, lingcod, cabezon, kelp greenling, copper rockfish on Bodega Bay.
Bodega Bay channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for surfperch in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For california halibut, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bodega Bay is regulated by the California DFW (San Francisco Region ocean fishing). Check the official California regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Tomales Bay 10 mi · Drakes Bay 21 mi · Petaluma River 28 mi · Bolinas Bay 32 mi · San Pablo Bay 37 mi · Napa River 39 mi · Richardson Bay 39 mi · Lake Berryessa 47 mi · Clear Lake 54 mi · Suisun Bay 57 mi · Half Moon Bay 63 mi · Cuffeys Cove 71 mi
See how Bodega Bay stacks up: best california halibut lakes in California · best surfperch lakes in California · best lingcod lakes in California · best cabezon lakes in California
Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA NCEI hydrographic surveys and Northern California CoNED (MLLW; 61% measured, 38% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.