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2,697-acre Bolinas Bay fishing map with NOAA H12111 survey contours in native MLLW (60.03% measured, 97.69% assessed), Duxbury-rule-filtered fishing spots, official fish and forage evidence, public shore access and San Francisco Region rules. The water tops out around 54 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 2,698 acres wrapped in 9.7 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 30% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 4 mi end to end and 1.7 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Richardson Bay is 10 mi to the east.
Early season california halibut use the shallows, holding in 5 to 30 ft. Summer is an 8 to 40 ft game here, winter a 14 to 54 ft one. The chart's best answer is USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf — feeding flat, 16 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a paddletail dragged on sand or a bucktail + strip and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf (16 ft) | Swimbait on 1/2-1 oz head (drifted), Hair raiser jig |
| Summer | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf (16 ft) | Paddletail dragged on sand, Bucktail + strip |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf (16 ft) | Heavier jig + swimbait (channels), Drifted bucktail |
| Winter | 14 to 54 ft | midday | Deepest basin (53 ft) | Slow-dragged swimbait in deep channels |
Come spring, look for surfperch tight to the bank in 2 to 18 ft. They move out to 3 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf: a feeding flat around 16 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A 1–2 inch grub or a small paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dawn | USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf (16 ft) | Small grub on a light jig, Sand-crab imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf (16 ft) | 1-2 inch grub, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (30 ft) | Small jig and grub, Compact spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 35 ft | midday | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (30 ft) | Slow small grub, Light bottom jig |
Spring lingcod on Bolinas Bay hold shallow, usually 10 to 54 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 6 to 54 ft in summer, 14 to 54 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle — rock pile, 40 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a heavy swimbait or a metal jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 54 ft | dawn | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 6 to 54 ft | midday & dawn | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 54 ft | midday | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 14 to 54 ft | midday | USGS mapped fractured bedrock (27 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
When the water first warms, cabezon slide up into 5 to 54 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 54 ft, winter 8 to 54 ft. Start at USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle. It's a rock pile holding about 40 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and midday. Keep a crab-pattern jig or a heavy tube rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 54 ft | dawn | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Compact swimbait |
| Summer | 3 to 54 ft | dawn & midday | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Heavy tube |
| Fall | 5 to 54 ft | midday | USGS mapped boulder or pinnacle (40 ft) | Compact metal jig, Crab-pattern jig |
| Winter | 8 to 54 ft | midday | USGS mapped fractured bedrock (27 ft) | Slow compact jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 17 features, led in depth by Deepest basin at roughly 53 ft.
Access data: Marin County Parks — Agate Beach 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 Bolinas Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Bolinas Bay is about 54 ft (16 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 on Bolinas Bay.
USGS mapped shallow rippled sand shelf is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for california halibut in spring. 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 Bolinas 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.
Richardson Bay 10 mi · Drakes Bay 14 mi · San Pablo Bay 19 mi · Petaluma River 19 mi · Tomales Bay 23 mi · Napa River 30 mi · Half Moon Bay 31 mi · Bodega Bay 32 mi · Suisun Bay 39 mi · Big Break 53 mi · Lake Berryessa 53 mi · Lake Del Valle 56 mi
See how Bolinas 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 H12111 hydrographic survey with Northern California CoNED (MLLW; 60% 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.