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208-acre Mendocino Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (90.49% measured, 95.06% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 49 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 208 acres wrapped in 4.1 miles of bank, with 7 islands in the mix. With a 2 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 36% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 1 mi, about 0.5 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Albion Cove, is 5 mi to the south.
Spring puts black rockfish in skinny water — 6 to 49 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 49 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 49 ft. Spring black rockfish concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and midday. A dart jig or a small metal jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Small metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Summer | 4 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Dart jig, Small metal jig |
| Fall | 6 to 49 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Vertical metal jig, Compact swimbait |
| Winter | 9 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Slow vertical jig, Dart jig |
Come spring, look for lingcod tight to the bank in 9 to 49 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 49 ft; the winter hold is 12 to 49 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is midday and early morning. A heavy swimbait or a metal jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 49 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 5 to 49 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 7 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 12 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
Spring cabezon on Mendocino Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 49 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 49 ft in summer, 7 to 49 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 11 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and midday. The summer box starts with a crab-pattern jig or a heavy tube.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 49 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Compact swimbait |
| Summer | 3 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Crab-pattern jig, Heavy tube |
| Fall | 4 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Compact metal jig, Crab-pattern jig |
| Winter | 7 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Slow compact jig |
When the water first warms, kelp greenling slide up into 4 to 49 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 49 ft, winter 6 to 49 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and midday. Keep a small paddletail or a micro metal jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 49 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Small grub, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 2 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Small paddletail, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 4 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Small metal jig, Compact grub |
| Winter | 6 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Small slow jig |
Spring puts copper rockfish in skinny water — 9 to 49 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 49 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 49 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for spring copper rockfish. Plan around early morning and midday in the warm months. A vertical metal jig or a baitfish swimbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Compact metal jig, Small swimbait |
| Summer | 5 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Vertical metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Fall | 7 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Slow-pitch jig, Compact swimbait |
| Winter | 11 to 49 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (25 ft) | Slow-pitch jig |
Mendocino Bay carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA charted rock, about 41 ft down.
Access data: California State Parks — Mendocino Headlands State 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 (Mendocino ocean fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Mendocino Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official California fishing regulations →
Mendocino Bay is about 49 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target black rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, kelp greenling, copper rockfish on Mendocino Bay.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for black rockfish in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For black rockfish, the summer bite is best in early morning and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Mendocino Bay is regulated by the California DFW (Mendocino 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.
Albion Cove 5 mi · Cuffeys Cove 11 mi · Clear Lake 58 mi · Lake Berryessa 97 mi · Petaluma River 104 mi · Trinity River 106 mi · Napa River 110 mi · Whiskeytown Lake 112 mi · Sacramento River (Redding) 113 mi · San Pablo Bay 115 mi · Richardson Bay 121 mi · Suisun Bay 129 mi
Browse all California fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 90% measured, 5% 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.