Creel Quick answer: California Halibut is open in all 6 California regions where CDFW regulates it, with a 22-inch minimum. The bag limit is not the same everywhere, so the table below has the number for each region. Read on September 7, 2026; seasons change in-season with days of notice.
How to identify California Halibut
A large-tooth flounder with both eyes on the same side of the head and brownish pigment generally only on that side. Most of the sand flounder family is right-eyed; California halibut is the exception that goes either way, about 60% left-eyed and 40% right-eyed. It is the second largest flatfish in California marine waters, after Pacific halibut.
Also called California flounder.
Size, range and where it lives
| Size | Known to reach 60 inches and 72 pounds. All males and most females mature before they reach the 22-inch legal size. |
|---|---|
| Range | From the Quillayute River in northern Washington to Cabo Falsa in southern Baja California, but most commonly encountered between Bodega Bay and Bahia de San Quintin. |
| Habitat | Bottom-dwelling for its whole life after the egg and larval phases, on shallow soft bottom of sand or mud in estuaries, bays and nearshore ocean water. Young fish use estuaries, bays and shallow nearshore areas as nursery habitat. |
California Halibut by region
| Region | Status | Bag limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Open | 2 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
| Mendocino | Open | 2 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
| San Francisco | Open | 2 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
| SF Bay | Open | 2 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
| Central | Open | 5 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
| Southern | Open | 5 fish daily | 22-inch minimum |
Season dates
- open year-round
What it costs to get it wrong
An undersize fish or one over the bag limit runs roughly $430 to $485 in total bail as an infraction, plus a further $71 to $82 for every individual fish over the line. Charged as a misdemeanor the base part is about $958 to $1,095, with the same per-fish amount on top. The range is real: two of the assessments are set county by county.
How California fishing fines are actually calculated →
This page is a snapshot taken on September 7, 2026. Creel re-reads every CDFW regional page daily and shows current status for your region, offline. Always confirm with CDFW before fishing.