Orange County's blue-water doorstep. The shelf drops away fast off Newport and Dana Point, so bluefin, yellowtail and dorado run closer to the harbor mouth here than almost anywhere on the coast — with calico bass and bay fishing waiting when the offshore lies down.
Region: California · CA. Coordinates 33.5800, -117.8500.
This zone reads from NOAA CO-OPS tide station 9410580 — Newport Beach, Newport Bay Entrance, CA — for tide predictions and observed water level, with wind, gusts, air temperature and marine warnings from Open-Meteo and the National Weather Service. Station 9410580 carries no water-temperature sensor, so water temp comes from the nearest station that does: Los Angeles, CA (9410660), about 25 miles away.
Every reading is fetched when you open the page, so nothing here is a published forecast: the tide timeline covers the next 48 hours with highs, lows and moon phase, and the bite outlook scores the current tide stage, water temperature, wind and pressure for the species you pick. Open the console to watch this water on one screen, or see it in context on the coastal map.
For recreation only — not for navigation. In an emergency call 911 or hail the Coast Guard on VHF 16.
Catalog species that hold in this zone: Calico Bass, California Halibut, California Yellowtail, Spotted Bay Bass, White Seabass, Pacific Bonito, Rockfish.
| Season | Species present |
|---|---|
| spring | White Seabass, Rockfish, Spotted Bay Bass |
| summer | Calico Bass, California Yellowtail, Spotted Bay Bass |
| fall | California Yellowtail, Pacific Bonito, Calico Bass |
| winter | California Halibut, Spotted Bay Bass |
Regional targets beyond the catalog: Bluefin tuna (fall, sometimes shockingly close to shore) · Dorado (summer paddy fish in warm-water years).
What to tie on: 15 lures and baits in the lure & bait database are proven for the species that hold in Newport & Dana Point, and the smart lure tool narrows them to today's conditions on this water.
Spring belongs to the squid: white seabass ghost the nests at night and rockfish bite on the local banks when the season is open — seasonal closure applies, verify before you go. Summer lights up the kelp with calicos and yellowtail, and warm years float dorado under every paddy. Fall is the headline act — bluefin tuna within sight of the headlands some years, yellowtail until the water cools. Winter turns inward: halibut on the bay flats and spotties on every dock line.
Base camps and launch areas inside this zone:
Running these waters? Pull the official NOAA chart before you go — it opens centered on this zone. Check the regulations for Newport & Dana Point for current size and bag limits, and run the launch-prep checklist before you leave the ramp.
No listed charter calls Newport & Dana Point home port yet — the charters & guides directory covers nearby waters, and captains who run this zone can list their business.
The what's-biting report and the angler reports on this page are sample content, clearly labeled as a demo in the app — posting and replies activate with the community account system. Live tide, water temperature, wind and warning data are real and pull from NOAA and Open-Meteo on every visit.