A left-eyed flatfish that lies buried in sand and ambushes baitfish. Around LA it is the flagship inshore target from kayaks, small boats, and the longer piers.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sandy bottoms next to structure — Santa Monica Bay harbor mouths, channel edges, and the surf zone in roughly 10–100 ft.
Legal fish in LA water are usually 5–15 lb, with the 22-inch stick as the hard filter. Incoming tide at Marina del Rey, Alamitos Bay, and the Redondo sand line is the classic pattern. From Venice and Santa Monica piers, a sliding-sinker live bait or a slow swimbait along the first drop can connect. CDFW measures total length.
California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) are large flatfish with both eyes on one side of the head. Unlike most flatfish, an individual can be either left-eyed or right-eyed, so eye side is not a reliable clue on its own. Look instead for the big mouth that extends back past the eye, a mouthful of sharp teeth, and a lateral line that arches high over the pectoral fin before running straight to the tail.
Small halibut are often confused with sanddabs and other small flatfish, which have small mouths and a straight lateral line. Measuring matters, because many halibut caught from LA piers and harbors are under the legal length.
Halibut are ambush feeders on sand and mud. Around Los Angeles that means the sandy bottom along the Santa Monica Bay and South Bay beaches, the edges of harbor channels in Marina del Rey, King Harbor, Los Angeles Harbor and Alamitos Bay, and the sand next to pier pilings, jetties and breakwaters. They lie half buried and rise to grab passing baitfish, so the edge where sand meets structure or a drop-off is usually more productive than open, featureless bottom.
The season is open all year. CDFW's beach-fishing guide lists June through October as the peak months for halibut along Southern California beaches, which matches the warmer-water period when bait schools crowd the shallows. Winter fish are caught too, just less consistently.
Halibut tend to grab and hold a bait before swallowing it. Giving the fish a few seconds before setting the hook usually beats an instant hookset.
Halibut are prized table fare with mild white fillets. OEHHA's site-specific advisories for both LA coastal zones (Ventura Harbor to the Santa Monica Pier, and south of the Santa Monica Pier to Seal Beach Pier) recommend no more than 1 serving a week for women 18–49 and children 1–17, and up to 2 servings a week for women 50 and older and men. OEHHA also advises eating skinless fillets and trimming fat.
In the Southern region the minimum size is 22 inches total length and the daily bag is 5 fish south of Point Sur, which includes all of Los Angeles County. The season is open year-round. A license is required on beaches and boats but not on qualifying public piers; an Ocean Enhancement Validation is also required with a license south of Point Arguello.
Giant sea bass is prohibited. Know the difference before you gaff a large brown fish.
CDFW Southern ocean regs — California halibut →
Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
22 inches total length, with a 5-fish daily bag south of Point Sur, which covers LA County. Check the CDFW Southern region page before keeping a fish.
Yes. Halibut feed on the sand around many LA piers, jetties and harbor structures. Most pier-caught fish are short, so carry a tape and release fish under 22 inches.
OEHHA advises women 18–49 and children no more than 1 serving a week, and women 50+ and men up to 2 servings a week, for halibut from the LA coast.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
