A vegetarian-leaning sea chub with a blue eye. They eat peas, moss, and mussels, and they wrap you in the rocks like a much bigger fish.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Rocky shoreline, tidepools adjacent to kelp, and the wash around Cabrillo, Palos Verdes, and Malibu rocks — outside no-take MPAs.
No species-specific size. General 20/10 ocean finfish bag, so ten opaleye is the cap. Frozen peas, moss, or mussel on a small hook around Cabrillo and the Palos Verdes rocks (outside Point Vicente no-take SMCA) is the local rite.
Opaleye (Girella nigricans) are oval, olive-green fish with striking blue-green eyes and, usually, one or two white spots on the back just below the dorsal fin. They are members of the sea chub family and are closely related to halfmoon, which are bluish-grey with no white spots.
Opaleye live in rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal areas, tide pools, kelp, and around jetties and breakwaters. Around LA, the Palos Verdes rocks, Point Fermin, King Harbor breakwater, Marina del Rey and Alamitos Bay jetties, and Catalina's rocky shore all hold them. Much of Palos Verdes falls inside marine protected areas, so check MPA boundaries before fishing.
Present year-round.
OEHHA's LA coastal advisories list opaleye at up to 2 servings a week for all groups.
No species-specific limit; the general ocean bag of 20 finfish, no more than 10 of one species, applies. Point Vicente SMCA is no-take. Abalone Cove SMCA allows only limited take (recreational dip-net market squid and spearfishing for white seabass and pelagic finfish), so hook-and-line for opaleye is not allowed there. Garibaldi, often seen in the same rocks, may not be taken.
Point Vicente SMCA is no-take. Confirm MPA maps before fishing Palos Verdes rocks.
CDFW Point Vicente / Abalone Cove MPA →
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.
Frozen peas on a small hook are the classic local bait; moss and mussels also work.
Only outside marine protected areas. Point Vicente SMCA and Abalone Cove SMCA do not allow hook-and-line fishing.
The general ocean bag applies: 20 finfish total, no more than 10 of one species.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
