A heavier croaker with a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. The spot is the ID, not a guess from color.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sandy bays, harbor mouths, and surf troughs — Alamitos, Long Beach, and the South Bay beaches in late summer.
Same general 20/10 bag, no species minimum. CDFW lists July–September as the SoCal peak. They push into Alamitos Bay and the Long Beach surf on a strong incoming. A Carolina-rigged shrimp or a sand crab in the hole behind the first bar is the usual.
Spotfin croaker (Roncador stearnsii) are silvery-grey croakers with a distinctive black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. Large males may show a golden or bronze tint during the summer spawning period, which is why some anglers call them golden croakers. Unlike corbina and yellowfin croaker, they have no chin barbel.
Spotfin feed on sandy and muddy bottom in the surf zone, in bays and in harbors, often in holes and channels where they root for clams, worms and crustaceans. Long Beach-area sand and bays such as Alamitos Bay, and LA's wide sandy beaches, are worth exploring.
CDFW's beach-fishing guide lists July through September as the Southern California peak.
Spotfin croaker are not named in OEHHA's two LA coastal advisories. For other croakers, OEHHA's guidance varies widely (white croaker is do-not-eat south of the Santa Monica Pier), so identify each fish and check OEHHA's map before eating.
No species-specific size or bag limit; the general ocean bag of 20 finfish, no more than 10 of one species, applies. A license is required when fishing from the beach.
Identify before you keep a mix of croakers from LA Harbor.
CDFW beach fishing — spotfin croaker →
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.
Look for the black spot at the base of the pectoral fin and the lack of a chin barbel.
CDFW lists July through September as the peak months in Southern California surf.
No. The general 20-fish ocean bag with no more than 10 of one species applies.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
