The croaker that thumps a high-low at night when the beach is empty. Yellow fins, a blunt snout, and a drum you can feel in the rod.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sandy surf, bay mouths, and pier lights after dark from Santa Monica Bay through Long Beach.
No species-specific size. General 20/10 ocean finfish bag. CDFW SoCal beach table lists June–September as the yellowfin window. Night incoming tides at Dockweiler, Santa Monica, and Long Beach with sand crab, ghost shrimp, or mussel on a high-low are the standard.
Yellowfin croaker (Umbrina roncador) are silvery to bronze croakers with wavy diagonal lines on the back, yellow lower fins and a small chin barbel. The yellow fins and the wavy lines separate them from white croaker and queenfish; the single barbel and stockier body separate them from corbina.
Yellowfin feed along sandy beaches, in surf troughs and around the sand near piers and harbor entrances. LA County beaches from Malibu to Long Beach hold them, and summer evenings on beaches such as Dockweiler and Manhattan are popular.
CDFW lists June through September as the peak months in Southern California surf. Low light, dusk and night tides often produce better than midday.
Yellowfin croaker are decent table fare. OEHHA's LA coastal advisories rate yellowfin croaker at up to 2 servings a week for every group in both zones.
No species-specific limit applies; the general ocean bag of 20 finfish, no more than 10 of one species, is the rule. A license is required on the beach. Identify your croakers carefully: white croaker from south of the Santa Monica Pier carry a do-not-eat advisory.
White croaker have health advisories in some Harbor waters — know which croaker you kept.
CDFW beach fishing — yellowfin croaker peak months →
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.
Open all year; CDFW lists June through September as the Southern California surf peak.
Sand crabs, mussels, ghost shrimp, bloodworms and small grubs or swimbaits.
OEHHA advises up to 2 servings a week for all groups along the LA coast.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
