The hard-fighting jack that makes a San Pedro overnight worth the 2 a.m. alarm. Surface boils and yo-yo iron are the SoCal picture.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Open water near kelp paddies, offshore banks, and bait schools — typically a boat fish from 22nd Street, Long Beach, and Catalina.
CDFW lists yellowtail as Seriola dorsalis. Bag is ten; minimum 24 inches fork length, except up to five fish under 24 inches fork may be kept. Warm-water summers push fish onto the Catalina side and the San Pedro Channel. Surface iron, a yo-yo, and a fly-lined mackerel are the three local plays.
California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) are powerful jacks with a bright yellow tail, a yellow stripe running from the eye to the tail along the side, a bluish to olive back and a silvery belly. The body is long and torpedo-shaped. Anglers sometimes confuse small yellowtail with other jacks, but the yellow stripe and tail are distinctive.
Yellowtail are a migratory, warm-water species. Off Los Angeles they are mainly a boat fish, caught around Catalina Island, offshore banks and kelp beds, and at times along the Palos Verdes and Malibu kelp lines. In warm-water years they occasionally appear within range of piers and breakwaters, but shore catches are the exception.
There is no closed season. Most local catches come in summer and fall when water temperatures rise, but schools may move through in other months depending on conditions. Sportfishing landings post recent catch counts that are worth checking before a trip.
Yellowtail are excellent eating, whether fresh as sashimi, grilled or smoked. OEHHA's two LA coastal advisories do not name yellowtail. As a large predator it is sensible to follow OEHHA's general advice: eat a variety of fish, favor smaller fish, and check the advisory map for where you fished.
The daily bag is 10 fish. Yellowtail are measured by fork length (snout tip to the fork of the tail), and the minimum is 24 inches, except that up to 5 fish under 24 inches may be taken or possessed. The season is open all year. A license and Ocean Enhancement Validation are needed on boats south of Point Arguello.
Fork length is tip of snout to the fork of the tail, not total length.
CDFW Southern ocean regs — yellowtail →
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.
10 fish per day, 24 inches fork length minimum, except up to 5 fish under 24 inches may be kept.
It is uncommon. Most LA yellowtail are caught from boats around Catalina and the coastal kelp beds, mainly in summer and fall.
By fork length: from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail, not to the end of the tail.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
