Elkhorn Slough & Moss Landing
Moss Landing, Monterey Bay · near Moss Landing / Monterey · Central Coast
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best season
- Halibut summer · sharks/rays year-round
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required. Elkhorn Slough (a national estuarine reserve) and Moss Landing Harbor offer sheltered fishing and superb kayak angling amid famous sea otter and bird populations. Respect the wildlife reserve rules.
What is here
- Features
- Fish amid sea otters & wildlife · Sheltered halibut & shark fishing · World-class kayak angling · Monterey Bay estuary
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Fishing detail
- Water type
- bay-delta
- Water
- brackish
- Methods
- Bait · Kayak · Casting
- Boat
- both
- Target species
- California halibut · Leopard shark & bat ray · Jacksmelt & perch · Striped bass (occasional)
- Intl tip
- License required. Halibut in summer; leopard sharks and rays year-round. Superb kayak fishing — but it's a wildlife reserve, so keep well clear of otters and seals. Moss Landing Harbor adds shore/jetty access. Combine with Monterey and the Elkhorn wildlife safari. Gentle and scenic.
The guide
Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing is one of California's most wildlife-rich estuaries — a winding tidal slough famous for its raft…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Elkhorn Slough & Moss Landing — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.811, -121.787