Named spots
| Spot | Type | Depth | From nearest port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedros Escarpment | feature | 2313 fm | – |
| Cedros Trench | feature | 2319 fm | – |
| Lluch Seamount | bank | 1297 fm | – |
| Ranger Bank | bank | 79 fm | – |
| San Pablo Canyon | canyon | 58 fm | – |
Nearby buoys
2026-10-19 17:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46014
2026-10-19 17:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46012
2026-10-19 17:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46042
2026-10-19 17:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46059
2026-10-19 17:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46028
Latest NOAA NDBC observations. Satellite and in water readings may differ.
Fishing Baja Pacific Central / Cedros
Baja Pacific Central is the Cedros Island and Vizcaino country, and it fishes on strong island structure as much as on water temperature. From Punta Eugenia out to Cedros and the San Benito Islands, you are working a zone of big islands, kelp and hard bottom sitting in water that is still cool and upwelling influenced but warms as you move offshore and south. The chart here is about finding the temperature breaks and the color changes and then reading them against the heavy structure, because the islands and reefs do a lot of the work of holding bait and fish.
Structure is the story. Cedros Island and its kelp, the San Benito Islands offshore, Punta Eugenia on the point, and Sacramento Reef all concentrate bait when the current sets up on them. The big kelp and island edges hold fish on their own, and a temperature or color edge stacking over that structure is where you want to be. Pairing the SST and chlorophyll layers with the depth contours is how you find the spot where the warm or clean water, the edge and the bottom line up rather than fishing structure blind.
Seasonally this is a yellowtail stronghold, with the island and kelp fishing considered some of the best anywhere when it is on. White seabass, calico bass and bonito work the kelp and hard bottom through their seasons, and in season bluefin and yellowfin tuna move through the warmer offshore water. None of it is promised. The water swings year to year, and seasons and regulations change, so always check current rules.
The move is to use the chart to find where a temperature break or color edge is setting up over Cedros, the San Benitos or the reefs, and to work that edge where the structure and the water meet, rather than running to open water with no island, kelp or bottom under the break.
What you get with ReelTemps
- Sea surface temperatureFind the temperature break
- Chlorophyll-aSpot the green-to-blue color seam
- Composite & single passBlended picture or the freshest overpass
- CompareTemperature and color side by side
- Depth readoutFathoms and feet on hover, tap or mark
- Currents & buoysSee the water move and ground-truth it
- Route, ruler & waypointsPlan the run and save your spots
From the water
I've tried every temp map out there and they all feel like they were built ten years ago. I'm not exactly a tech guy, but this one actually makes sense the second you open it. First time using it, I marked a break in about 30 seconds the night before and boated bluefin right on it the next morning.
Used to burn half a tank driving around looking for color change or a solid temp break. Now I check ReelTemps before I leave the dock and I know exactly where I'm going. Less time driving around guessing, more time with lines in the water.
Albacore season used to mean a couple hours of homework the night before and just hoping it held up. Now I do most of my research that morning and pull it up on my phone if things change once we're out there. Makes calling an audible a lot easier.