Named spots
| Spot | Type | Depth | From nearest port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmen Basin | feature | 1162 fm | – |
Nearby buoys
2026-10-19 10:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46014
2026-10-19 10:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46026
2026-10-19 10:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46012
2026-10-19 10:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46042
2026-10-19 10:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46059
2026-10-19 10:10 UTC · NOAA NDBC 46028
Latest NOAA NDBC observations. Satellite and in water readings may differ.
Fishing Loreto
Loreto fishes the warm, blue water of the central Sea of Cortez, and the chart reads very differently from the open Pacific. This is a protected basin of islands and deep blue channels where warm water, current edges and the structure around the islands do most of the work. The hunt here is less about a hard cold upwelling seam and more about finding the temperature breaks, the color changes and the clean blue water pushing through, often marked where bluer water meets greener or slightly cooler water near the islands.
Structure is the whole game around Loreto. Isla Carmen, Isla Coronado and Isla Danzante sit just offshore with deep drop offs on their edges, and those edges concentrate bait when the current sets up on them. A temperature or color edge sitting over an island drop off is where the pelagics hunt, so pairing the SST and chlorophyll layers with the depth contours is how you find the spot where the warm water, the edge and the bottom all line up.
Seasonally this is a warm water fishery when conditions push in. Dorado work the warm months, yellowtail come up in the cooler months, and marlin and sailfish show through the summer. Roosterfish and jack crevalle run inshore, while cabrilla and pargo hold on the bottom structure. None of it is promised. Warm years and cool years look very different, and seasons and regulations change, so always check current rules.
The move is to watch where the clean blue water and the breaks are setting up relative to Isla Carmen, Coronado and Danzante, and to run to the edge that has the temperature, the color and the island structure all working together rather than chasing warm water with no edge to it.
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.