Manresa State Beach Surf Fishing, California
Manresa State Beach is on the Central California coast in Santa Cruz County, California, near Aptos, Watsonville. Striper Tracker follows redtail surfperch, barred surfperch and California halibut here.
Open live conditions for Manresa State Beach →What the live card shows
- Ocean temperature: NASA JPL MUR satellite sea-surface temperature, about 0.8 km from the beach (a daily analysis that usually runs 1–3 days behind).
- Tides: NOAA tide station 9413745 Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay (subordinate, 14.4 km), with a 24-hour tide chart.
- Waves: nearshore buoy 46236 (20.4 km); offshore buoy 46092 (24.8 km); offshore buoy 46042 (51.2 km): wave height off the beach, not breaking surf height.
- Wind and gusts: National Weather Service forecast (office MTR).
- Moon phase, moonrise and moonset for this beach.
- Hourly fishing-conditions score and 24-hour timeline for redtail surfperch and barred surfperch. The hourly score rates today's water temperature, tide, light and tidal range for each fish on a 0–100 scale, assuming the fish is there. It is a conditions score, not a catch forecast, and the season is shown beside it without changing the number. It is a provisional model.
Live conditions, the 24-hour tide chart and the hourly species scores are part of Striper Tracker Premium, the same one-time $1.99 unlock as the rest of the site. Season calendars and this guide are free.
Fish by season at Manresa State Beach
| Species | Peak season | Common | Occasional | In the live card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redtail surfperch | — | — | Sep–Jun | Hourly 0–100 conditions score |
| Barred surfperch | Oct–May | Jun–Sep | — | Hourly 0–100 conditions score |
| California halibut | May–Aug | Apr, Sep | Mar, Oct–Nov | Season only (no score) |
Season levels come from Striper Tracker's regional West Coast species tables, not from catch reports or sightings at a particular beach. Months not listed are uncommon for that species in that region. A season level is not a rating of today's fishing.
Not rated at this beach
- Striped bass: not one of the San Francisco, San Mateo or Marin ocean beaches where CDFW documents surf striped bass.
- California corbina: north of Point Conception, the documented northern limit.
- Yellowfin croaker: north of Point Conception, the documented northern limit.
- Spotfin croaker: north of Point Conception, the documented northern limit.
Known limits for this beach
- No open-coast water-temperature gauge within 15 km: temperature is a satellite estimate.
- No breaking-surf estimate; shows a nearshore buoy (wave height a few km out, not surf height).
Nearby beaches
- Marina State Beach, CA 16 mi
- Half Moon Bay State Beach, CA 50 mi
- Pacifica State Beach, CA 59 mi
- Ocean Beach, CA 67 mi
More California beaches
- Crescent City (South Beach)
- Samoa Beach
- Centerville Beach
- Ten Mile Beach (MacKerricher SP)
- Doran Regional Park
- Point Reyes Beach
- Ocean Beach
- Pacifica State Beach
- Half Moon Bay State Beach
- Marina State Beach
- Morro Strand State Beach
- Pismo State Beach
- Jalama Beach
- Oxnard Beach (Silver Strand)
- Zuma Beach
- Dockweiler State Beach
- Huntington State Beach
- Newport Beach
- Oceanside City Beach
- Torrey Pines State Beach
- Silver Strand State Beach
Licenses and regulations
Check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for licenses, limits and seasons before you fish.
California surf fishing guide · West Coast surf fishing · West Coast map