California Halibut

California halibut are a large flounder with a mottled brown-to-gray top side, a white underside and a mouth full of sharp teeth that is big for a flatfish. Roughly half the population is left-eyed and half right-eyed, so eye position does not help identification; the giveaway is the high arch in the lateral line over the pectoral fin and the large jaw. They are not a true halibut (Hippoglossus) and are much smaller than Pacific halibut.

They range from Washington to Baja California Sur and are most abundant from San Francisco Bay south. Juveniles grow up in bays and estuaries like San Francisco, Mission, San Diego and Newport bays and along the surf zone; adults move out to open sand and mud bottom in 10–100 feet near reefs, artificial structure and kelp edges, and they come into shallow bays and the beach in spring and summer to spawn and feed.

Halibut lie partially buried in sand and explode upward to take anchovies, sardines, smelt, grunion, squid and small bottom fish. They favor sand next to structure or a change in bottom, current edges and the sloping edges of channels, and they feed best on moving water in daylight, with warming spring water bringing the biggest fish shallow. Females grow larger and live longer; most fish over 15 pounds are females.

For anglers, halibut are a year-round target that peaks in spring when the big females move into bays and along the beaches. Slow-trolling and drifting live bait is the classic approach, but swimbaits and jigs cast from kayaks and the surf account for many fish, and a 30- or 40-pound barn door is one of California's best inshore trophies.