California halibut, not to be confused with Pacific halibut, is a species of flatfish found in abundance in Monterey Bay. A prized catch for both commercial and recreational fishermen, California halibut is fun to catch and delicious to eat.

Wild, fresh King salmon is only available in California on certain weeks during the summer months (pending regulatory changes and potential closures). Find out when, where, and how to access fresh, local wild-caught King salmon.

Anchovies add a rich, unique flavor in many classic recipes. This fish is building its modern-day reputation as a sustainable and tasty seafood option.

Albacore are a favorite species of Pacific-caught tuna, often enjoyed raw, grilled, or smoked. They have a firm flesh and mild flavor, and they are a popular fish for canning.

Dungeness crab inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms on the west coast of North America, and offer a lot of rich, delicious meat. Enjoy cracked crab, or in chowders, omelets, crabcakes, etc!

After weeks of delay, due to the presence of migrating whales off the Central California coast, Monterey Bay’s Dungeness crab season is set to open Thursday, Dec. 16.

With big eyes, large heads, and gaping sharply-toothed mouths, lingcod have a ferocious appearance as well as a comical nickname: bucketheads. They’re not one of the most common species found on menus and fish counters, but those who know lingcod know they’re one of the tastiest fish around.

Thornyhead is a great go-to seafood ingredient, similar to rockfish, with a delicate, sweet flavor. They’re delicious especially when cooked whole and enjoyed off the bone

Our new Community Seafood Program partners with fishermen to provide seafood to nonprofits that prepare food for community members in need.

Pacific Grenadier is a deep water fish known for its flaky light-pink meat and its mild sweet flavor. They’re not the prettiest looking fish, but make for great table fare, for dishes like fish tacos!

White Seabass is a low-fat fish with a mild flavor, known for its firm, meaty texture. The meat has thick, large white flakes that hold up well to grilling, baking or frying.

Women are an integral part of our fishing community, often running the family businesses that bring seafood from the ocean to our tables. Meet Heidi Rhodes, Jenn Gerard Lovewell, and Kristen Deyerle, who all work in local family fishing businesses.

Less common in stores and fish markets, Rock Crabs are often ignored in favor of Dungeness crabs, but they are plentiful and delicious. With wide, thick shells, a brick-red color and black-tipped claws, these crustaceans make fantastic table fare (but look out for their painful pinch - they don’t let go!).

A trawl is a method of net fishing where a funnel-shaped net (much like a windsock) is towed behind the boat to capture fish. There are bottom trawls, which primarily target groundfish that live on or near the seafloor, and mid-water trawls (also known as pelagic trawls) that target fish in the mid-and surface water column like Pacific Whiting.

Longlines in the Monterey Bay are used to catch fish that live near the ocean floor with hundreds of baited hooks set and left to soak from just a few hours to a whole day. Species harvested with this method include sablefish, rockfish, lingcod, flounders, and soles.

Contrary to popular belief, fishermen harvest much more than crab using pots and traps. While heavy Dungeness crab pots are the trap gear known most to those outside of the commercial fishing industry, plenty of fish are brought aboard with this gear type. These include sablefish, spot prawns, nearshore rockfish, and hagfish (aka slime eels).

The large sardine boats of yesteryear, which made Monterey’s Cannery Row famous, used purse seines. This fishing method is still a big player in Monterey Bay fisheries today and is used to harvest squid, sardines and anchovies.

If you see boats lighting up Monterey Bay at night, it’s likely squid vessels at work. Market squid is one of the most important fisheries in Monterey Bay. These sustainably harvested and versatile cephalopods are great battered and fried, grilled, sautéed, simmered in a marinara sauce, or cooked on top of bomba rice for paella.

In its most basic sense, trolling is the method of drawing lines with baited hooks or lures behind a boat for fish to bite. While this sounds simple, it’s far from it. All commercially harvested king salmon in California are caught by trollers, as are most albacore tuna.

The Pacific Sanddab is a species of flatfish, light brown in color with occasional white or orange spots. Their flesh is mild and sweet, excellent when pan-fried, broiled or baked.