Black Rockfish
Sebastes melanops
FR Sébaste noir · ES Rocote negro
Also known as: Black BassRock CodRocote negroSébaste noir
Reef/KelpBoat
GamefishReef
Score
—
Prime time
Year-round; daylight structure fishing
Depth
100–280m
Platform
Boat
Season
JanMarJunSepDec
Peak May–AugGood Apr–Sep
Depth range
100–280mDeep
Best fishing techniques
Jigging85%
Bottom Fishing / Ledgering60%
Preferred seabed
RockMixed
Findr bio
Mid-water rover, not a bottom-hugger – find me suspended over reefs in feeding schools, and jigs get crushed the second they drop.
How to catch
Favourite hangouts
Wreck reefDeep waterShallow water
Recommended baits
Fish baitsSoft plastics
Diet
Juvenile fishAmphipodsSquidPolychaete worms
Effective techniques
JiggingBottom Fishing
Gear
Best times
Day
Unlike my solitary reef-dwelling cousins, I roam open water in huge schools, sometimes boiling the surface chasing herring.
Field notes
Where to find them
Pacific NW rocky reef and kelp
Where they hang out
Rocky reef, moderate depth
Prime time
Year-round; daylight structure fishing
Tide game
Moderate
What they're into
Squid strips, small jigs over structure
Temperature vibe
Cold-water species
Fave weather
Calm seas needed to hold position over structure
Fun fact about me
Rockpile regular that's older than it looks — decades spent under one ledge.
Dinner material?
8/10Solid dinner choice
Play by the rules
Size/bag limits, some closures — check state rulesState fisheries agency (e.g. WDFW, ODFW, CDFW)
Looking after them
Least Concern
Other regions where you can target Black Rockfish