Cambria, CA Fishing: Seaside Fishing Opportunities in the Central Coast

Cambria is nestled on the central coast, a small town in San Luis Obispo County, California. Cambria offers a rich ambiance buzzing with art galleries, boutique shops, historic architecture, and antiques together with a great view of the Pacific Ocean. Adding to the local architecture, Hearst Castle and Cambria Historical Museum are some landmarks containing the place’s rich culture. Cambria may be small, but it is known as a culinary powerhouse, so make sure to try their wine and cuisine.

Dating back to 1958, a state park called Hearst Castle opened to the public bringing in hundreds of tourists. The traffic caused the building of Highway One bypass around the area. Standing as one of the oldest homes in Cambria, Guthrie-Bianchini House shares the heritage of Cambria and eventually became the Cambria Historical Museum as it was built in 1870.

Rooted with rich history, Native American Chumash people were the earliest human settlement surviving with the abundance of marine supply in Cambria. What drew the people to settle in this place was the number of streams, fertile lands, and a rich source of lumber. Here came the sixth-largest mining company globally, initially calling the place “Slabtown” and eventually recognizing the name Cambria - the Latin word for Wales.

Appreciate the fresh breeze of the forest among the Monterey pines as you indulge in outdoor activities such as enjoying the beach, cycling, hiking, fishing, and watching the sunset by the sea. A popular local fishing spot is the Moonstone beach, where you can capture rockfish, perch, and lingcod and enjoy surf fishing and rock fishing.

Cambria Fishing

Cambria is located by the seaside and offers several fishing destinations. Leffingwell Cove, Leffingwell Creek, Santa Rosa Creek, Van Gordon Creek, Abalone Cove, Green Valley Creek, Rioly Run, San Simeon Creek, Steiner Creek, Perry Creek, and Moonstone Beach are the fishing spots known in Cambria. Other fishing destinations are Little Burros Creek, Adobe Creek, and Oak Knoll Creek, where you can surely catch fish species such as bigmouth buffalo, crappie, Coho salmon, and sturgeon. 

A fishing license is required in all Cambria fishing spots since there are no available piers. Anglers can fish in the river wash area on the southern part of Moonstone Beach in Shamel Park or in Santa Rosa Creek. Moving north of Moonstone Beach, anglers can settle in Leffingwell Creek and Leffingwell Cove, where there are accesses to the beach and park boats and kayaks. You can launch at the public ramp located south of Morro Bay with your boat. From the area of Morro Bay, Cambria’s coast is about 20 miles north of the launch ramp. You only have to pay for the parking fee of the trailer and not the launching fee of the boat. Anglers would recommend the Leffingwell Landing, the most efficient launch point. It is a small cove with a boat ramp and would simply lead you to the abundant coastline of Cambria.

In Moonstone Beach, popular fishing techniques you can enjoy are surf fishing and rock fishing because of the blend of rock and sand. Fish species such as barred surfperch, lingcod, and rockfish are abundant and a sure catch. Barred surfperch, which weigh an average of 2 pounds, are a common catch, especially during low tide and when you thoroughly search between the reefs. For baits, locals would recommend the usage of grubs, salted anchovies, shrimp, sand crabs, and gulp sandworms using a Carolina-style rig with 2-inch grubs. Anglers would head north of Moonstone beach to Pico Creek, a much rockier place for rock fishing. Commonly, rock fishing would capture different fish species, including yellowtail and lingcod, having an average of over 10 pounds.

Along the coastline of the town of Cambria, anglers can enjoy deep sea fishing where fish species like Calico bass, lobster, white bass, Pacific barracuda, halibut,rainbow trout, yellowfin tuna, and steelhead trout. Cambria’s kelp forests are where California sea otters would reside. Different wildlife is seen in the area, including sea lions, whales, and dolphins.

Kayak fishing is popular as a tournament performed in Cambria. Estero Kayak Challenge and the Central Coast Slam down are two highlighted tournaments here where anglers, even those afar, would join in. Anglers would anticipate capturing fish species: rockfish, cabezon, halibut, lingcod, leopard sharks, salmon, and even saltwater perch. During kayak fishing, the most common species caught are cabezon, greenling, and rock cod. Anglers would often use a double dropper loop as their setup in capturing very aggressive fish such as cabezon and lingcod. Anchovies and squid are the common bait used to catch these fish species. Jigs, irons, plastics, and swim balls are artificial baits that are also used.

Based on the records, most large fishes are caught in October throughout the years. The state records of large fish species dating back to 1963. In Lake Nacimiento, there was once caught a minnow carp weighing over 50 pounds back in April 1968. An opah weighing 163 pounds was captured in Port San Luis in October 1998. A 3-pound blue rockfish was caught in October 1993, a 7-pound olive rockfish in October 2014. Because of the location and the number of water bodies present, Cambria can cultivate its fish species that contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Anglers would surely have a great time in Cambria’s fishing destinations.

Top 10 Fish Species in Cambria Village, CA 

The top 10 species found in Cambria are Pacific barracuda, Pacific halibut, Calico surfperch, steelhead trout, rainbow trout, white bass, yellowfin tuna, crappie, Coho salmon, and bigmouth buffalo.

Seasonal Fishing

The hottest month for Cambria is September, having an average of 74.7 degrees. This makes Cambria one of the coolest places in California and in the Central Coast. August through October are the most pleasant months Cambria has. Cambria has its coldest nighttime temperature during December and January, averaging 42.7 degrees, warmer than California. It shows that Cambria can offer fishing opportunities in all seasons. Most fish species are more active when the temperature is hotter and tend to be on the surface to warm up.

Summer and Spring are the best seasons to book a fishing trip in Cambria. Most fish species have their spawn season and actively seek food during these months. Although it is cold during the Fall and Winter, there are still enough fishing opportunities available. Anglers can fish along the shores all year round, but boat fishing has restrictions depending on the season. Take note of the ordinances when you are rock fishing offshore. If you want to enjoy outdoor activities, visit Cambria from July to October to optimize the weather and maximize your stay.

Enjoy the Outdoors in Cambria Village

1.     Book a Fishing Charter

Located on the seaside, the town of Cambria offers various fishing destinations with abundant fish species such as yellowfin tuna, crappie, Coho salmon, and bigmouth buffalo. A top fishing spot is Moonstone Beach. Rock fishing and surf fishing are popular fishing opportunities due to the combination of rocks and sand in the area. Offshore fishing is highly recommended, and launching sites are available.

2.     Visit Moonstone Beach

Noted as one of the top 10 beaches in California, Moonstone beach got its name from the moonstone rocks that fill the place. This beach is also filled with sand that changes its color depending on the light. Aside from taking a swim on the beach, you can explore the wooden boardwalk, drink wine as you watch the sunset, and appreciate the beach more. 

3.     Appreciate the Collections at Hearst Castle

Constructed on top of a hill, a historic landmark made by William Randolph Hearst brought in several antiques and art from different parts of the world and made a castle from these collections. Having 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, and an airport are some of the glamorous features of this attraction. On top of that, Hearst Castle also has a zoo containing different exotic species, and you can see a herd of zebras around the plain.