MLPA
Where May I Surf Fish?
CA Fish and Wildlife MPA/MLPA CLICK HERE for regulations
I’ve tried to put together some common sense information about where you may and may not fish. This information is for reference purposes only. Please refer to the exact GPS coordinates as published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Not all closed areas are included here but you will find information on the following surf fishing spots:
Tijuana River Mouth
San Elijo/Encinitas
Laguna MPA Complex
Newport Upper Bay
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Point Vicente/Palos Verdes
Malibu Area/Point Dume
Santa Barbara Area

La Jolla Area The South La Jolla SMR and SMCA are to the south. Up north, the formerly well marked Scripps Ecological Reserve balloons into the new and larger Matlahuayl SMR, with the San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA perched above. Read on below for boundary maps and regulations.
South La Jolla SMR Southern Border (above)
Northern Border of La Jolla SMR (above)
South La Jolla SMR and SMCA Cluster – SMR no fishing; SMCA some two miles offshore allows pelagic finfish and bonito by hook and line. The boundaries are roughly Palomar Ave (north) and Diamond St (south), with the Crystal Pier shown for perspective. On the north end, the MLPAI map shows Big Rock in the closed area just south of the boundary, and Windnsea in the clear just to the north.
SMR Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
32° 49.573′ N. lat. 117° 16.781′ W. long.;
32° 49.573′ N. lat. 117° 19.000′ W. long.;
32° 47.945′ N. lat. 117° 19.000′ W. long.; and
32° 47.945′ N. lat. 117° 15.495′ W. long.
SMCA Boundaries:
This area is bounded by straight lines connecting the following points in the order
listed except where noted:
32° 49.573′ N. lat. 117° 19.000′ W. long.;
32° 49.573′ N. lat. 117° 20.528′ W. long.; thence southward along the three nautical mile
offshore boundary to
32° 47.945′ N. lat. 117° 20.068′ W. long.; and
32° 47.945′ N. lat. 117° 19.000′ W. long.
Matlahuayl SMR, La Jolla (above)
San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA southern boundary (above) (you can take fin bait in the blue)
Matlahuayl SMR, La Jolla – No fishing. Western boundary extends north from Rocky Pt. The northern boundary is base of Scripps Pier. The San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA is directly north.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
32° 51.964′ N. lat. 117° 15.233′ W. long.;
32° 51.964′ N. lat. 117° 16.400′ W. long.; and
32° 51.067′ N. lat. 117° 16.400′ W. long.
San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA northern boundary (above)
San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA, La Jolla – No fishing except baitfish by hook and line. Southern boundary at base of Scripps Pier. Northern boundary is off the La Jolla Farms area, south of the Glider Port. Closed area includes Black’s Beach.
Boundary Description
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
32° 53.000′ N. lat. 117° 15.166′ W. long.;
32° 53.000′ N. lat. 117° 16.400′ W. long.;
32° 51.964′ N. lat. 117° 16.400′ W. long.; and
32° 51.964′ N. lat. 117° 15.233′ W. long.
Northern Boundary of Swami’s SMCA (above)
Southern boundary of Swami’s SMCA (above)

Boundaries:



Pt Vicente SMCA, Palos Verdes - No fishing, no way, no how. The eastern boundary runs north-south from Long Pt. The northern boundary (shown above) is one minor point north of Pt Vincente.
Boundary Description
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed except where noted:
33° 44.80′ N. lat. 118° 24.82′ W. long.;
33° 44.80′ N. lat. 118° 28.93′ W. long.; thence southeastward along the three nautical mile
offshore boundary to
33° 41.16′ N. lat. 118° 23.80′ W. long.; and
33° 44.19′ N. lat. 118° 23.80′ W. long.
Pt Dume Area (overview map above) – Malibu’s iconic Pt Dume, a mainstay spot for small boaters since time immemorial, is set for complete closure to hook and line fishing. The point itself is surrounded by the Pt Dume SMR. The Pt Dume SMCA to the west allows only limited spearfishing. Sorry Zuma surf-casters, the powers that be made no adjustments for you as they did down south. Close-up boundary maps and regulations are below.
Pt Dume SMR eastern boundary at Paradise Cove (above)
Pt Dume SMR / Pt Dume SMCA Boundary at Zuma Beach (above)
Pt Dume SMR, Malibu – No fishing. The eastern boundary runs north-south from Paradise Cove. The western boundary is at Westward Beach Rd / Zuma Beach entrance. The first map shows the eastern boundary; the second, the western, where the SMR meets the adjacent SMCA.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
34° 00.76′ N. lat. 118° 49.20′ W. long.;
33° 56.96′ N. lat. 118° 49.20′ W. long.; thence eastward along the three nautical mile offshore
boundary to
33° 57.06′ N. lat. 118° 47.26′ W. long.; and
34° 01.20′ N. lat. 118° 47.26′ W. long.
Santa Barbara Area (overview map above) – Several MPAs are clustered around UC Santa Barbara. The largest is the Campus Pt SMR; the nearby Goleta Slough SMCA is also no-take. The Naples SMCA to the west allows only limited spearfishing. Close-up boundary maps and lat / lon numbers are below.
Campus Pt SMCA (no take) eastern boundary (above).
Campus Pt SMCA western boundary (above).
Campus Pt SMCA, Santa Barbara area – No fishing of any kind. The nearby Goleta Slough SMCA prohibits fishing, boating, swimming, wading and diving. The eastern boundary runs north-south from Goleta Pt. The western is boundary just west of the Santa Barbara Shores County Park eastern boundary. The first map shows the eastern boundary and the Goleta Slough SMCA. The second shows the western boundary.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed except where noted:
34° 25.20′ N. lat. 119° 53.60′ W. long.;
34° 21.48′ N. lat. 119° 53.60′ W. long.; thence eastward along the three nautical mile offshore
boundary to
34° 21.21′ N. lat. 119° 50.65′ W. long.; and
34° 24.30′ N. lat. 119° 50.65′ W. long.
Naples SMCA eastern boundary (above).
Naples SMCA western boundary (above).
Naples SMCA, Santa Barbara area – Underwater only, spearfishing for pelagic finfish, bonito, white seabass and nothing else. The eastern boundary is near Eagle Creek; the western boundary is close to Dos Pueblos Canyon Rd. The first map shows the eastern boundary; the second the western.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
34° 26.51′ N. lat. 119° 58.00′ W. long.;
34° 25.00′ N. lat. 119° 58.00′ W. long.;
34° 25.00′ N. lat. 119° 56.00′ W. long.; and
34° 26.13′ N. lat. 119° 56.00′ W. long.
Kashtayit SMCA, Gaviota State Park (above) – Recreational finfish, invertebratesexcept rock scallops or mussels, and collection of giant kelp by hand are the only allowed takes.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed:
34° 28.13′ N. lat. 120° 14.46′ W. long.;
34° 27.30′ N. lat. 120° 14.46′ W. long.;
34° 27.30′ N. lat. 120° 12.47′ W. long.; and
34° 28.23′ N. lat. 120° 12.47′ W. long.
Pt Conception SMR eastern boundary (above).
Pt Conception SMR – No fishing. Eastern boundary near Cojo Road; the northern boundary runs west from Pt. Conception.
Boundaries:
This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the
following points in the order listed except where noted:
34° 27.00′ N. lat. 120° 28.28′ W. long.;
34° 27.00′ N. lat. 120° 32.15′ W. long.; thence southeastward along the three nautical mile
offshore boundary to
34° 23.96′ N. lat. 120° 25.00′ W. long.; and
34° 27.19′ N. lat. 120° 25.00′ W. long.