page_title: Half Moon Bay, California
section_title: Pillar Point Harbor
hierarchical_section_title: Half Moon Bay, California / Pillar Point Harbor
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial view of Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County, California, USA. The communities of Princeton and El Granada are visible on the shore at the top of the photograph. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the breakwaters and harbor. View is to the east. Coordinates: 37°29′57.75″N 122°29′16.91″W&#xfeff; / &#xfeff;37.499375°N 122.4880306°W
context_page_description: Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea. The urban area had a population of 20,713 at the same census. Half Moon Bay is known for Mavericks, a big wave surf location.
context_section_description: The Pillar Point Harbor at the northern edge of Half Moon Bay offers a protected landing for boats and provides other marine infrastructure. In the late 1980s a new master plan was developed for the Harbor.  A variety of fish species have been identified in the harbor area. The most abundant fish include flatfish, particularly the speckled sanddab (Citharichthys stigmaeus) and the commercially important English sole (Parophrys vetulus), several species of  rockfish (Sebastes sp.) with boccacio (S. paucispinis) most abundant, many members of the surfperch family, the most abundant being shiner (Cymanogaster aggregata) and dwarf surfperches (Micrometrus minimus), and the commercially important Pacific herring (Clupea harengus). Smaller populations of many other species, including significant commercial or sport species such as various surfperch, flatfish including halibut (Paralichthys californicus), lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), and cabezon (Scoraenichthys marmotarus) also are found in the harbor during the summer. Abundant winter species include starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) and topsmelt (Atherinops affinis). At Pillar Point Harbor, fishermen sell crab and fish catches straight off their boats at discount prices directly to the public, and restaurants will fillet the fish for purchasers.
caption: Aerial view of Pillar Point Harbor. View is to the east.
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