Every Spring and Summer, the beaches of Oceanside play host to thousands of slippery fish who land on its shores after nightfall.

These fish are famous for their remarkable spawning behavior, which evokes an “I don’t believe it!” response from people seeing or hearing about it for the first time. Grunions leave the water at night to spawn on beaches making for an awe-inspiring sight.

Beginning on the nights of the full and new moons, spawning occurs after high tides and continues for several hours. As waves break on the beach, the grunion will swim as far up the slope as possible. Be sure to bring your flashlights to the beach to spot the Grunion!

*Closed Season takes place April and May, and is observation only. Open season takes place March, June, July, and August. A valid California Sport Fishing license is required to catch grunion during open season for anyone sixteen years and older.