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Marine Protected Areas

Part of San Diego Beaches, our guide to San Diego beaches, coast and safety rules.

Several marine protected areas lie along the San Diego coast. Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve off La Jolla allows no take of any kind. San Diego-Scripps Coastal allows only limited hook-and-line take of certain bait fish. Cabrillo State Marine Reserve at Point Loma bans taking any marine resource.Checked October 23, 2026.

4areas covered here
No takeMatlahuayl
LimitedScripps Coastal
No takeCabrillo
Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve (La Jolla)No take of any kind. Boundary points: 32 51.964 N, 117 15.252 W; 32 51.964 N, 117 16.400 W; 32 51.067 N, 117 16.400 W.
San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation AreaAll take prohibited except recreational hook-and-line take of coastal pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel; not market squid). Boundary points: 32 53.000 N, 117 15.166 W; 32 53.000 N, 117 16.400 W; 32 51.964 N, 117 16.400 W; 32 51.964 N, 117 15.252 W.
Cabrillo State Marine Reserve (Point Loma)Unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource. Collecting rocks, shells, fish or algae is not permitted. Easiest access is via Cabrillo National Monument.
San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological ReserveThe City Cove page says fishing and removal of objects are prohibited and possession of game is unlawful.

La Jolla

The Matlahuayl reserve and the Scripps Coastal area lie just north of La Jolla Shores. The Underwater Park Ecological Reserve covers La Jolla Cove. See La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores.

Point Loma

Cabrillo State Marine Reserve is the area off the Cabrillo tide pools. See Cabrillo Tide Pools.

What We Could Not Verify

  • The California Department of Fish and Wildlife page for the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve was not found, so that rule rests on the City Cove page only.
  • The South La Jolla reserve and conservation area appeared in search results only and were not read. They are not covered here.
  • The Cabrillo reserve boundary points were read but are not listed on this page; use the CDFW map for exact lines.

More in San Diego Beaches

FAQ

Can I fish at Matlahuayl?

No. It allows no take of any kind.

Sources

  1. CDFW: Matlahuayl and San Diego-Scripps Coastal
  2. CDFW: Cabrillo State Marine Reserve
  3. City of San Diego Lifeguards: La Jolla Cove

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.