big skate
Beringraja binoculata · Rajidae · predator
The largest skate in North America, from the North Pacific to Baja California, on sand and mud bottoms. It is caught mainly by commercial fishing.
Also called: raia-gigante, raya gigante, raya bruja gigante, big skate
- maximum
- 244 cm
- record/max.
- 91.0 kg
- depth
- 3–110 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the big skate
who is the big skate
The big skate belongs to the family Rajidae and reaches 244 cm and up to 91 kg. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, from 3 to 110 m deep, and feeds on crustaceans and fish. It is oviparous: the female lays egg cases with horns at the corners, 22.8 to 30.5 cm long, deposited on sand or mud bottoms. Hatchlings emerge at 18 to 23 cm and sometimes follow large objects, like their mother. Its pectoral fins are used for human food. In fishing, the species is more often caught commercially than on rod and line.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the big skate.
fun facts
- There may be up to 7 embryos in each egg case.
- Hatchlings emerge at 18 to 23 cm and sometimes follow large objects, like their mother.
identification
Very large skate with a broad disc and a tail without caudal or anal fin. The dorsal fins are small and set far back, near the tail. The pelvic fins are large, with a slightly concave margin, and the pectoral fin is broad and attached to the snout. Both sides of the tail have a small skin keel. It is the largest skate in North America.
where found
Occurs in the North Pacific, from Russia and Alaska to Cedros Island, Baja California, Mexico, on sand and mud bottoms.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms of the shelf, from 3 to 110 m deep.
rules for the big skate
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Very large skate: hold it firmly by the disc, without pulling by the tail, and release it with minimal handling.
in the kitchen
The pectoral fins are used for food, sold fresh and frozen, and eaten fried or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00309, b = 3.24; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Beringraja binoculata (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Beringraja binoculataNames by country and language.
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: