Sturgeon Report Card

Species Restrictions

• Only White Sturgeon may be targeted.
• Green Sturgeon are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act and take is prohibited.

Bag Limits

• One White Sturgeon may be kept daily. After keeping one fish, the angler must cease fishing for sturgeon that day.
• Three White Sturgeon may be kept annually.

Size Limits

• White Sturgeon must be greater than 40 inches or less than 60 inches fork length.
• Removing a Green Sturgeon, or a White Sturgeon greater than 68 inches fork length, from the water is prohibited

Gear Restrictions

• One single point, single shank, barbless hook may be used on a line when taking sturgeon.
• Anglers may use two rods if they are east of Carquinez Bridge and they have a purchased a Second Rod Validation.
• The sturgeon must voluntarily take the bait or lure inside its mouth. No sturgeon may be taken by trolling, snagging, snares, or by the use of firearms.

Additional information on the Report Card and other freshwater and saltwater California sturgeon fishing regulations may be found at our Fisheries Regulations page.

For the most complete and current sturgeon fishing regulations, please check the current state fishing regulations.

Anglers may fish for White Sturgeon throughout the state, all year long, although there are some area closures. Sturgeon fishing is closed all year in the following locations:

• The upper Sacramento River from Keswick Dam down to the Hwy 162 Bridge .
• The Yolo Bypass, Toe Drain Canal, and Tule Canal upstream of the Lisbon Weir.
• North Coast District (Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Siskiyou counties).

Additionally, sturgeon fishing is closed from January 1 and March 15 in the portion of San Francisco Bay within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita. Map of seasonal closure area

Green Sturgeon may not be taken at any time or location.

As a highly mobile species with a complex life history, sturgeon are often challenging to study. Effective management requires knowledge about things that effect population health, such as migration, abundance, and fishing pressure. Collecting enough data to make accurate estimates of these population metrics is often beyond the scale that agency resources can support. We rely heavily on angler information through Card reporting to augment data collected from on-going monitoring studies conducted by the Department. One of the most useful pieces of information we can collect from anglers is reward tag data.

Each year between August and October, CDFW biologists survey White Sturgeon in the Delta using large nets fished from boats. All sturgeon caught are counted and measured. Sturgeon that are close to the legal harvest size (40-60 inches) are also tagged (if possible) with a small plastic disk below the base of the dorsal fin (top photo). Reporting disk numbers provides us with critical information about the biology of these fish, such as individual movement patterns and growth rates. With enough tag data, we can also estimate population size and harvest rates. The population size gives us an idea of the number of White Sturgeon currently inhabiting the Delta, while harvest rates tell us how many sturgeon are removed from the system through fishing. These data help inform management decisions surrounding the fishery, such as setting bag limits and length requirements, determining where and when anglers can fish, and implementing gear restrictions. Our goal is to maximize sturgeon fishing opportunities for the public while promoting sustainable management practices that protect these highly sensitive and vulnerable populations.

If you catch a sturgeon with a disk tag, please clearly write the tag number on your report card in the section of the card that best applies. Tag numbers should begin with two letters followed by a series of numbers. CDFW currently offers rewards of $50, $100 or $150 per disc tag, although older fish with a $20 tag are sometimes caught. See the Purchase and Reporting tab on this page for information on how to return a Reward Tag (under "Returning Reward Tags") and properly report tag data (under "Filling out your Sturgeon Report Card”).

If you have additional questions, please contact Sturgeon@wildlife.ca.gov.

No. Once you have used a tag, you may no longer continue to catch and release fish for sturgeon that same day. You may switch to other tackle and fish for other species, and those that are with you may continue to fish for sturgeon if they have not used their tags.

No. Anglers may not continue to fish for sturgeon if they have used all of their tags, and may only purchase one Card per year.

When the Card program started in 2007, the Cards were offered for free for the first five years so anglers could get used to needing to carry a Card and use tags. Starting in 2013, an $8 fee was charged to help offset the costs of running the Card program and pay for law enforcement to prevent illegal fishing and poaching. The current annual fee for a Card in 2022 is $9.46.

Sturgeon are usually pretty picky about what bait they’ll take, but occasionally anglers get a very big surprise! If you do not have a current Sturgeon Report Card, you may not keep the fish. You may not buy a Card later, after the fact. Remember that you are also always subject to all current California fishing regulations, and it is your responsibility to be familiar with those rules. For example, White Sturgeon may only be caught using a single point barbless hook, and must take the bait voluntarily in the mouth. If your catch conforms to all regulations and you have a Sturgeon Report Card in your possession, you may harvest a legal fish caught when fishing for other species.

Yes! State fishing regulations require that all Report Cards be returned by January 31 after the year they were issued. Reports of “did not fish” and “did not catch” are extremely valuable to fishery scientists as measures of fishing effort and success. The most valuable things anglers can do as stewards of these ancient fish is to follow all fishing regulations and return Report Cards on time.

Anglers who possess a second-rod stamp may use two rods to fish for sturgeon in Suisun Bay and the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta and rivers east of the Carquinez Bridge. Anglers on the coast or in San Francisco Bay may only use one rod.

San Francisco Bay is defined as the waters of San Francisco and San Pablo bays plus all their tidal bays, sloughs, estuaries, and tidal portions of their rivers and streams between the Golden Gate Bridge and the west Carquinez Bridge.

California fishing regulations state that “the sturgeon must voluntarily take the bait or lure inside its mouth.” Since a carcass cannot voluntarily take bait, it is illegal to possess that fish.

CDFW is currently partnering with a group of universities and federal and state agencies to study causes of death for adult sturgeon in California. Please report any observed carcass to CASturgeonResearch@gmail.com so experts can find and examine it. Include the date, location (smartphone map coordinates preferred), and a common object for size reference. Do not move or disturb the carcass.

Yes. In California, two days a year are designated as “free fishing days” when anyone can fish in the state without a fishing license. However, all other fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. Anyone fishing for White Sturgeon at any time must have a current Sturgeon Report Card in their possession.

Long-time sturgeon anglers occasionally talk about catching “golden sturgeon”. While these fish look very distinctive, they are not a different species. They are an unusual color phase of Green Sturgeon that is bright yellow rather than the usual olive green. Remember that all Green Sturgeon, including the golden ones, are protected by state law. They may not be removed from the water for any reason and must be released immediately.

White Sturgeon do exist in a number of large lakes throughout the state. In most areas, the fish were released on purpose back when it was legal to do so. In Lake Shasta, it is possible that the fish may have been trapped when the large hydropower dams were built, though they may also have been planted on purpose. It is not currently legal to plant White Sturgeon in any state waters. There is no evidence that any of these lake dwelling sturgeon successfully spawn, but given the very long lifespan of White Sturgeon (over 100 years!), they are likely to be there for many more years. Remember, all sturgeon in California are subject to state fishing regulations, including gear restrictions, size limits, and possession of a Sturgeon Report Card,

The state does not run a hatchery for White Sturgeon or plant hatchery sturgeon in any California waters, and it is illegal for any other person to do so. There is a thriving, well-regulated, aquaculture industry in the state that produces White Sturgeon caviar and meat, but those fish live entirely in captivity. With the exception of a few reservoirs, all sturgeon in the state were naturally spawned in the wild, and it is the goal of the Department to manage and conserve those wild populations so that hatchery releases of sturgeon are not necessary.

Sturgeon are remarkably tough fish compared to other species like trout, but they are not invincible. White Sturgeon should be able to live over 100 years, but not if they are handled roughly. Please handle any fish you plan to release very gently, and when possible, do not remove them from the water. Sturgeon skeletons are made of soft cartilage, much like sharks, and are not good at dealing with gravity. Because of this, never dangle a large sturgeon up by its tail or mouth. Also, never hold any sturgeon by its gill plates – this can seriously harm the fish, and any injury to the delicate gills is very serious and may kill the fish. If you want to take a trophy picture before releasing a fish, hold the fish horizontally with a hand under the pectoral fins and one holding the tail. Lastly, dragging a sturgeon around a boat deck or on a muddy bank will remove the important slime coat that protects the fish and expose it to infection. A large net designed for sturgeon, or a sling or small tarp, can be really helpful for landing and safely releasing the fish.

Sturgeon are tough, amazing, ancient fish, but their unique life history makes them susceptible to over-fishing and they need to be managed carefully. People taking fish illegally puts the health of our California sturgeon populations at risk. Please report any illegal activity to CalTIP. Reports can be made anonymously and may be eligible for rewards. More information can be found at the CalTIP page.

If you know of a crime that is currently taking place, call: 1-888-334-CalTIP (888-334-2258).

You can also report online but this is only checked during weekday business hours. You can also send non-urgent anonymous tips by cell phone by texting "CALTIP", followed by a space and the message, to 847411 (tip411).