CDFW News

Recreational Pacific Halibut Season to Open April 1

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:39:22 GMT

The 2026 recreational Pacific halibut fishery will open Wednesday, April 1 and remain open until the season ends Nov. 15 north of Point Arena (38°57.5 N. Latitude) and December 31 south of Point Arena, or until the quota is reached, whichever occurs first. The 2026 Pacific halibut quota for the California sport fishery is 40,040 pounds — approximately the same amount as last year.

The Pacific halibut opening date for waters off California this year aligns with the April 1 opening date for all-depth recreational boat-based fishing for many groundfish species statewide, including rockfish, lingcod, cabezon and greenlings. Anglers are always advised to check for updated information when planning a Pacific halibut fishing trip.

Season dates, bag/possession limits and gear restrictions can be found on CDFW’s Pacific halibut web page.

Groundfish fishing regulations can be found on CDFW’s Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations page.

Public notification of any in-season change to regulations is made through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific halibut hotline at (800) 662-9825 or CDFW’s Groundfish and Pacific halibut Regulations Hotline at (831) 649-2801.

Annual state regulations for Pacific halibut automatically conform to federal regulations set by NMFS using the process described in Section 1.95(b)(2), Title 14, California Code of Regulations. Federal regulations for Pacific halibut were published in the Federal Register (91 FR 14464) on March 25, 2026, and became effective March 12.

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Media Contacts:
Melanie Parker, CDFW Marine Region, (831) 601-5928
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open in Humboldt County

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:08:02 GMT

The Director has declared that the last closed area of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Humboldt County [southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41o 17.6' N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude)] will open at 12:01 a.m., January 30 to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period beginning at 8:01 a.m. on January 27 under a 15% gear reduction. State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab no longer poses a significant human health risk due to domoic acid and recommended lifting the delay in the area. With this announcement, all areas of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery are open.

The Fair Start Provision is triggered when there are commercial season delays along the West Coast for Dungeness crab. This provision prohibits vessels that fished in another area prior to the opening of a delayed area from fishing, landing and transiting in the newly opened area for a period of 30 days. This will apply to the fishing area that is scheduled to open January 30 and vessels subject to Fair Start may not begin fishing in this area until March 1.

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for the current 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season./p>

The latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid will be updated on CDFW’s fishery closure information and health advisories website or by calling CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.

The latest domoic acid test results for Dungeness crab are posted on the CDPH’s Domoic Acid website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs).

For the latest consumption warnings, please check for any Dungeness crab health advisory information on the CDPH's shellfish advisories page or by calling the CDPH’s Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.

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Media Contacts:
Christy Juhasz, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 292-2480
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

CDFW to Meet with Public, Sell Licenses and Warden Stamps at 2023 Sport Shows

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:39:21 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is returning to the annual Bart Hall and Cal Shows for 2023. The Del Mar Bart Hall Show is Feb. 16-19 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar (San Diego County), the Cal Shows Central Valley Sportsmen’s Boat & RV Show is Mar. 10-12 at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield and the Long Beach Bart Hall Show is Mar. 29-Apr. 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Wildlife officers, fisheries and wildlife scientists, license agents and other CDFW staff will be available during the shows to answer questions and provide information regarding fishing and hunting opportunities throughout the state. Licenses, license items and warden stamps will be available for purchase. Customers may pay by credit card or check.

The CDFW Law Enforcement trailer will be on display with a wide array of taxidermy, and Wildlife Officers will be on hand to answer questions about employment opportunities and rules and regulations regarding hunting and fishing. The 2023 Warden Stamp will also be available for purchase at the indoor booth. Stamp sales help fund extra training and equipment for our officers.

Also featured will be a free youth fishing pond stocked with rainbow trout provided by CDFW. Information on CDFW’s Fishing in the City program, as well as a modern fish-transporting truck will be on display at the Bart Hall shows.

For more information on the Bart Hall shows, please visit hallshows.com/home. For more information on the Bakersfield show, please visit www.calshows.com.

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Media Contact:
Amanda McDermott, CDFW Communications, (916) 738-9641

California Assembly Bill 2109 Signed into Law, Providing New Protections for White Sharks

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:58:00 GMT

On Monday, Sept. 19, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2109, providing new protections for white sharks in California waters. White sharks, also called great white sharks, are already a protected species and an important part of the ocean ecosystem as top-level predators. There is enormous public and scientific interest in them.

Sponsored by Assemblymember Steve Bennett, the bill passed the California legislature with an overwhelming majority of support. The new restrictions aim to get ahead of activities that may lead to increased interactions between white sharks and humans, and to give law enforcement more tools to protect white sharks from intentional efforts to catch or attract them. The new law also helps protect the public from interactions with white sharks that have been unintentionally hooked by fishermen by restricting when and where chum and shark bait can be used, while still allowing other legal fishing activities to continue.

“Sharks are one of California’s most iconic marine species, and it’s our responsibility to ensure that their populations are sustained,” Assemblymember Bennett said. “At the same time, public safety is of the utmost importance.”

“This bill represents a collaborative engagement between anglers, the scientific community, the legislature and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to develop proactive, common-sense approaches to further protect California’s iconic white sharks, while also protecting ocean users and preserving recreational fishing opportunities,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham.

Anglers should note the new rules regarding take of white sharks go into effect on January 1, 2023. These rules, found in California Fish and Game Code, section 5517, prohibit the use of shark bait, shark lures or shark chum to attract a white shark. Anglers also may not place those items into the water within one nautical mile of any shoreline, pier or jetty, when a white shark is visible or known to be present.

CDFW continues to work with partners to proactively address the potential for fishing activities to lead to white shark interactions. The Coastal Conservation Association of California (CCA CAL) is also very supportive of protecting white sharks.

“We fight for responsible and sustainable fishing practices while also supporting regulations to protect our most vulnerable resources,” said Wayne Kotow, executive director for CCA CAL. “We are all stewards of the resources and need to work together for the future of our favorite sport of fishing.”

“We have seen increased use of California beaches as nursery habitat for juvenile white sharks,” said Dr. Chris Lowe, a professor in marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. “This bill will help reduce fishery interactions with white sharks, helping the protected sharks and ocean users by reducing the risk of hooking these sharks at public beaches and ocean piers where people are swimming, surfing and diving.”

For more information about white sharks, please visit CDFW’s White Shark Information webpage, which includes answers to frequently asked questions, as well as shark incident information going back to 1950. Additional questions may be sent to CDFW’s Marine Region via email.

Photo credit: White shark, CDFW photo by Liz Hellmers.

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Media Contacts:
John Ugoretz, CDFW Marine Region, (562) 338-3068
Kirsten Macintyre, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

California Fish and Game Commission Holds Hybrid Meeting

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:07:48 GMT

At its August 17 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission acted on several issues affecting California’s natural resources. The following are just a few items of interest from this week’s meeting held in Loleta at the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria with an option for the public to join via Zoom.

The commission approved a five-year kelp harvest plan proposed by Sustainable Ocean Harvest, LLC for mechanical harvest of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in specified kelp beds in Santa Barbara County.

The commission adopted a second 90-day extension of emergency regulations for recreational sub-bag limits for vermilion rockfish, copper rockfish and quillback rockfish. This action conforms state regulations with federal regulations that were recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and then promulgated by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Commission determined that listing Inyo rock daisy as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act may be warranted. This action commences a one-year status review to be completed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, during which Inyo rock daisy is protected as a candidate species.

The commission approved the first experimental fishing permit (EFP) application submitted under the Experimental Fishing Permit Program created through regulations adopted by the commission in Dec. 2021. This EFP will test the commercial use of deep-set and night-set buoy gear fishing configurations within California state waters. Buoy gear is used to catch swordfish and has proven to significantly reduce bycatch in federal waters.

Commission President Samantha Murray, Vice President Erika Zavaleta, Commissioners Jacqueline Hostler-Carmesin and Eric Sklar were present. There is one vacant position on the Commission.

The agenda for this meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission’s meetings web page, including video and audio files. The next meeting of the full Commission is scheduled for Oct. 12-13, 2022 in Kings Beach. Please see the Commission website for details.

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Media Contact:
Amanda McDermott, CDFW Communications, (916) 738-9641

The California Fish and Game Commission was one of the first wildlife conservation agencies in the United States, predating even the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. There is often confusion about the distinction between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Commission. In the most basic terms, CDFW implements and enforces the regulations set by the Commission, as well as provides biological data and expertise to inform the Commission’s decision-making process.