Line Up Some Summer Fun on Free Fishing Days

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:56:43 GMT

Summer is in full swing and that means pool parties, barbecues, camping trips and Free Fishing Days!

This year you can catch an opportunity to fish throughout California without a fishing license on two Free Fishing Days — Saturday, July 5, and Saturday, Aug. 30 — and you might also catch a rainbow trout, largemouth bass or Kokanee salmon. It’s a great excuse to relax next to a beautiful lake or river and enjoy the great outdoors, and you might go home with tasty fish to throw on the grill.

For those new to fishing, this is a chance to explore a rewarding and exciting new hobby. For licensed anglers, this is a chance to introduce or reintroduce someone else to the joys of becoming an angler. Free fishing days are also a perfect time for former anglers to return and reconnect to the activity.

Children 15 and younger can fish for free every day of the year in California, but Free Fishing Days offer a time when families and friends can experience the hobby together.

Those interested in fishing California’s lakes, streams and rivers can find information aboutinland fishing locations and species on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website. Information is also available about year-round free fishing opportunities found on specific piers, jetties and breakwaters along the coast. Other helpful tools for anglers include the fish planting schedule, fishing guide and Recruit, Retain, Reactivate (R3) Program resources.

A variety of offerings are also available from CDFW’s Fishing in the City program, which focuses on teaching Californians how and where to fish in metropolitan areas. General information about the Fishing in the City program can be found on the CDFW website.

Dozens of bodies of water across the Golden State await anglers with catchable-size trout recently stocked by CDFW hatcheries staff.

Some of those waters include Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County, Stoney Creek in Tulare County, Shaver Lake in Fresno County, Silver Lake in Amador County, Lake Almanor in Plumas County and Burney Creek in Shasta County.

All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. CDFW encourages potential anglers to check rules and regulations for each water they plan to fish.

For new anglers who get “hooked” on fishing, be sure to purchase an annual sport fishing license. Revenue generated from license sales helps conserve fish populations and habitats while supporting California's longstanding angling opportunities for future generations. Annual sport fishing licenses are now valid for a full 365-days from purchase. More information on licenses, validations and fees can be found on CDFW’s sport fishing licenses web page.

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Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Taylor Williams, CDFW R3 Initiative, (916) 203-1362

CDFW to Hold Public Outreach Meeting on Lake Earl Wildlife Area in Del Norte County

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:23:55 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold an in-person public outreach meeting Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, to solicit input on the management of the Lake Earl Wildlife Area in Del Norte County. Topics to be discussed include public access, habitat conditions, current and future restoration efforts.

Members of the public and partnering organizations are encouraged to attend. The meeting will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Howonquet Hall and Community Center, 101 Indian Court, Smith River, Calif. The meeting will also be accessible virtually through the Microsoft Teams platform. Please email CDFW’s Northern Region Lands and Wildlife Program Supervisor Shawn Fresz at Shawn.Fresz@wildlife.ca.gov for a meeting link and instructions for submitting comments and questions.

Lake Earl is a 6,100-acre wildlife area that borders the Pacific Ocean. Sand dunes extending inland are covered with scattered beach grasses and other vegetation. The area encompasses Lakes Earl and Tolowa, two lagoons connected by a deep channel known as “The Narrows,” and bordered by saltwater and freshwater marshes. Lake Earl is the largest coastal lagoon on the West Coast. Farther inland, the area ends in upland fields and forest of Sitka spruce and pine trees. Some of the diverse wildlife species found at the areas include quail, grouse, canvasback, western grebe, coastal black-tailed deer and beaver.

Recreational activities popular at the Lake Earl Wildlife Area include fishing, boating, hiking, birding and waterfowl hunting.

CDFW Photo of American wigeon

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Media Contacts:
Shawn Fresz, CDFW Northern Region, (707) 601-6281
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

CDFW News

Line Up Some Summer Fun on Free Fishing Days

CDFW to Hold Public Outreach Meeting on Lake Earl Wildlife Area in Del Norte County