Chinook Fishing to Reopen on Klamath, Trinity and Sacramento Rivers After 3-Year Closure

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:02:59 GMT

Following three consecutive years of closure, salmon fishing will return to the Klamath River Basin and Sacramento River for the upcoming summer and fall seasons. More good news comes for inland anglers with a full season on the Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers after a shortened season in 2025. These added fishing opportunities come as a result of an increase in numbers of adult Chinook salmon returning from the ocean to the Klamath Basin and Central Valley.

The California Fish and Game Commission at its May 6 meeting adopted amendments to sport fishing regulations specifying season dates, bag and possession limits for the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley, and a quota for the Klamath and Trinity rivers. The adopted regulations aim to protect salmon as populations are expected to continue to rebound as a result of actions guided by California's Salmon Strategy for a Hotter Drier Future (PDF).

“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is incredibly encouraged to see our public and private collaborative efforts pay off, allowing us to expand opportunities for California’s dedicated angling community while maintaining a steadfast commitment to long-term population recovery,” said CDFW Director Meghan Hertel. “It is a moment of genuine celebration for everyone invested in the health of our watersheds. CDFW looks forward to seeing anglers return to the Klamath Basin and Central Valley for fishing and fun on the river.”

Increases in hatchery production, investments in salmon research and habitat restoration projects, a series of good water years, dam removals and inland and ocean fishery closures have all aligned to bring Chinook and with that, Chinook fishing, back to the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley.

For the Klamath Basin, fishing will open for late spring-run Chinook salmon July 1 and will continue until Aug. 14 on the Klamath River and Aug. 31 on the Trinity River. Fall-run Chinook salmon fishing will begin on Aug. 15 on the Klamath River and Sept. 1 on the Trinity River and continue until Dec. 31. The fall-run adult quota is 3,248 fish, though fishing for jacks will continue after the adult quota is met. For the late spring-run salmon fishery, the daily bag limit is one fish of any size and the possession limit is two fish. For the fall-run salmon fishery, the daily bag limit is two fish, only one of which can be an adult greater than 23 inches; the possession limit is six fish, of which only three may be adults greater than 23 inches.

For the Central Valley, the general fall-run salmon fishing season will open on July 16 and close on Dec. 16, with some variation for upper and lower stretches of the rivers. For each tributary a daily bag limit of two fish and a possession limit of four fish of any size has been set.

All regulations, season dates and boundaries will be printed in the Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations (PDF) when available.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council finalized its recommendations for California’s recreational and commercial ocean salmon seasons and harvest limits at its April 7-12 meeting. For more information about the 2026 ocean salmon fishing season, see the press release.

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Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Sheena Holley, CDFW Fisheries Branch

California Reports Progress in Supporting Healthy Salmon Populations and Habitat

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:11:02 GMT

SACRAMENTO - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today the release of the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future: Progress Report, developed in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) with support from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).

The Progress Report follows the release of the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, released in January 2024. California’s salmon populations are struggling to recover from years of drought, climate disruption, and other environmental and human-made challenges. Thriving salmon populations support healthy waterways, habitats, and species, as well as a multi-million dollar fishing economy and the subsistence of California Native American tribes. The actions outlined in the report lay the groundwork for California to restore and rebuild salmon populations, improve salmon habitat, and utilize the best available science and management practices to prepare for the future.

“California salmon are vital to our environment, our economy, and our cultural heritage,” said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Yet today, these iconic fish are imperiled by climate change and other stressors. We established the Salmon Strategy to chart needed actions to address these challenges and recover salmon fisheries. I’m encouraged by this update and our progress over the last year, with much more hard work ahead.”

The progress report provides an update on the status of 71 action items outlined in the 2024 Salmon Strategy. These action items provide concrete opportunities for the state to make accountable progress across the six key initiatives outlined in the Salmon Strategy to help improve salmon migration, spawning and hatcheries; restore and expand habitat and climate adaptability; and protect water flows and quality.

Of the 71 action items outlined in the Progress Report, roughly 67% of the projects are actively in development. Another 26% have already been fully completed. Only 7% of the action items are in the early, preliminary stages. This progress has been completed over the past year through a partnership of California’s departments and boards, tribal partners, and non-governmental groups committed to supporting healthy salmon populations.

“California’s progress on these key action items shows the state is taking salmon extraordinarily seriously, and that we will use every tool at our disposal to create resilient and thriving salmon populations,” said CDFW Director Charlton Bonham. “I’m focused on ensuring California has healthy salmon populations decades into the future. Today’s Progress Report is a celebration of what’s been done, and a roadmap for where we need to go.”

Key action items that have been completed or have seen significant progress over the past year include:

Removing Outdated Dams: Removal of the Klamath dams, allowing for natural river flow and the presence of fall-run Chinook salmon north of the former dams for the first time in more than a century
Improving Migration Statewide: Planning and development of fish passage improvement locations across the state to support successful salmon migration. Examples include DWR’s Big Notch Project in Yolo County, which will help improve access for salmon and other species through the Yolo Bypass
Building Healthy Habitats: Advancing the Salmon Habitat Restoration Prioritization Initiative (SHaRP), a collaborative effort between CDFW and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Fisheries to identify, find, and implement key restoration efforts to support salmon. Action plans have been developed and more than $30 million has been allocated for habitat projects across the state. Other recently completed projects, including DWR’s Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project, have added thousands of acres of beneficial habitat for salmon in California
Supporting Healthy Flows: Developing a robust scientific basis to evaluate minimum flows for the Scott and Shasta Rivers
Implementing New Technology: Utilizing new technologies to monitor and track salmon, including the development of a Parental-Based Tagging monitoring plan, which allows CDFW to use DNA to more accurately track and monitor fish
Cross-Collaboration: Developing and strengthening new partnerships to allow for vital research and increased collaboration to ensure salmon’s survival

To download the report, visit: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=231003

Media Contact:

Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, 916-204-1381

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CDFW News

Chinook Fishing to Reopen on Klamath, Trinity and Sacramento Rivers After 3-Year Closure

California Reports Progress in Supporting Healthy Salmon Populations and Habitat