News Archive

California’s recreational salmon fishery will open April 2 in ocean waters from Point Arena south to the U.S./Mexico border, with a minimum size limit of 24 inches. Openings for north of Point Arena will be determined in mid-April.

At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually today, state and federal fishery scientists presented updates on the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California’s rivers in 2021 and shared the expected abundance for the upcoming fishing season.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now offering public fishing opportunities through the Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) program.

CDFW will hold its annual Salmon Information Meeting via webinar on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public meeting will feature the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and spawning escapement.

The California Fish and Game Commission has adopted emergency regulations allowing CDFW to extend low-flow related fishing restrictions on portions of the Smith, Eel and Russian rivers and a number of other coastal rivers and streams through April 30 if needed to protect runs of salmon and steelhead.