News Archive

To celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, CDFW invites you to go fishing without a sport fishing license by taking advantage of the first of two 2026 California Free Fishing Days on Independence Day, Saturday, July 4. One of the oldest pastimes enjoyed by Americans, fishing gets you outside to experience, explore and appreciate the great outdoors.

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.

There’s one last chance this year to cast your line into a California river, lake or bay without a fishing license, and that’s Saturday, Aug. 31.

The first of California’s two free fishing days in 2024 is coming up following the Independence Day holiday.

California's second Free Fishing Day of 2023 is Saturday, Sept. 2.