News Room

CDFW is soliciting public input on a proposed regulation change that would restrict the harvest of striped bass to a “slot limit” between 20 and 30 inches for inland anadromous waters. Under the proposal, all striped bass caught below 20 inches in length and above 30 inches in length would have to be released.

Significant changes to California’s groundfish sport fishing regulations are expected starting next year, in response to recent scientific information suggesting some nearshore groundfish species are in decline. To reduce pressure on these stocks, fishing seasons will be shorter in nearshore waters, but new opportunities in deeper water are anticipated.

Earlier this year, the California Fish and Game Commission adopted regulatory changes to increase the length of the seasonal closure and create a bag and possession limit for grunion, an iconic species found in California and Baja California.

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.

New freshwater sport fishing regulations which take effect on March 1, 2021, aim to simplify and streamline the laws regulating inland fishing while maintaining and protecting California’s fisheries.

As part of a broader effort to go paperless, CDFW is transitioning to a digital format for its 2021 hunting and fishing regulations booklets and Big Game Hunting Digest.