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 Home / Recreational Fishing / General Recreational Fishing Q&As / What are the seasons, size limits, and bag and possession limits for the FISH species I am taking or want to keep?

What are the seasons, size limits, and bag and possession limits for the FISH species I am taking or want to keep?

fish, bag limit, possession limit, minimum size, take, season, anchovy, barracuda, bass, bonito, butterfish, pompano, cabezon, cod, dorado, dolphinfish, corbina, codling, flounder, garibaldi, greenling, grenadiers, grouper, grunion, halibut, herring, smelt, jacksmelt, lingcod, mackerel, marlin, mudsucker, perch, seaperch, surfperch, surf, prickleback, monkeyface, ratfish, rockfish, sablefish, black cod, salmon, sanddab, sardine, sculpin, scorpionfish, sea bass, seabass, leopard, shark, sheephead, skate, smelt, sole, spiny dogfish, sturgeon, swordfish, thornyhead, topsmelt, tuna, whitefish, whiting, yellowtail, season, size, take, bag, catch, keep, regulations

This summary reference table lists seasons, size limits, and bag and possession limits for commonly caught ocean finfish. Length and skin requirements for fish filleted at sea, fishing gear restrictions, legal methods of take and other important regulations as defined in California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14 (T14) are provided in sections of the Ocean Sport Fishing Guide (PDF). Species in bold red font may not be taken at any time.

  Regulations Summary Table for Ocean Finfish
Species Season Size Limit Bag and Possession Limit T14 CCR Regulation Reference
Anchovy, Northern Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Barracuda, California Year Round 28 in. total length, 17 in. alternate length 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§27.60(a), 28.25
Bass - Kelp, Barred Sand, Spotted Sand Year Round 14 in. total length, 10 in. alternate length 5 fish, all species combined §28.30
Bass, Striped Year Round North of Pt. Conception: 18 inches total length;
South of Pt. Conception: none		 2 fish §27.85
Bonito, Pacific Year Round 24 in. fork length OR 5 pounds except that: Five fish less than 24 in. fork length or weighing less than five pounds may be taken or possessed 10 fish §28.32
Butterfish, Pacific (Pompano) Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Cabezon See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables
Cod, Pacific Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Dolphinfish (Dorado) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §27.60(a)
Corbina, California Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §27.60(a)
Finescale Codling Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Flounder, Arrowtooth Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Flounder, Starry Year Round None None §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Garibaldi Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited
Greenling, Rock and Kelp See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables
Grenadiers Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Grouper, gulf and broomtail Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited
Grunion, California July 1 through March 31 None 30 §28.00
Halibut, California Year Round 22 in. total length North of Pt. Sur, Monterey County: 2 fish.
South of Pt. Sur, Monterey County: 5 fish		 §28.15
Halibut, Pacific See wildlife.ca.gov/ conservation/marine/ pacific-halibut   None 1 fish §28.20
Herring, Pacific Year Round None 10 gallons §28.62
Herring, Pacific (eggs) Year Round None 25 pounds wet weigh, including plants §28.60
Herring, Round Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Jacksmelt Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Lingcod See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables
Mackerel (Pacific Chub and Jack) Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Marlin, (Black, Blue, and Striped) Year Round None 1 fish §28.50
Mudsucker, Longjaw Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §27.60(a)
Perch, Shiner Year Round None 20 fish, in addition to the 20 fish general daily bag limit §28.59
Prickleback, Monkeyface Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §27.60(a)
Queenfish Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Ratfish Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Rockfish See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables See Recreational Groundfish Regulations Summary Tables
Sablefish (Black Cod) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Salmon, Coho (Silver) Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited
Salmon (Chinook, Pink, Chum, and Sockeye) Check §27.80(c) and (d) Check §27.80(c) and (d) Check §27.80(c) and (d) §27.80
Sanddab, Pacific Year Round None None §§1.91(a), 28.48, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Sardine, Pacific Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Scorpionfish, California (Sculpin) Year Round None 5 fish §§1.91(a), 28.54, 27.65(b), 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Sea Bass, Giant (Black) Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited §28.10
Seabass, White Year Round 28 in. total length, 21½ in. alternate length 3 fish, except that only 1 fish may be taken in waters south of Pt. Conception between March 15 and June 15 §28.35
Shark, Leopard Year Round 36 in. total length 3 fish §§1.91(a), 28.56, 27.65(b), 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Shark (Mako, Thresher, and Blue) Year Round None 2 of each species §28.42
Shark, Sixgill and Sevengill Year Round None 1 of each species §28.41
Shark, Soupfin Year Round None 1 fish §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Shark, White Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited §§28.06, 5517
Sheephead, California Boat-based anglers: March 1 through December 31;
Recreational divers and shore-based anglers: Year Round		 12 in. total length 2 fish §§28.26, 27.65(b), 27.50
Skates (Big, California, and Longnose) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Smelt, True (Night Smelt, Surf Smelt, and Whitebait) Year Round None 25 pounds in combination §28.45
Sole (Dover, English) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Sole, Petrale Year Round None None §§1.91(a), 28.47, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Sole (Rock, Sand, Butter, Curlfin, Rex, Flathead) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.48, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Spiny Dogfish Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Sturgeon, Green Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited Take or possession is prohibited
Sturgeon, White

CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY		 October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 except as described in Section 27.95 Any sturgeon greater than 60 inches fork length may not be removed from the water and shall be released immediately. See §27.93 for further restrictions Zero. Catch-and-release only §27.93
Surfperch, Redtail Year round, except surfperch may not be taken or possessed in San Francisco and San Pablo bays between April 1 and July 31, inclusive 10½ in. total length 10 fish as part of 20 fish general daily bag limit EXCEPT in San Francisco and San Pablo bays: 5 surfperch all species combined (not including shiner surfperch) §28.59
Surfperch, Other Year round, except surfperch may not be taken or possessed in San Francisco and San Pablo bays between April 1 and July 31, inclusive None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general daily bag limit EXCEPT in San Francisco and San Pablo bays: 5 surfperch all species combined (not including shiner surfperch) §28.59
Swordfish, Broadbill Year Round None 2 fish §28.40
Thornyheads (Shortspine and Longspine) Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Topsmelt Year Round None None §27.60(b)
Tuna, Albacore Year Round None South of Pt. Conception, Santa Barbara County: 10 fish.
North of Pt. Conception, Santa Barbara County: 25 fish. Limits may be taken/ possessed in addition to the 20 fish general daily bag limit.		 §28.38(a)
Tuna, Bluefin Year Round None 2 fish, which may be taken or possessed in addition to the 20 fish general daily bag limit §28.38(b)
Tuna, Skipjack Year Round None None §§27.60(b), 28.38(c)
Tuna, Other (including Bigeye and Yellowfin) Year Round None 10 fish §§27.60(a), 28.38(d)
Whitefish, Ocean Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§28.58, 27.60(a)
Whiting, Pacific Year Round None 10 fish as part of 20 fish general bag limit §§1.91(a), 28.49, 27.50, 27.20(b)(2), (e), and (f)
Yellowtail Year Round 24 in. fork length 10 fish at least 24 in. fork length, except 5 fish may be less than 24 in. fork length §28.37

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Updated on Thu, 13 Feb 2025 by amanda.vandiggelen@wildlife.ca.gov

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