News Archive

The white sturgeon sport fishing season opens October 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, for catch-and-release fishing in the ocean, San Francisco Bay, Delta and lower Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.

Recent results from white sturgeon monitoring surveys by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) suggest the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) population has continued to decline. CDFW fisheries biologists now estimate there are approximately 6,500 white sturgeon between 40-60 inches long in California – down sharply from the previous estimate of approximately 30,000 fish in that size range, based on the 2016-2021 survey average.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has initiated a status review for white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and hereby solicits data and comments on the petitioned action to list this species as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) has adopted regulations to reopen sport fishing for white sturgeon on a catch-and-release basis while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) conducts a status review to determine if listing the species as “threatened” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) is warranted.

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) acted on a variety of issues affecting California’s natural resources at its August 14-15 meeting in Fortuna, Humboldt County. The public was also able to participate via webinar and by phone.