Important Salmon Meeting On Tap in Sacramento, Save the Date: Feb. 25
California’s annual salmon meeting will share initial numbers before the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) meetings that will set the salmon season in April
by Veonna King | KRCR TV ABC 7
Mon, February 9, 2026 at 3:44 PM | Updated Mon, February 9, 2026 at 9:34 PM
SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is inviting the public to its annual Salmon Information Meeting on Feb. 25, 2026, at 1 p.m. The hybrid event will take place at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium in Sacramento and will be livestreamed online.
SALMON MEETINGS SCHEDULE | from the CDFW website
• February 25, 2026
CDFW Annual Salmon Information Meeting
California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium, 1:00 p.m.
715 P Street, Sacramento CA 95814
The annual salmon information meeting will be held in person for 2026 and will also be available online as a view-only webinar. The meeting will cover 2025 ocean and in-river salmon fishing seasons, 2025 spawner abundances returning to the Central Valley and Klamath Basins, 2026 abundance forecasts, and management context guiding the development and implementation of 2026 ocean salmon fisheries. The public are invited to learn about pertinent data and management context shaping the upcoming ocean salmon season. The meeting link, agenda and other materials will be posted on CDFW website as they become available.
- March 23, 2026 (7:00 p.m.)
PFMC Public Hearing in Santa Rosa, CA
The Council will receive comments from the public on the three California ocean salmon fishery regulatory alternatives adopted by the Council in March. More information is available at www.pcouncil.org(opens in new tab). - April 7-12, 2026
PFMC April Meeting in Portland, OR
The Council will adopt final regulatory measures for analysis by the STT. Final adoption of recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service will also occur and is tentatively scheduled for April 12.
Preseason Report III: Council-Adopted Management Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2026 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations will be available online in late April at www.pcouncil.org(opens in new tab). - April 15-16, 2026
California Fish and Game Commission Meeting in Sacramento, CA
The Commission will receive an update on ocean salmon sport fishery regulations in effect in 2026. The public may address and/or ask questions of the Commission relating to the implementation of its policies or any other matter within the jurisdiction of the Commission. Agenda and audio available online at fgc.ca.gov(opens in new tab).
The Feb. 25 CDFW meeting will provide an outlook for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries and review last year’s salmon fisheries and inland spawner returns. “It’s an opportunity for the public to learn about salmon information and get an idea of what the salmon fisheries are going to be looking like this year,” said a CDFW Environmental scientist Emma Keller.
Emma Keller’s Bio: California Department of Fish and Wildlife | UC Santa Cruz
Environmental Scientist: Assisting in managing ocean salmon commercial and recreational fisheries for the Ocean Salmon Project (OSP) for the state of California. Reviewing, analyzing, entering, and QA/QC of ocean salmon fishery data. Editing the department website to reflect current salmon regulations and the preseason process by which regulations are made. Reviewing official scientific permits that authorize take of salmonid species and making recommendations. Helping organize public informational webinars about ocean salmon fisheries. Serving as a coordinator for the California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS).
The meeting marks the start of a two-month public process to develop annual sport and commercial ocean salmon fishing seasons. Kenny Priest of Fishing the North Coast who is a fishing guide from Eureka, emphasized the importance of the meeting, “I want to be in on what the numbers are. I want to know if I will be able to fish on the Klamath River this year.”
The meeting will also feature presentations on regulations and management decisions. “Public involvement in the preseason process is definitely important, and I just think it’s an opportunity for people to learn,” said Emma Keller.
From Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association:
SALMON FISHING WILL RETURN TO THE SACRAMENTO RIVER THIS YEAR?! Very good chances of opportunity on Sacramento, Feather, American and MOKE. Watch for a LIVE VIDEO DISCUSSION on the Nor-Cal Guides Facebook page from president James Stone. Join Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association with a $30 membership to help us keep bringing you salmon fishery news and updates: https://ncgasa.org/product/membership-2/
