clear Become an NCGASA member clear
Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen's Association

Salmon Season 3 alternatives proposed by the Pacific Fishery Managament Council

Updated April 8, 2026

SACRAMENTO, CA — Salmon Season dates and alternative season dates proposals were presented at the PFMC council meetings in Sacramento in March. The alternatives will be discussed at the PFMC’s April meetings and revised further during the council process. You can watch (rewind and forward) the PFMC meetings that are recorded and streamed live on their Youtube channel. 

The Salmon Season fishing dates are not final and won’t be final until the end of the meeting process. The Fish and Game Commission sets the regulations on May 5 based on the PFMC’s recommendations.

• The PFMC makes changes to the Salmon Season dates or three alternatives at the meetings according the agenda dates as new information and quotas are considered.
• Find the dates for each zone that were proposed in the March meeting on the PFMC’s website under their Briefing Book for the March Meeting. Look for the C.6.a Supplemental STT Report 1:Salmon Technical Team Report Collation of Preliminary Salmon Management Alternatives for 2026 Ocean Fisheries.
• Find the new Briefing Book with reports for the April PFMC meetings here: https://www.pcouncil.org/council_meeting/april-2026-council-meeting/
• There are different alternatives for each zone scroll through every page and look at the title on the top of the page to find either your commercial zone or recreational zone.
• The PFMC takes written comments weeks before the meetings start and their is a deadline to submit. The deadline is 5pm on 4/6/26. These comments are included in the fish agencies briefing book of materials. Visit the PFMC’s E-portal for the April meetings to read more than 200+ comments from the public: https://pfmc.agendacomments.com/Meeting/Details/5133

Sacramento River inland salmon fishing dates

• PFMC Timeline: Preliminary ocean and inland options are reviewed in March, with final, definitive recommendations for the upcoming season made in April.
• Read from the Briefing Book Agenda Item D5a: SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEE REPORT ON METHODOLOGY REVIE PRELIMINARY TOPIC SELECTION
• State Action: Based on the PFMC recommendations, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommends specific in-river dates to the Fish and Game Commission at their April meeting, with final adoption on May 5 (see below).
• Season Start: Inland salmon fishing on the Sacramento River and associated Central Valley rivers generally opens or restarts around July 15.
• 2026 Process: The 2026 season process is currently underway, with March and April 2026 meetings scheduled to finalize these decisions. 

Process and Numbers Explained