Salmon Fishing Returns After 3-Year Closure; Recreational Anglers to See More Open Days in 2026
Significant improvements in key California salmon populations – specifically Sacramento River fall-run Chinook and Klamath River fall-run Chinook – will allow for more ocean salmon fishing opportunities this year. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce that commercial ocean salmon fishing is back after being closed three straight years and that recreational ocean salmon anglers will have more opportunities in 2026.
“Seeing our salmon populations recover is incredibly heartening and demonstrates what’s possible when we all work together – state and federal partners, tribes, sport anglers and commercial fishing interests, NGOs and others – to do what’s best for salmon,” said CDFW Director Meghan Hertel.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) finalized its recommendations for California’s recreational and commercial ocean salmon seasons and harvest limits at its April 7-12 meeting in Portland, Ore. The PFMC will forward its recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which will implement them into federal regulations. A summary of the recreational season dates, locations and harvest guidelines will soon be available on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon Fishery Information web page.
In the meantime, you can download the Salmon Technical Team’s (STT) report that details all the fishing dates, zones, commercial and rec and size limits in the April meeting’s Briefing Book materials under the Salmon Agenda items. Sunday was the last day of the meetings, and the last STT report was agenda item D.8.a Supplemental STT Report 1: Salmon Technical Team Report Preliminary Analysis of Tentative 2026 Ocean Salmon Fishery Management Measures. Click link: https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2026/04/d-8-a-supplemental-stt-report-1-salmon-technical-team-report-preliminary-analysis-of-tentative-2026-ocean-salmon-fishery-management-measures.pdf/
More open fishing days come as welcome news following complete closure of recreational ocean salmon fisheries in 2023 and 2024, and only six open days in 2025.
In 2026, CDFW will implement in-season management in both commercial and recreational fisheries to ensure catch of rebounding salmon stocks does not exceed seasonal harvest guidelines. This is the first year of vessel-based trip limits and seasonal harvest guidelines for California’s commercial salmon fishery following the first use of an in-season management framework during California’s limited recreational ocean season in 2025. In-season management allows fishery managers to close salmon seasons early should harvest guidelines be reached.
Sport anglers are advised to check for updated information when planning a salmon fishing trip. Season dates, harvest guidelines and catch limits, bag and possession, vessel limit information and gear restrictions can be found on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon Fishery Information web page as soon as it is available or by calling the CDFW Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429. Public notification of any in-season change to conform state regulations to federal regulations is made through the NMFS ocean salmon hotline at (800) 662-9825.
