Why should you join Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association?
If you care about healthy fisheries, real access, and a future where salmon and other anadromous fish actually thrive, the Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA) is your voice on the water. This isn’t a paper organization — NCGASA shows up. From shaping Salmon Recovery efforts alongside CDFW, NOAA, PFMC, and NMFS, to pushing science-based management that increases inland returns, river access, and sustainable seasons, NCGASA consistently fights for anglers where it matters most: at the decision-making table.
Joining NCGASA means backing proven results. The organization has helped raise tens of millions of hatchery fish, secured millions in disaster relief and restoration funding, protected angler rights, promoting diversification of hatchery release strategies, advancing the Parental Based Tagging (PBT) program, restored critical river habitat, and even delivered long-overdue infrastructure like the new Oroville launch ramp slated for 2025. Whether it’s stopping wasteful hatchery practices, improving escapement goals, uniting farmers and fishermen, or keeping you on the water longer, NCGASA turns advocacy into action. If you fish Northern California, this is the nonprofit working every year to protect your passion — and the fish that make it possible. Join today! CLICK HERE
>> You can also donate to our Salmon Carcass Return Program, CLICK HERE
List of some of our Accomplishments below:
Ongoing
- NCGASA was a key part of the Salmon Recovery Efforts, attending meetings and advocating for more survival and returns to inland hatcheries as well as in-river returns to the Central Valley and Klamath basins. Other partners included CDFW, USFW, NOAA, NMFS, PFMC, and California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Trout (CAC).
- As part of the PFMC and FMP (Fishery Management Plan) NCGASA worked for an amendment advocation to the floor escapement levels in both Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Raising floor escapement reduces ocean exploitation and has more fish inland for river anglers and escapement spawning for salmon.
- NCGASA has attended all CDFW Commission meetings on all anadromous fish species to fight for sustainable and liberal seasons, for more time on the water, and access to the fisheries backed by science.
- NCGASA has been advocating and supporting the Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) to secure a $5 million state grant for a new launch ramp facility at the Oroville Outlet Hole. The land is owned by CDFW and DWR, with construction now slated for 2025.
2025
- NCGASA worked with Coleman National Fish Hatchery on their Fry Program to develop a 10-year release strategy (2025-2035) for 7-14 million fry.
Release areas:
– 1/3 in Battle Creek
– 1/3 in downstream Sacramento River main stem, 30-50 miles from Coleman Hatchery
– 1/3 in rice fields in the Yolo Bypass area that drain into upper delta
Plans were to start in 2023, but moved to 2025 because of low fish returns in 2023.
2023
- NCGASA took the lead for the Salmon Disaster relief effort in 2023 and 2024 working with the Dept of Commerce and CDFW.
- In 2023, NCGASA fought to get funding for inland sector valued over $3 million dollars. Secured over $1 million in relief in 2024.
- NCGASA was part of the Sturgeon state committee in 2023 advocating for angler rights to retain sturgeon.
- In 2023 NCGASA was part of the restoration project, receiving a $5 million dollar state grant for the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency to restore Robinson riffle in Low Flow Channel
- In 2023, due to NCGASA’s advocacy with the Bridge Group, volunteers returned over 2,000 carcasses from the Coleman Hatchery to the Sacramento River. The dead, spawned fish were taken to riffles in the river where fish once inhabited, spawned, and died prior to this salmon fishery collapse.
- In 2023, NCGASA helped bring and unite the Bridge Group between Northern California farmers and water districts with the three sectors of the salmon industry, PCFFA, NCGASA, GGFA Golden Gate Fisherman’s Association. This collective group was instrumental in fighting to raise more fish at all the hatcheries, including winter and spring run salmon.
2022
2021
- In 2021, NCGASA stopped the practice of state and federal hatcheries killing unspawned fish, allowing more fish to spawn below the hatchery areas.
- In 2021-2022, NCGASA worked to reinstate the Fry Program at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson, CA. It was a three-year study where a minimum of 2 million Fry were unfed to test survival rates rather than euthanizing them per biological opinion. The mandated max was 15%+- from the 12 million production goal.
- In 2021, NCGASA was appointed to the Steelhead State Committee to vote on the distribution of funds from the Steelhead Report Card for monitoring and studying of wild fish. NCGASA remains part of the committee in 2024.
2020
- NCGASA worked with CDFW to raise 5 million additional hatchery fish in 2020, 2021, 2022 at the Feather, Nimbus, and Mokelumne hatcheries. An additional 10 million hatchery fish were raised in 2023.
2019
- From 2019-2024, NCGASA was part of a coalition of angling groups (Striped Bass State committee) fighting for slot limit regulation changes to protect larger stripers.
- NCGASA is a founding member of the Salmon Industry Coalition, formed in 2019. We advocate together and represent the commercial, charter fishermen and inland guides. (The entire salmon industry outside of bait shops, marinas and other interests.)
2017
- From 2017 through 2023, NCGASA advocated the Lower Feather River Corridor Management Plan for sediment cleanup of nine million cubic yards of sediment from Verona to Marysville on Feather River. Was Successful in putting the first dredge in the river for this type of clean up since 1972.
