The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved changes to the 2024 groundfish season opening dates, fishing depths and bag limits in a press release issued Wednesday. The 2024 groundfish seasons are expected to be reviewed and approved by the Office of Administrative Law and take effect in state waters in early April. The Commission and California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff have worked diligently to expedite the adoption of state regulations to allow boat-based anglers to get on the water beginning in April. Until the 2024 regulations are approved, the 2023 regulations remain in effect.
Once the regulations become effective, CDFW’s Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations web page will be updated with 2024 regulations. Before fishing, anglers should refer to this web page for the season openings and other regulatory information.
Press release from CDFW:
In 2023, most groundfish seasons offshore of California were cut due to exceeding federal catch limits on quillback rockfish, a now federally-declared overfished species. The new changes provide additional fishing opportunities compared to 2023, but come with new requirements that anglers need to be aware of. The new regulations are anticipated to be effective in early April.
The measures adopted by the Commission will work in combination with regulations for federal waters and serve to largely avoid quillback rockfish in their primary depth range between 20 fathoms (120 feet) and 50 fathoms (300 feet) off the coast of northern and central California. One key element of the new regulations is the availability of new waypoints that define a 20-fathom boundary line, which allows fishing to occur only shoreward of this line. Within several groundfish management areas (GMAs), a 20-fathom or 50-fathom ‘Inshore Fishery’ will take place during the 2024 season, allowing opportunities to retain nearshore, shelf and slope rockfish, lingcod, cabezon and greenling.
Alternatively, during months when there is an ‘offshore only fishery’, fishing for groundfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. Take and possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenling are prohibited during the offshore fishery.
Divers and shore-based anglers will continue to be exempt from boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish, which allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling, in line with current regulations.
The Commission also approved a requirement that a descending device be carried aboard and available for immediate use on any vessel taking or possessing any species of federal groundfish. Descending devices are used to send fish back to the depth from which they were taken resulting in considerably higher survival rates for rockfish suffering barotrauma compared to being released at the water’s surface. Members of the public, along with representatives of recreational fishing organizations, have recently advocated for a descending device requirement in order to improve survivorship of released fish.
Another key element of the new regulations is the division of the central GMA at 36º N. latitude (near Point Lopez). This split provides opportunities to anglers in areas south of 36º N. latitude which historically have little to no catch of quillback rockfish.
To protect vermilion rockfish, another species for which catches have exceeded allowable federal harvest limits in recent years, the sub-limit will be reduced to two fish within the Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling complex 10-fish limit, in the Mendocino, San Francisco, central and southern GMAs. The vermilion rockfish 4-fish sub-limit will remain for the northern GMA.
All recreational GMAs in California are scheduled for six months of all-depth or inshore fishing opportunity in 2024. A summary of the 2024 seasons for each GMA approved by the Commission is provided below.
- Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco and Central GMA North of 36º N. Latitude:
- Jan. 1- Mar. 31: Closed
- Apr. 1 – Apr. 30: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
- May 1 – Sept. 30: 20 fathoms inshore fishery
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
- Nov. 1 – Nov. 30: 20 fathoms inshore only fishery
- Dec. 1 – Dec. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
More information can be found here.
PFMC meeting in April regarding salmon season alternatives
At their April 6-11 meeting in Seattle, the Council will adopt final regulatory measures for analysis by the Salmon Technical Team (STT). Final adoption of recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service will also occur and is tentatively scheduled for April 11. Preseason Report III: Council-Adopted Management Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2024 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations will be available online in late April at www.pcouncil.org. Public written comments can be made on the PFMC e-portal for Agenda Items E2 and E6 regarding the Salmon Season Alternatives (1, 2, or 3-closure) at https://pfmc.psmfc.org/Meeting/Details/3041
Englund Marine saltwater seminar coming March 30
This Saturday March 30, Eureka’s Englund Marine and HASA will host a saltwater seminar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Englund Marine store located at 590 W. Waterfront Dr. Guest speakers include Charles Loos, who will speak on bar crossing basics. Travis Chambers of Time and Tide Marine will speak on engine maintenance. Tim Klassen will talk about anchor fishing for Pacific halibut in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Del Stephens is back in Humboldt and will explain deep-water lingcod, Albacore and Bluefin tuna techniques. Raffles will be held in between speakers. For more information, visit https://www.englundmarine.com/pages/seminars.html.
Steelhead rivers openings/closures
After Sunday, March 31, the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, Mattole and Chetco rivers will all be closed to fishing. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork, is open to fishing all year.
From the mouth to Fulmor Road, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through Friday, May 24, 2024. Only barbless hooks may be used from May 25 through Mar. 31, 2025.
From Fulmor Road to the South Fork, it’s open all year. From April 1 through Sept. 30, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Only barbless hooks may be used from Oct. 1 through Mar. 31, 2025.
The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South forks.
The Middle Fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek.
The South Fork is open through April as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craig’s Creek to Jones Creek. Only barbless hooks may be used from Sept. 1 through Apr. 30. The bag limit remains the same at two hatchery steelhead per day.
Sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing but are subject to in-season changes. For more information, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=209090&inline.
Eel River steelhead returns
For the week ending March 17, a total of 15 adult steelhead (female 7, male 5, unknown 3) were observed migrating upstream through the VAFS fishway according to Andrew Anderson, an Aquatic Biologist with PG&E. This brings the season total to date for adult upstream migrating adult steelhead to 191 (female 90, male 70, unknown 31) and 33 subadults for a total of 224. This count doesn’t reflect the entire population; it only includes the fish who travel over 150 miles to make it to the fish ladder at Cape Horn Dam. Many salmonids spawn in tributaries downstream. For more information, visit www.eelriver.org/the-eel-river/fish-count/.
The Rivers:
Mad, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek
All have just peaked and are dropping, but won’t be in fishable shape prior to the season closing after Sunday, March 31.
Main stem Eel
The main Eel is high and dirty and back on the rise. It’s predicted to reach 37,700 cubic feet per second Thursday evening. It will take at least a couple weeks of dry weather to drop it back into fishable shape. It starts to fish once it drops to right around 5,000 cfs.
Smith
The Smith will be blown out for a couple days but should be back into fishable shape by the weekend. Flows should be right around 8,750 cfs (10.9 feet) at the Jed Smith gauge Saturday morning.
Southern Oregon rivers
Steelhead season is coming to a close on the Chetco with high water, something anglers were forced to deal with since January reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The river was closing in on 4,000 cfs Tuesday evening, but expected to blow out again with rain mid-week,” said Martin. “Steelhead fishing closes March 31. Most Southern Oregon anglers have switched gears to springer fishing on the Rogue, where fishing is off to a good start. Guides averaged a fish or two a boat last week, but catches dropped the first part of this week because of high flows. Expect good conditions this weekend. Anchoring with anchovies and spinner blades is the best bet.”
Brookings ocean report
According to Martin, lingcod and rockfish action has been good out of Brookings. Stormy weather is expected Wednesday through Friday, and winds could make fishing tough this weekend. A few salmon are being caught by bottom fish anglers, a good sign for later this summer. Ocean salmon seasons will be finalized in early April, but a late-May through August chinook season is expected out of Brookings.
Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com
Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest 