2026 River/Ocean Regulations

Craig Vallely of Redding with a nice Chinook salmon from the Klamath River. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

Rivers

Klamath and Trinity River Regulations for 2026

Spring Chinook seasons will reopen as follows:

• Klamath River: July 1 – Aug. 14
• Trinity River: July 1 – Aug. 31

The daily bag limit will be one Chinook salmon, with a possession limit of two fish of any size.

For the fall Chinook fishery, the commission adopted a basin wide quota of 3,248 adult salmon for the Klamath Basin.

Fall seasons will be:

• Klamath River: Aug. 15 – Dec. 31 (closed above the I-5 Bridge)
• Trinity River: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31

The quota breakdown includes:

• Lower Klamath (Hwy. 96 bridge to the mouth): 1,624 adults

• Lower Klamath estuary below Highway 101: 487 adults
After this quota is caught, it triggers a complete closure of the Spit Area (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth). The rest of the area below U.S. Highway 101 (estuary) will remain open to recreational fishing

• Upper Klamath (CA/OR border to Highway 96): 552 adults

• Lower Trinity (downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath.): 536 adults

• Upper Trinity (250 feet below Lewiston Dam to the Hwy. 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat): 536 adults

Regulations for the fall fishery include a two-fish daily bag limit, though anglers may retain only one adult salmon ≥ 23 inches per day. The possession limit is six Chinook total, with no more than three adults ≥ 23 inches.

Once individual sub-quotas are met in each section, retention will shift to jack salmon under 23 inches total length only.

Louie Damante of Reno landed this beautiful king salmon while fishing out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi/Full Throttle Sport Fishing

Ocean

Sport Salmon Regulations for 2026

OR/CA Border to the 40º10′ Line (KMZ)

June 13-July 19, August 1-31 – Harvest Guideline: 3,900 Chinook

40º10′ Line to Point Arena (Fort Bragg)

  • June 13-July 19, August 1-31 – Harvest Guideline: 5,100 Chinook

Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San Francisco)

  • June 27- July 22, August 1-31 – Harvest Guideline 34,900 Chinook

Pigeon Point to the U.S./Mexico Border (Monterey and South)

  • April 11- August 31 – Harvest Guideline: 21,800 Chinook

General Sport Salmon Regulations

  • Daily bag limit: 2 salmon of any species except coho (silver) salmon.
  • Possession limit: No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit (CCR T-14, §27.80(e)).
  • Retention of coho (silver) salmon or steelhead trout is prohibited in any ocean fishery (CCR T-14, §27.70(b) and §27.80(b)).
  • Salmon may not be filleted on any boat or prior to being brought ashore (CCR T-14, §27.65(c)).
  • Salmon may only be taken by angling as defined in CCR T-14, §1.05. No sinkers or weights exceeding 4 lbs. may be used, except that a fishing line may be attached to a sinker or weight of any size if such sinker or weight is suspended by a separate line and the fishing line is released automatically by a mechanical device from the sinker or weight when any fish is hooked (CCR T-14, §27.80(a)).
  • Transit provisions:  No fishing gear may be deployed in an area where salmon fishing is closed and salmon are possessed. Coho may not be possessed on board in the KMZ, and Chinook may be possessed only when the season is open in this area. 
  • Special Salmon Closures (CCR T-14, §27.75):
  • Smith River mouth – closed year-round
  • Klamath River mouth – closed year-round; in August, this closure expands(“Klamath Control Zone”)
  • Eel River mouth – closed in August and September Only
  • Smith Closure Map, Klamath Closure Map, Eel Closure Map.

Pacific Halibut Regulations for 2026

The 2026 recreational Pacific halibut fishery opens April 1. In the area north of Point Arena, the fishery is open until November 15. In the area south of Point Arena, the fishery is open through December 31. The 2026 Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 40,040 pounds.

CDFW will again monitor catches of Pacific halibut during the season and provide catch projection updates on the CDFW Pacific halibut webpage, https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking. The limit remains at one, with no size restrictions. No more than one line with two hooks attached can be used.

Seven year-old Wyatt Mayfield of Eagle Point, OR had his hands full of black rockfish while fishing out of Crescent City with Crescent City Fishing. Photo courtesy of Steve Huber, Crescent City Fishing.

Recreational Rockfish Regulations for 2026

  • Season opens statewide on Wednesday, April 1
  • All-depth fishing open through Dec. 31
  • Southern Management Zone open all depths through June 30

Daily Limits

  • 10 fish per person within the RCG complex
    • Includes all species of rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings
  • Lingcod limit:
    • 2 fish per person
    • 22-inch minimum size

Species Sub-Limits

  • 1 Copper rockfish
  • 4 Vermilion rockfish (Northern Management Area only)
  • 2 Canary rockfish

Required Gear

  • A descending device is required onboard
  • No person may take or possess federal groundfish from any boat or floating device in ocean waters without a descending device in possession

No Retention Species
The following species may not be retained at any time in California waters:

  • Bronzespotted rockfish
  • Cowcod
  • Quillback rockfish
  • Yelloweye rockfish

For more information about recreational groundfish regulations within the northern management area, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/GroundfishSummary#north