The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the return of commercial salmon fishing after fishery closures for three straight years, and more recreational ocean salmon fishing opportunities in 2026.

The recreational season kicked off on April 11, 2026 south of Pigeon Point, San Mateo County. Opening weekend brought rough seas and strong winds, which kept many people off the water. Weather conditions are forecasted to improve this week, and anglers are hopeful for another chance to ‘get on the salmon’ in the coming days.

Yesterday, the Pacific Fishery Management Council took action at its meeting in Portland, Oregon to finalize season dates, locations, and harvest guidelines for the remainder of the 2026 season. The Pacific Fishery Management Council will transmit the final adopted regulations to the National Marine Fisheries Service for implementation into federal regulations.

The California recreational ocean salmon spring/summer seasons and harvest guidelines are listed below:

LocationsDatesHarvest GuidelinesOR/CA Border to the 40°10’ Line
(Klamath Management Zone)June 13 – July 19
Aug. 1 – 313,900 Chinook salmon40°10’ Line to
Point Arena
(Fort Bragg)June 13 – July 19
Aug. 1 – 315,100 Chinook salmonPoint Arena to
Pigeon Point
(San Francisco)June 27 – July 22
Aug. 1 – 2334,900 Chinook salmonPigeon Point to the
U.S.-Mexico Border
(Monterey and south)Apr. 11 – Aug. 3121,800 Chinook salmon

2026 Recreational Ocean Salmon Spring/Summer Season Locations, Dates, and Guidelines

A second series of recreational ocean salmon fall seasons will begin in September with a fall harvest guideline of 20,000 Chinook salmon applicable to all open areas. Dates and locations are listed below:

Note that in-season action may be taken to close open days or areas when total harvest is approaching the area-specific harvest guideline.

This year, CDFW will use an in-season management framework, similar to the management framework used during the limited 2025 recreational ocean salmon season. Monitoring the commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries throughout the year will keep the catch aligned with seasonal harvest guidelines and allow fishery managers to close salmon seasons early if the guidelines are reached. This is the first year that vessel-based trip limits and seasonal harvest guidelines will be used in California’s commercial salmon fishery.

Summaries of the recreational and commercial salmon season dates, locations, and harvest guidelines are available on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon Fishery Information web page. When planning a salmon fishing trip, recreational anglers are advised to check for updated information on the web page or call the CDFW Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429.