On April 15, 2025, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) acted to recommend limited fishing opportunities for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of 2025. This decision will allow for the first recreational salmon fishing in California since 2022. The PFMC also recommended a repeat year of closure for California’s commercial salmon fisheries, the third year in a row.
Salmon stocks in California continue to be impacted from ongoing issues associated with multi-year drought and climate disruption, including poor in-river spawning and migration conditions, severe wildfires, harmful algal blooms, ocean forage shifts, impacts to habitat and thiamine deficiency. The low ocean abundance forecasts and low 2024 returns led the PFMC to recommend very limited fishing for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries and continued closure for commercial fishing to help salmon populations rebound from these difficulties.
“After years of full closure for salmon fishing, the opportunity for limited recreational salmon fishing brings hope. We know, however, that this news brings little relief for California’s commercial salmon fisheries,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Salmon populations are still recovering from severe drought and other climate challenges and have not yet benefitted from our consecutive years of wet winters and other actions taken to boost populations. I’m deeply appreciative for the partnership of the fishing community in rebuilding these impacted populations and in fighting together for the future of salmon in California.”
It is anticipated that the National Marine Fisheries Service will take regulatory action to enact the fishing alternative, effective in mid-May. In addition, the California Fish and Game Commission will discuss inland salmon fisheries at its mid-April meeting in Sacramento and is expected to take final action at its May 14 teleconference meeting.
“A third year without fishing is a serious blow to California’s commercial salmon fleet,” said George Bradshaw, President of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Association. “We were optimistic about a return to salmon fishing for California’s fleet, but the reality is, the low abundance and return estimates will not provide the economic impact we need. The risk of fishing this depleted population is simply not worth the reward.”
The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season dates for the California coast are as follows:
For ocean waters between the Oregon/California state line and the U.S/Mexico border, the season will open June 7-8, with a 7,000 Chinook summer harvest guideline. If the limit is not attained in those two days, the fishery will open again July 5-6. Additional dates are available in late July and August for use until the summer harvest guideline is attained.
For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur (portions of the San Francisco and Monterey subareas), the fall fishing season will open Sept. 4-7, with a 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline. If this guideline is not attained, the fishery will reopen Sept. 29-30. Additional days are available in October between Point Reyes to Pigeon Point if any of the fall harvest guideline remains.
The short windows of open fishing followed by a period of closure are designed to allow for careful tracking and estimation of catch by CDFW to ensure the fishery does not exceed the harvest guidelines.
The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. 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. Retention of coho (silver) salmon is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California.
“California’s recreational anglers welcome the opportunity to get back on the water,” said PFMC member Marc Gorelnik. “The number of open days is exceedingly limited in order to achieve negligible impacts on Klamath River Chinook salmon.”
Salmon are significantly important to California. They provide important commercial, recreational, economic, intrinsic and cultural benefits to fishing communities, California Native American tribes, and the state. California is taking significant and meaningful steps to rebuild salmon stocks across California. In March 2025, CDFW released the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future: Progress Report, an update to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future released in January 2024. In the Progress Report, CDFW announced that of the 71 action items outlined in the Salmon Strategy, nearly 70 percent are already underway, with another 26 percent of action items already completed. These actions provide tangible benefits for California’s salmon populations and habitats now and into the future.
More information is available on the PFMC website.
Anglers are advised to check for updated information when planning a salmon fishing trip. Season dates, bag/possession limit information and gear restrictions can be found on CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page 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 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) ocean salmon hotline at (800) 662-9825.
