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PRESS RELEASE. From the San Mateo County Harbor District and California Fish and Wildlife Marine Management News on April 13th, 2026.
Commercial Salmon Season Latitude boundaries, fish limits and dates have been announced.
Commercial Salmon Season 2026 will open between Pigeon Point and Point Arena on Friday, May 1, 2026.
Staggered fishing periods through May and August:
May
Friday, 1st to Wednesday, 6th
Saturday, 9th to Wednesday, 13th
Saturday, 16th to Wednesday, 20th
Saturday, 23rd to Friday, 29th
August
Saturday, 1st to Friday, 7th
Thursday, 13th to Wednesday, 26th
Tuesday, 25th to Thursday, 27th
During May and August fishers are restricted to 160 Fish per period (these limits are subject to change).
September
Friday, 4th to Tuesday 8th
Friday, 11th to Tuesday, 15th
Friday, 18th to Tuesday, 22nd
Friday, 25th to Wednesday, 30th
With 100 fish per period.
For More Information go to: https://wildlife.ca.gov/
California Fish and Wildlife Marine Management News on April 13th, 2026.
he 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:
| Locations | Dates | Harvest Guidelines |
| OR/CA Border to the 40°10’ Line (Klamath Management Zone) | June 13 – July 19 Aug. 1 – 31 | 3,900 Chinook salmon |
| 40°10’ Line to Point Arena (Fort Bragg) | June 13 – July 19 Aug. 1 – 31 | 5,100 Chinook salmon |
| Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San Francisco) | June 27 – July 22 Aug. 1 – 23 | 34,900 Chinook salmon |
| Pigeon Point to the U.S.-Mexico Border (Monterey and south) | Apr. 11 – Aug. 31 | 21,800 Chinook salmon |
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:
| Locations | Dates |
| 38°02” N. lat. to Pigeon Point Subarea | Sept. 1 – Oct. 31 |
| Pigeon Point to the U.S.-Mexico Border (Monterey and south) | Sept. 1 – 30 |
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.
Author: mdrag
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