{"id":200791,"date":"2026-04-13T17:24:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=200791"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:24:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:24:21","slug":"newsom-says-lets-go-fishing-salmon-fishing-is-back-in-california-after-more-than-3-year-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=200791","title":{"rendered":"Newsom Says…”Let\u2019s go fishing! Salmon fishing is back in California after more than 3-year closure”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento, CA…Significant improvements in key California\u202fsalmon\u202fpopulations\u202f\u2014 specifically Sacramento River fall-run Chinook and Klamath River fall-run Chinook\u202f\u2014 will allow\u202ffor\u202fmore ocean salmon\u202ffishing opportunities\u202fthis year. This weekend, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing is back after being closed for three straight years and that recreational ocean salmon anglers will have more opportunities in 2026. The positive decision from a federal entity comes as California continues to make significant progress with its Salmon Strategy<\/a>\u00a0\u202f\u2014 \u00a0completing\u00a0major projects<\/a><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0repopulating areas<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for the first time in\u00a0more than a century<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSalmon aren\u2019t just an important part of our ecosystem; they\u2019re part of who we are as Californians. They\u2019re tied to our culture, our economy, and to generations of memories, including my own growing up, seeing these fish up close with my dad. That\u2019s something every Californian should have the chance to experience.<\/h4>\n

We\u2019re seeing progress because of the work we\u2019re doing together. We\u2019re doubling down on our strategies to protect this iconic species and ensure it thrives, not just for today, but for generations to come.\u201d<\/h4>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSeeing our salmon populations recover is incredibly heartening and demonstrates what\u2019s possible when we all work together\u202f\u2014 state and federal partners, tribes, sport anglers and commercial fishing interests, NGOs and others \u2014 to do what\u2019s best for salmon,\u201d\u00a0said CDFW Director Meghan Hertel.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cSalmon are part of the cultural fabric of California, and I\u2019m delighted more Californians will have the opportunity to enjoy these magnificent fish whether that\u2019s in the water, on the end of their fishing lines or on their dinner plates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salmon are profoundly important to California\u2019s precious ecosystems and economy. They provide important commercial, recreational, economic, intrinsic and cultural benefits to fishing communities, California Native American tribes, and the entire state. California\u2019s salmon populations are struggling to recover from years of drought, climate disruption, and other environmental and human-made challenges. California has taken significant and meaningful steps to rebuild salmon stocks across California \u2014 helping to lead to today\u2019s announcement that opens commercial fishing.<\/p>\n

Protecting salmon populations<\/h2>\n

Governor Newsom announced California\u2019s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter Drier Future in 2024<\/a>, laying the groundwork in California to restore and rebuild salmon populations. Earlier this year, the state released an\u00a0update to the original strategy<\/a>. The progress report shows that of the 71 action items outlined in the Salmon Strategy, nearly 70% are underway, with another 26% already completed. These actions provide tangible benefits for California\u2019s salmon populations and habitats now and into the future.<\/p>\n

This work directly supports management decisions about salmon fishing opportunities, including the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) decision to approve ocean salmon seasons and harvest limits.<\/p>\n

State agencies, tribes and other partners are making significant progress in achieving goals that include restoring and expanding habitat for salmon spawning and rearing and updating infrastructure for salmon migration. Salmon have been a vital part of California\u2019s landscapes and cultures for generations, with tribal nations bringing deep knowledge to conservation efforts. Partnerships with tribal nations are advancing efforts through co-management agreements, reintroduction projects, and restoration initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe health of our salmon populations fluctuates with environmental conditions, and we\u2019ve seen just how vulnerable these fish are to recent droughts, changing river conditions and a warming climate,\u201d\u00a0said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThis year\u2019s return of ocean salmon fishing is an encouraging sign as we advance California\u2019s long-term, science-based Salmon Strategy. Together with a range of partners, we\u2019re restoring habitat, removing barriers, improving flow and reconnecting rivers to give salmon a better chance to survive in all conditions. This work is about balance \u2014 making improvements and modernizing water management to help nature thrive and our communities prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n

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More fishing<\/h2>\n

More\u202fopen\u202ffishing days\u202fcome as\u202fwelcome news following the complete closure of\u202frecreational\u202focean salmon\u202ffisheries in 2023 and 2024,\u202fand\u202fonly six open\u202fdays\u202fin 2025.<\/p>\n

In 2026, CDFW will implement in-season management in both commercial and recreational fisheries to ensure catch of rebounding salmon stocks does not exceed seasonal harvest limits. This is the first year of vessel-based trip limits and seasonal harvest guidelines for California\u2019s commercial salmon fishery following the first use of an in-season management framework during California\u2019s limited recreational ocean season in 2025. In-season management allows fishery managers to close salmon seasons early should harvest guidelines be reached. In-season\u202fmonitoring\u202fto actively manage commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries to align with harvest guidelines is identified as a priority action item in the\u00a0California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter Drier Future<\/a><\/p>\n

Sport anglers are advised to check for updated information when planning a salmon fishing trip. Season dates, bag and possession limits, size and gear restrictions can be found on\u00a0CDFW\u2019s Ocean Salmon Fishery Information web page<\/a>\u00a0as soon as it is available.<\/p>\n

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Sacramento, CA…Significant improvements in key California\u202fsalmon\u202fpopulations\u202f\u2014 specifically Sacramento River fall-run Chinook and Klamath River fall-run Chinook\u202f\u2014 will allow\u202ffor\u202fmore ocean salmon\u202ffishing opportunities\u202fthis year. This weekend, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing is back after being closed for three straight years and that recreational ocean salmon anglers will have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":200792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,151,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-fishing","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PhotoForSalmonSeasons.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=200791"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200793,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200791\/revisions\/200793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/200792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=200791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=200791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=200791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}