Salmon fishing in California has faced many challenges in recent years, with complete closures of the season in 2023 and 2024. However, there is positive news for 2025 – salmon season will be open for the first time in 3 years!
I was thrilled to learn this, as salmon fishing is a popular pastime for many anglers and contributes to local economies along the California coast. In this article, I’ll provide an overview of the 2025 salmon season dates, regulations, and insights into this long-awaited opening.
Salmon Season Opening Dates
The Pacific Fishery Management Council announced that limited openings for salmon season will occur in June and September 2025. Here are the scheduled opening dates
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June 7-8, 2025: From the Oregon/California border to the U.S./Mexico border, with a 7,000 Chinook salmon summer harvest limit. If the limit is not reached, the season will reopen July 5-6.
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September 4-7, 2025: For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur, with a 7,500 Chinook salmon fall harvest limit. If the limit is not reached, the season will reopen September 29-30.
Additional days may be added in late July, August, and October if harvest limits are not attained on the initial opening dates
Salmon Fishing Regulations
The 2025 season comes with regulations intended to allow fishing access while protecting vulnerable Chinook salmon populations. Here are some key details on size limits, bag limits, and gear restrictions:
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Minimum size limit of 20 inches total length for retention of Chinook salmon.
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Daily bag limit of 2 salmon of any species except coho salmon.
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Possession limit of no more than two daily bag limits when on land. On vessels in ocean waters, the possession limit is one daily bag limit.
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North of Point Conception, no more than 2 single point, single shank, barbless hooks are allowed.
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Special gear rules requiring circle hooks apply when fishing with bait south of the 40°10’ line.
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Retention of coho salmon or steelhead trout is prohibited in all ocean fisheries.
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Salmon may not be filleted on any boat or prior to being brought ashore.
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Anglers must relinquish salmon heads to CDFW personnel when adipose fin is clipped for coded-wire tag recovery.
Make sure to check the CDFW regulations for any updates before heading out!
Insights on the 2025 Salmon Season Opening
The limited opening of salmon season in California for 2025 has special significance after three years of closures.
As quoted by the American Sportfishing Association, “These limited seasons offer a glimmer of hope for anglers and coastal communities.” The openings were made possible by collaborative efforts to balance conservation needs and public access.
According to CDFW, “Recreational anglers can return to the water while prioritizing the recovery of Chinook salmon stocks affected by drought, climate disruption, and habitat challenges.”
Local tackle shops, fishing guides, hotels, and communities that depend on salmon season can take a breath of relief. However, the long-term prognosis for salmon is uncertain, so political advocacy for habitat and population improvements remains vital.
For anglers like me, 2025 is a chance to dust off the salmon gear, refresh techniques, and appreciate the opportunity to fish for these iconic migratory species once again. I’m hopeful the seasons will expand in future years if we maintain a mindset of sustainability.
Looking Ahead
While specific 2026 regulations are yet to be determined, the 2025 openings provide a template for establishing fishing access that protects vulnerable salmon stocks.
With close monitoring of harvest limits, enforcement of size restrictions, and collection of coded-wire tag data, limited openings allow trend tracking for individual runs. This informs adaptive management toward the overarching goals of population stability and genetic diversity.
As an angler, I’m optimistic about what the 2025 salmon season means for the future. We can enjoy the opportunity while remaining invested in broader habitat, climate and policy efforts that support salmon fisheries.
I know I’ll be out on the ocean in 2025, and will be sure to provide updates from my blog. Stay tuned for in-season reports on salmon fishing returns and hopefully more openings to come!
The future of California salmon is murky
Peter Moyle, a UC Davis fish biologist and professor emeritus, said recovery of self-sustaining populations may be possible in some tributaries of the Sacramento River.
“There are some opportunities for at least keeping runs going in parts of the Central Valley, but getting naturally spawning fish back in large numbers, I just can’t see it happening,” he said.
Jacob Katz, a biologist with the group California Trout, holds out hope for a future of flourishing Sacramento River Chinook. “We could have vibrant fall-run populations in a decade,” he said.
That will require major habitat restoration involving dam removals, reconstruction of levee systems to revive wetlands and floodplains, and reduced water diversions for agriculture — all measures fraught with cost, regulatory constraints, and controversy.
State officials, recognizing the risk of extinction, have promoted salmon recovery as a policy goal for years. In early 2024, the Newsom administration released its California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, a 37-page catalogue of proposed actions to mitigate environmental impacts and restore flows and habitat, all in the face of climate change.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham said the decision to allow limited recreational fishing “brings hope. We know, however, that this news brings little relief” to the industry.
He said salmon “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.”
However, Artis of Golden State Salmon Association said while the state’s salmon strategy includes some important items, it leaves out equally critical steps, such as protecting minimum flows for fish. He said salmon are threatened by proposed water projects endorsed by the Newsom administration.
“It fails to include some of the upcoming salmon-killing projects that the governor is pushing like Sites Reservoir and the Delta tunnel, and it ignores the fact that the Voluntary Agreements are designed to allow massive diversions of water,” he said.
Experts agree that an important key to rebuilding salmon runs is increasing the frequency and duration of shallow flooding in riverside riparian areas, or even fallow rice paddies — a program Katz has helped develop through his career.
On such seasonal floodplains, a shallow layer of water can help trigger an explosion of photosynthesis and food production, ultimately providing nutrition for juvenile salmon as they migrate out of the river system each spring.
Through meetings with farmers, urban water agencies and government officials, Rene Henery, California science director with Trout Unlimited, has helped draft an ambitious salmon recovery plan dubbed “Reorienting to Recovery.” Featuring habitat restoration, carefully managed harvests and generously enhanced river flows — especially in dry years — this framework, Henery said, could rebuild diminished Central Valley Chinook runs to more than 1.6 million adult fish per year over a 20-year period.
He said adversaries — often farmers and environmentalists — must shift from traditional feuds over water to more collaborative programs of restoring productive watersheds while maintaining productive agriculture.
As the recovery needle for Chinook moves in the wrong direction, Katz said deliberate action is urgent.
“We’re balanced on the edge of losing these populations,” he said. “We have to go big now. We have no other option.”
Limited recreational California salmon season returns after three-year hiatus
FAQ
Is salmon season going to open in California?
Salmon anglers, grab your gear! After two years of closure, the recreational ocean salmon fishery will open statewide for two days on June 7-8, 2025.
Will there be a 2025 salmon season in California?
For ocean waters between the California/Oregon state line and the US/Mexico border, the ocean salmon season will be open for two days on June 7-8, 2025, with a 7,000 Chinook salmon summer harvest guideline.
Why is salmon fishing closed in California?
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.
Where are the salmon running in California?
Central Valley spring-run Chinook Salmon
Four distinct runs of Chinook Salmon spawn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, named for the season when the majority of the run enters freshwater as adults. Spring-run Chinook Salmon enter the Sacramento River from late March through September.
When does California salmon season reopen?
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, these rules align with federal guidelines released on May 16, 2025. The ocean salmon season will open for two days on June 7 and June 8, with a summer harvest guideline of 7,000 Chinook salmon. Officials say that if this guideline isn’t met, the season will reopen in July and August.
When is ocean salmon season open?
The federal regulations for ocean salmon fisheries were published in the Federal Register – see 90 FR 20810 – and took effect on May 16, 2025. For ocean waters between the California/Oregon state line and the US/Mexico border, the ocean salmon season will be open for two days on June 7-8, 2025, with a 7,000 Chinook salmon summer harvest guideline.
What are California’s New salmon fishing regulations?
New salmon fishing regulations are now in effect for California’s ocean waters. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, these rules align with federal guidelines released on May 16, 2025. The ocean salmon season will open for two days on June 7 and June 8, with a summer harvest guideline of 7,000 Chinook salmon.
When will Chinook salmon reopen in San Francisco?
If the guideline is not met during the June 7-8 opening, the season may reopen on July 5-6, July 31-August 3, and August 25-31, or until the limit is reached. The fall fishery will have a separate 7,500 Chinook salmon harvest guideline, with the San Francisco Subarea and Monterey Subarea scheduled to open on specific dates in September and October.
When will the ocean salmon fishery reopen?
Report a correction or typo. After a two-year hiatus, the recreational ocean salmon fishery will reopen statewide for two days on June 7-8, 2025.
When is salmon fishing allowed in Santa Cruz?
If that number of fish isn’t reached during the opening weekend, salmon fishing will be allowed until the limit is reached in subsequent stretches, which may include July 5-6, July 31-Aug. 3, and Aug. 25-31. Fishing boats leave Santa Cruz Harbor on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Santa Cruz.