After years of closure, California salmon fishing set to reopen this spring — with tight limits

For the first time in four years, salmon fishing seasons will open in California for both commercial and recreational use this spring. 

That could be great news for local anglers and for professional fishers in Santa Cruz County, many of whom previously relied on the lucrative season for a significant portion of their annual income. But that doesn’t mean California salmon will come flooding back to markets, one local fish distributor said. 

The sport fishing season will open first, on April 11 in ocean waters south of Pigeon Point, about 30 miles north of Santa Cruz. The commercial season, which has been closed in the state since 2023 due to low stock numbers, is set to open in California in mid-May, with a final date and regulations to be set in mid-April. The recreational fishery had only limited openings in 2025 following closures in 2023 and 2024 for the same reason. 

Over the past year, salmon populations in the area have rebounded, with population sizes more than double last year’s estimates, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a media release on Friday. 

“Salmon stocks have recovered to the point that sport and commercial ocean fisheries can be offered this year,” said CDFW’s Marci Yaremko, who represents the state on the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which governs salmon regulations on the West Coast.

“This recovery, plus a new management strategy of regional harvest guidelines, will help to ensure anglers in all areas of the state have an opportunity to participate in the fishery, independent of catch accrued in another area,” said Yaremko.

While he’s excited to see salmon populations bounce back, a short, heavily restricted season won’t be viable for many fishers, said Ian Cole, owner of Ocean2Table, a sustainable fish and produce purveyor based in Santa Cruz. Many of the boats in the state’s salmon fleet are aging, and the work to maintain them and install salmon fishing gear is expensive in return for a relatively small number of fish. 

“It’s difficult to make business decisions around such a short season after being closed for years,” he said. If salmon do come back in significant numbers in the future, there won’t be as many people participating or who have the relevant expertise as the boats and fishers age. “We’re watching the knowledge on how to fish for salmon disappear,” said Cole. 

This year, the commercial salmon season will be restricted, although it’s not yet clear how. The Pacific Fishery Management Council is considering three options for the season, and will make a decision by April 12. One option would allow fishers in the San Francisco and Monterey areas, including Santa Cruz County, to open during May, June and August, and close the season south of Pigeon Point by September. A more restrictive option would open the season only north of Mendocino this year. The decision will be implemented by May 16. 

Sport fishing will be allowed seven days a week, with a limit of two fish per angler. The fishing season officially extends into August, but it will end when fishers catch a total of 21,000 salmon. However, fishers could reach that number within a few weeks. In 2025, sport fishers exceeded the season limit of 7,500 fish during opening weekend, effectively closing the season through the summer. 

The goal of the restrictions is to ensure plenty of adult fish return to the spawning grounds and hatcheries this fall, said the CDFW. 

This spring, Cole plans to work with small fishers in the state and offer salmon to his customers. “It’s the time of year to savor the little bit of California salmon you’re going to get,” he said. 

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.