2026 regulation year
California Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
California uses a single sport fishing licence covering both fresh and salt water (separate report cards / validations for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, lobster; an Ocean Enhancement Validation is required south of Point Arguello). Annual licences are now valid for 365 days from the date of purchase — California replaced the old calendar-year licence on January 1, 2023.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual (365-day) | $64.54 | |
| Resident 1-day | $21.09 | |
| Resident 2-day | $32.40 | |
| Reduced-fee (low-income senior 65+ / disabled veteran / recovering service member) | $10.54 | |
| Resident lifetime (age 40–61) | $1045.00 |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual (365-day) | $174.14 | |
| Non-resident 1-day | $21.09 | |
| Non-resident 2-day | $32.40 | |
| Non-resident 10-day | $64.54 |
Buy directly from California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout (rainbow, brown, brook)Compare across states → | Last Sat in April – Nov 15 (Sierra district); year-round on most lowland waters | 5 / day (most waters), 2 / day on listed wild-trout streams | No minimum statewide; special-regulation waters apply |
| Chinook salmonCompare across states → | Ocean season set yearly by PFMC + CDFW; 2026 reopened (Apr/May start by zone) after 2023–25 closures | 2 / day (when open); zones vary | 20–24 in minimum (varies by zone, when open) |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Open year-round | 5 / day (black bass combined) | 12 in minimum (most waters) |
| California halibut | Open year-round (zones vary) | 2 / day (north of Point Sur), 5 / day (south) | 22 in minimum |
| Striped bassCompare across states → | Open year-round | 2 / day | 18 in minimum |
| Rockfish (RCG complex) | Set annually by management area (boat season ~Apr–Dec); divers & shore exempt | 10 / day combined (RCG complex) | No min for most rockfish; quillback / cowcod / yelloweye / bronzespotted prohibited |
| Lingcod | Set annually by management area (boat season ~Apr–Dec); divers & shore exempt | 2 / day | 22 in minimum (total length) |
| White sturgeon | Catch-and-release only; 2025–26 season Oct 1 – Jun 30 (closed Jul–Sep) | 0 — catch-and-release only | No harvest at any size (C&R only) |
Notable water-body special regulations
Main lake open all year — general 5 trout / 10 in possession; lake trout (mackinaw) 2 / day, 24 in minimum; tributaries and the lake within 300 ft of tributary mouths: Sat before Memorial Day – Sep 30, 0 trout, artificial lures with barbless hooks only
Salmon emergency closures common — check CDFW in-season alerts
Striped bass / halibut: report-card requirements
Wild-trout water: artificial lures, barbless, catch-and-release only
North-coast salmon + steelhead; emergency in-season closures common; selective-gear / barbless restrictions on lower river — check CDFW alerts
Far-north-coast trophy steelhead water; selective-gear / barbless / artificial-only on portions; weekly hooking-mortality monitoring drives in-season closures
Upper Sacramento River (below Shasta Dam)
Wild-trout water; artificial-lure / barbless on designated reaches; trophy rainbow trout fishery
Wild-trout heritage water; flies-only / barbless / artificial-only zones; native redband trout refuge upstream
Eastern Sierra wild-trout water; artificial-only stretches; trophy brown trout below Pleasant Valley Dam
Striped bass + sturgeon report-card requirements; selective net closures; salmon emergency-closure overlay common in autumn
California's largest natural lake (excluding Tahoe); trophy largemouth bass fishery — multiple historic state-record entries; statewide black bass rules apply (5/day, 12 in min) with tournament-release in effect; CDFW + Lake County joint management; classic year-round bass tournament destination
North-coast wild steelhead + Chinook + Coho salmon water; CDFW emergency in-season closures common (run-strength triggered); selective-gear (single-hook artificial-only / barbless) on lower reaches during late-fall steelhead season; Coho salmon C&R-only statewide on natural reproducing populations
Eastern Sierra trophy rainbow + cutthroat + brown trout reservoir (Mono County); opening day historically the Saturday closest to April 25 — one of the largest single-day trout-angling events in the western US; trophy management with 2-fish/18 in min on portions during designated trophy season; barbless / artificial-only sections
North-coast steelhead + Chinook salmon water (Sonoma + Mendocino counties); CDFW emergency in-season closures common during fall + winter runs; selective-gear (single-hook artificial-only / barbless) on designated reaches; Coho salmon C&R-only statewide
Hat Creek (Lower, Shasta County)
CDFW Commission Wild Trout Water — from Lake Britton upstream to Baum Lake (exclusive of the Hat No. 2 intake canal): open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release), versus the statewide 5-trout default
Fall River Complex (Shasta / Siskiyou Counties)
Spring-fed wild-trout complex (Fall River + Lava Creek + Tule River + connected waters): open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release) — strengthened to full C&R under the 2025 CDFW rulemaking
Pit River (below Britton Dam, Shasta County)
Renowned wild-trout reach from Pit No. 3 (Britton Dam) downstream to the Pit No. 3 Powerhouse outlet: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release); the powerhouse-to-Shasta-Lake reach allows artificial lures, 2 trout / 4 in possession
Little Truckee River (Sierra / Nevada Counties)
Stampede Reservoir Dam downstream to Boca Reservoir: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release)
Truckee River (Nevada / Placer / Sierra Counties)
Wild-trout reach from the Trout Creek confluence downstream to the mouth of Prosser Creek: open all year, artificial flies with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release); the first 1,000 ft below the Lake Tahoe outlet dam is closed all year
From Grant Lake Dam downstream to Mono Lake: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release)
Kings River, South Fork (Fresno County)
South Fork wild-trout reach below the Highway 180 crossing at Boyden Cave: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release); the Boyden-Cave-to-Copper-Creek reach above is 2 trout / 4 in possession
Kern River (Wild Trout section, Tulare County)
From the Johnsondale bridge upstream to the Sequoia National Park boundary: open all year, artificial lures only, 2 trout (versus the 5-trout reach from Lake Isabella up to Johnsondale)
Golden Trout Wilderness Area (Tulare County)
Heritage waters of the golden trout — California's state freshwater fish (South Fork Kern River + Golden Trout Creek drainages, excluding the Kern main stem + Tule River): open all year, artificial lures only, 2 trout
Feather River, North Fork (Butte / Plumas Counties)
Belden Bridge downstream to Cresta Powerhouse (excluding reservoirs): open Saturday before Memorial Day through the last day of February, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release)
Yuba River, North Fork (Sierra / Yuba Counties)
From the western boundary of Sierra City to the Ladies Canyon Creek confluence: open all year, artificial lures only, 2 trout
Milton Lake & Middle Fork Yuba River (Nevada / Sierra Counties)
Milton Lake and the Middle Fork Yuba River between Milton Lake and Jackson Meadows Dam: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release)
Carson River, East Fork (Alpine County)
From Hangman's Bridge downstream to the Nevada state line: open all year, artificial lures only, 2 trout, 14 in minimum total length; the reach above Carson Falls is closed all year
Walker River, East Fork (Mono County)
From Bridgeport Dam to the Nevada state line: open last Saturday in April through November 15, artificial lures only, 2 trout, 18 in minimum total length
Kirman (Carmen) Lake (Mono County)
Trophy brook + cutthroat trout lake: open last Saturday in April through November 15, artificial lures only, 2 trout, 18 in minimum total length
Lahontan cutthroat broodstock lake: open only September 1 through November 30, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release); fishing hours sunrise to sunset
Upper Owens River (Mono County)
From the Benton Bridge road crossing upstream to Big Springs: open all year, artificial lures with barbless hooks only, 0 trout (catch-and-release)
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in California?
- Yes. California requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from California Department of Fish and Wildlife; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in California?
- Resident fees range from $10.54 (reduced-fee (low-income senior 65+ / disabled veteran / recovering service member)) to $1045.00 (resident lifetime (age 40–61)); Non-resident fees range from $21.09 (non-resident 1-day) to $174.14 (non-resident annual (365-day)). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare California against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in California?
- California anglers most commonly target Trout (rainbow, brown, brook), Chinook salmon, Largemouth bass, California halibut, Striped bass, Rockfish (RCG complex), and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in California?
- It depends on the species — California sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific California waters?
- Yes. 31 named California waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Lake Tahoe, Klamath River, San Francisco Bay, and 28 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
California Department of Fish and Wildlife is the authoritative source for California fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official California fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to California Department of Fish and Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any California trip during the active season.