California fishing rules

Legal gear

• Hooks and barbless rules

  The general inland setup is one closely attended rod and line, or one hand line, with no more than three hooks or three artificial lures. Many salmon and steelhead waters, and other waters listed in the special regulations, require barbless hooks, often with artificial lures only. On inland streams, rivers, and canals that are not in the special-regulation lists, November 16 through the Friday before the last Saturday in April is a zero-trout bag and only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used for any species. White sturgeon angling is limited to one single-point, single-shank barbless hook, and the fish must take the bait or lure inside the mouth. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has its own maximum hook gaps. Ocean salmon north of Point Conception: no more than two single-point, single-shank barbless hooks, and only one rod, when fishing for salmon or from a boat with salmon on board. From the 40°10′ line near Cape Mendocino to Point Conception, bait fishing for salmon by any method other than trolling is limited to two hard-tied single-point, single-shank barbless circle hooks no more than 5 inches apart.

• Rods per angler

  One closely attended rod or hand line is the inland default. A Second-Rod Validation (published 2026 fee $20.26) lets an angler use two rods in inland waters, and anglers under 16 may use two rods without that validation, except in waters where only artificial lures or barbless hooks may be used. A second-rod validation is not required in ocean waters. Ocean anglers may use any number of hooks and lines except where a specific rule says otherwise, including one rod for salmon north of Point Conception when salmon are on board, one line with no more than three hooks in San Francisco Bay, and no more than two rods on a public pier.

• Nets

  Except where another rule allows it, gaffs, spears, and nets other than a standard landing dip net (opening no more than 36 inches across and 60 inches of net length, handle excluded) may not be used or possessed within 100 yards of a canal, river, stream, lake, or reservoir. In the ocean, dip nets and Hawaiian-type throw nets north of Point Conception may be used for herring, staghorn sculpin, shiner surfperch, smelt, anchovies, shrimp, and squid. Beach nets for surf smelt north of Point Conception are limited to 20 feet with mesh at least 7/8 inch. A landing net is required on boats when undersize fish of a minimum-size species may be aboard.

• Snagging

  Snagging is prohibited in inland waters. It is unlawful to kill or keep a fish that did not voluntarily take the bait or lure inside its mouth. Ocean trout must also take the bait or lure in the mouth. Sturgeon may not be trolled, snagged, or taken with a firearm or snare.

• Spearing and bow

  Bow-and-arrow fishing is allowed only for listed species, generally carp, goldfish, Sacramento sucker, Sacramento blackfish, hardhead, Sacramento pikeminnow, and lamprey, and is closed in designated salmon spawning areas. Catfish and bullheads may be taken by bow only in listed waters, including the Delta, Big Bear Lake, and Lake Isabella. Spearfishing is limited to listed districts, species, and seasons, including parts of the Valley District and the Colorado River District. In the ocean, spears and bow-and-arrow tackle may not be used for trout, salmon, giant sea bass, garibaldi, gulf or broomtail grouper, broadbill swordfish, or white shark, and a spear may not be possessed within 100 yards of a stream mouth in ocean waters north of Ventura County.

• Bait and live transport

  Legally acquired invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians other than salamanders, fish eggs, and treated or processed foods may be used as bait. Endangered, threatened, candidate, fully protected, or otherwise protected species may not. Dead ocean fish may be used as bait statewide except where a special regulation says otherwise. No trout may be kept alive in a container on or attached to a boat. Approved bait fish taken by the angler may not be sold, traded, or transported alive from the location where taken. Live fin fish may not be transported alive from the water where taken, except as the bait sections allow. The Southern District and the Colorado River District restrict which fin fish may be used as bait. Tilapia may not be used or possessed as bait in ocean waters. It is illegal to import, transport, or possess live golden mussels.

Bag and size limits

These are the statewide or default limits. A named lake, river, or marine area can replace every figure below.

• Trout

  Lakes, reservoirs, and ponds, including private waters, are open all year with a five-trout daily bag and a 10-trout possession limit. Streams, rivers, and canals that are not listed in the special regulations are open from the last Saturday in April through November 15 with the same five and 10 limits and no gear restriction, then drop to a zero trout bag with artificial barbless lures until the Friday before the next opener. Brook trout under 10 inches have an additional daily limit of 10 on many waters. Sections 7.40 and 7.50 replace these numbers on hundreds of waters, including many salmon and steelhead streams that are hatchery-only or catch-and-release.

• Black bass

  Lakes, reservoirs, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: five fish a day, 12-inch minimum total length, open all year, except waters with a special rule. Rivers, streams, canals, and lakes or ponds entirely on private land that are not specially listed: five fish a day and no size limit. Some counties and individual waters differ, and some waters are closed to all fishing.

• Striped bass

  Open all year except listed closures. The general limit is two fish, 18-inch minimum total length. In the Colorado River District, the Southern District, and New Hogan, San Antonio, and Santa Margarita lakes, the limit is 10 with no size limit. A striped bass hybrid with white bass counts as a striped bass.

• Sunfish and crappie

  Combined daily bag of 25 sunfish and crappie of all species, open all year except district or special closures. No size limit except a 10-inch crappie minimum at Hodges and El Capitan lakes. Barrett and Upper Otay lakes are zero for all species.

• Catfish and bullheads

  The general statewide limit is no limit on bullheads and no limit on other catfish, open all year except special closures. The Colorado River District and a list of individual waters set their own bag limits.

• Sturgeon

  Inland white sturgeon is catch-and-release only: daily limit zero and annual limit zero. A sturgeon report card is required while fishing for them. Only one single-point, single-shank barbless hook may be used. A white sturgeon longer than 60 inches fork length may not be removed from the water. Green sturgeon may not be taken or possessed and may not be removed from the water. The North Coast District is closed to sturgeon, and several Sacramento and San Joaquin reaches and tributaries are closed. Ocean sturgeon rules are in the ocean booklet.

• Landlocked salmon

  Kokanee and landlocked Chinook: five a day and 10 in possession, no size limit, open all year, except Bucks Lake, New Bullards Bar Reservoir, Pardee Lake, and Trinity Lake, where the daily bag is 10 and possession is 20.

Sources

• CDFW sport fishing licenses and report cards
• CDFW free fishing days
• 2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet
• CDFW ocean salmon fishery information
• CDFW general ocean fishing regulations, updated July 24, 2026