California Fishing Calendar

California fishing runs from the Eastern Sierra trout streams and the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to San Francisco Bay, the rocky north coast, and the warm kelp beds and offshore banks of Southern California. Seasons, limits and closed months come from the 2026 CDFW ocean and freshwater regulation booklets and CDFW season pages. The months when fish are around or biting best come from CDFW species pages, CDFW and state reports, NOAA Fisheries, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, California Sea Grant, and the San Diego Tourism Authority's fishing-season chart.

Government fish & wildlife updates

CDFW Marine Management News (blog) — CDFW Marine Region blog: season announcements, in-season salmon changes, lobster newsletter, species features
CDFW In-season Ocean Regulation Changes — Official list of mid-season ocean changes and closures (salmon, crab, groundfish, domoic acid)
CDFW News Releases — Statewide press releases (closures, quotas, openers). Email/text sign-up: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CNRA/signup/37436
CDFW Ocean Salmon Regulations — Current ocean salmon seasons and links to the in-season tracker; hotline (707) 576-3429
CDFW Groundfish Regulations Summary — Rockfish and lingcod seasons and depth limits by management area
CDFW Fish Planting Schedule — Weekly list of waters CDFW plans to stock with trout and catfish

Month by month

Peak (source says best)In season / caughtSpawningClosed seasonOpen, no official month data

Fish	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Notes
Freshwater
Largemouth bass													Lakes, reservoirs and the Delta are open all year with a 5-fish limit and a 12-inch minimum. Some lakes have their own rules (for example, Castaic: 12-inch minimum; Barrett Lake: catch-and-release only). Bass spawn April through June once the water reaches about 57–61°F. CDFW says bass move shallow in spring, go deeper or into shade in summer, and feed heavily in fall. No official best months found.^[6]^[12]^[25]
Crappie													Open all year. Limit is 25 sunfish and crappie combined, with no size limit, except Hodges and El Capitan lakes (10-inch minimum) and Barrett and Upper Otay lakes (zero limit). No official best months found.^[6]
Channel catfish													Open all year with no limit in most waters. Some places have limits, such as 10 a day in the Colorado River District and 5 a day at many county park lakes. CDFW stocks catfish in some urban lakes; see the planting schedule. No official best months found.^[6]
Trout (Eastern Sierra & streams)													Most streams open on the last Saturday in April (April 25 in 2026) and stay open through Nov 15, with a limit of 5 trout a day and 10 in possession. From Nov 16 until the opener, the stream limit is zero and you can only use artificial lures with barbless hooks. Lakes and reservoirs are open all year (5 a day). Crowley Lake is closed from Nov 16 until the April opener. It allows 5 trout from the opener to Jul 31, then 2 trout from Aug 1 to Nov 15 (artificial lures only, 18-inch minimum). Many waters have special rules, so check the booklet. No official best months found.^[6]^[28]
Kokanee													CDFW says anglers start on kokanee in spring and fishing effort peaks in summer, when the fish go deeper as lakes warm. In fall, they school near creek mouths before running up to spawn. Open all year: 5 a day, 10 in possession, no size limit (10 a day at Bucks, Pardee, New Bullards Bar and Trinity lakes).^[10]
Steelhead													Winter steelhead start up the north coast rivers in November (December south of Point Reyes). The run peaks in January and February, and most spawning happens January through March. You can keep only hatchery fish (adipose fin clipped): 2 a day, 4 in possession. You need a Steelhead Report Card. Coastal streams south of San Francisco open only Dec 1 to Mar 7, on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and holidays. Many rivers have special rules.^[6]^[24]^[27]^[29]
Striped bass (Delta & SF Bay)													CDFW says fishing in San Francisco Bay peaks in July and August. In spring, stripers spread through the Delta and up the Sacramento River to Colusa, and they spawn there from April to mid-June. Fall can be excellent in SF and San Pablo bays as fish head back to the Delta. Winter is generally slow. Limit is 2 fish, 18-inch minimum (no size limit and 10 a day in the Southern and Colorado River districts).^[7]^[6]^[1]
White sturgeon													Catch-and-release only: no sturgeon may be kept. The season runs Oct 1 to Jun 30 from the west Carquinez Bridge up to the Feather River confluence and the I-5 bridge. Above those points it is open only Oct 1 to Dec 31. All tributaries and the North Coast District are closed all year. You need a Sturgeon Report Card and a single barbless hook. Fish over 60 inches fork length must stay in the water. Adults move upriver starting in December and spawn February through June. No official best months found.^[8]^[6]^[9]
American shad													CDFW says the best fishing on the Feather, American, Sacramento and Yuba rivers is April through June. On the Klamath, Trinity, Eel and Russian rivers it is June and July. The spawning run peaks in May and June. Limit is 25 a day.^[11]^[6]
Inshore & bay saltwater
California halibut													Open all year with a 22-inch minimum. Limit is 2 north of Point Sur and 5 south of Point Sur. Spawning runs February through July, mostly in May. San Diego's season chart lists halibut April through October. No official best months found.^[1]^[20]^[23]^[30]
Calico (kelp) bass													CDFW says party-boat landings peak in late spring and early fall. Spawning runs April through November, mostly in summer. Limit is 5 kelp, barred sand and spotted sand bass combined (only 4 may be barred sand bass), 14-inch minimum. Mostly Southern California kelp beds and islands.^[16]^[23]^[1]
Barred sand bass													CDFW says most sand bass are caught over their summer spawning schools on sand in 60–120 feet of water. Spawning runs April through November and peaks in July. Limit is part of the 5-bass combined limit, with only 4 barred sand bass, 14-inch minimum. No official best months found.^[17]^[23]^[1]^[31]
White seabass													Open all year, but most fishing happens March through September. Spawning runs April through August. Limit is 3 fish, 28-inch minimum, but only 1 fish south of Point Conception from Mar 15 to Jun 15. No official best months found.^[19]^[1]^[23]^[32]
Rockfish													Boat fishing is closed statewide Jan 1 to Mar 31. North of Point Conception (Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco and Central areas), it is open Apr 1 to Dec 31 at all depths. In the Southern area it is open at all depths Apr–Jun, only inside 50 fathoms Jul–Sep, and only outside 50 fathoms Oct–Dec (nearshore species closed then). Limit is 10 rockfish, cabezon and greenling combined, with only 1 copper, 2 canary, and 4 vermilion north (2 elsewhere). Yelloweye, cowcod, quillback and bronzespotted can never be kept. Shore anglers and divers are exempt from the seasons. Cordell Bank is closed. You must carry a descending device. No official best months found.^[2]^[1]
Lingcod													Follows the same seasons and depth rules as rockfish: closed to boats Jan 1 to Mar 31. In the Southern area it is fished only outside 50 fathoms Oct–Dec. Limit is 2 fish, 22-inch minimum. No official best months found.^[2]^[29]
California sheephead													Closed to boat anglers Jan 1 through the end of February. Shore anglers and divers can fish all year. Limit is 2 fish, 12-inch minimum. No official best months found.^[1]
Offshore
Yellowtail													San Diego's season chart lists yellowtail all year. CDFW says they are usually near shore in spring and fall and farther offshore (under kelp paddies) in summer, and they spawn June through September. Catches are better in warm-water years. Limit is 10, 24-inch fork-length minimum, except 5 may be smaller. No official best months found.^[23]^[18]^[1]
Pacific bluefin tuna													NOAA says most bluefin are caught May through October, mostly within about 100 miles of the coast off Southern California and northern Baja. San Diego's chart lists March through October. Limit is 2 fish, on top of the 20-fish general limit. No official best months found.^[21]^[23]^[1]
Yellowfin tuna													San Diego's season chart lists July through October. CDFW reports yellowfin were caught more often off Southern California in the warm 2026 season, with a strong El Niño expected this winter. Limit is 10 (counts toward the 20-fish general limit). No official best months found.^[23]^[1]
Albacore													The Pacific Council says albacore usually show up within range in late spring and stay through late September or early October. San Diego's chart lists April through November. Limit is 10 south of Point Conception and 25 north of it, on top of the general limit. No official best months found.^[22]^[23]^[1]^[33]
Dorado (mahi-mahi)													San Diego's season chart lists June through September. CDFW says most are caught in Southern California, especially south of Los Angeles, and mainly in warm-water years. Limit is 10 (counts toward the 20-fish general limit). No official best months found.^[23]^[26]^[1]
Pacific halibut													Opens Apr 1. North of Point Arena it is open through Nov 15; south of Point Arena, through Dec 31. Limit is 1 fish a day, with no size limit. CDFW's catch table shows the most fish landed in July and August. It can close early, so call the CDFW halibut hotline (831-649-2801). No official best months found.^[5]
Chinook (king) salmon, ocean													2026 ocean seasons: Klamath zone Jun 13–Jul 19. Fort Bragg Jun 13–Jul 19 and Aug 1–9. San Francisco Jun 27–Jul 22 and Aug 1–23. Monterey and south Apr 11–Aug 31. Fall: Point Reyes to Pigeon Point Sep 1–Oct 31, and Pigeon Point south Sep 1–30. Limit is 2 a day, 24-inch minimum through May 15 and 20-inch after. Coho cannot be kept. On rivers, the Klamath fall run is open Aug 15–Dec 31, and the Lower Trinity was closing on quota in mid-October 2026. No official best months found.^[4]^[3]^[15]^[27]
Other
Dungeness crab													Opens the first Saturday in November (Nov 7, 2026). The season ends Jun 30 in most counties, or Jul 30 in Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino. Limit is 10 crabs, 5¾-inch minimum. Closed in San Francisco and San Pablo bays. CDFW can delay the season or ban traps to protect whales or because of domoic acid. In 2026, traps were banned from Mar 27 in Zones 4–5 and from May 22 in Zone 3. You need a crab trap validation. No official best months found.^[1]^[15]
California spiny lobster													The 2026–27 season opens at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct 2, and runs through Wednesday, Mar 17. Limit is 7 lobsters, 3¼-inch carapace minimum. Everyone needs a Spiny Lobster Report Card (report by Apr 30). Hoop nets: 5 per person and 10 per boat (2 from a pier). Divers take lobster by hand only. No official best months found.^[13]^[14]^[1]

Never keep: Never keep giant (black) sea bass, garibaldi, white shark, green sturgeon, gulf or broomtail grouper, cowcod, yelloweye, quillback or bronzespotted rockfish, coho salmon, steelhead taken in the ocean, or speckled (bay) scallops. Abalone is closed, and white sturgeon is catch-and-release only.^[1]^[2]^[8]

Bait & rig for each fish

Largemouth bass

Bait: Live wild shiners.

Lures: Plastic worms, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater frogs and crankbaits.

Rig: Float rig, Carolina/bottom rig, jig head or simple lure setup depending on depth and species.

Leader: Often 6–15 lb mono/fluoro; heavier leader is useful around abrasive cover or toothy fish.

California Fishing Calendar

Government fish & wildlife updates

Month by month

Bait & rig for each fish

Largemouth bass

Crappie

Channel catfish

Trout (Eastern Sierra & streams)

Kokanee

Striped bass (Delta & SF Bay)

White sturgeon

California halibut

Calico (kelp) bass

Barred sand bass

White seabass

Lingcod

California sheephead

Yellowtail

Pacific bluefin tuna

Yellowfin tuna

Albacore

Dorado (mahi-mahi)

Pacific halibut

Chinook (king) salmon, ocean

Dungeness crab

Local fishing reports — what’s biting now

Sources