Salmon Season Opens in Half Moon Bay

The California Fish and Game Commission and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) announced that the recreational salmon season will open on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

State Fish and Wildlife officials calculate that roughly 1.5 million chinook salmon inhabit California’s coastal waters this year, making for an abundant salmon season.

In the fall of 2012, nearly 35,500 “jack” Chinook salmon returned to spawn in the Sacramento River and 21,500 returned to the Klamath-Trinity basins, according to California Department Fish and Game Commission officials. While most Chinook salmon return to spawn after three years in the ocean, jacks are fish that return after just two years, making them a reliable predictor of the number of adult salmon remaining in the ocean. Fishery biologists estimate roughly 1.5 million Chinook salmon will be in California coastal waters through the summer.

While ocean populations for Sacramento River and Klamath-Trinity basin Chinook salmon are predicted to be high, the potential for anglers to catch Sacramento River winter-run Chinook and California Coastal Chinook salmon, which are protected under endangered species laws, will be taken into consideration by the PFMC and the Commission when setting the remainder of the salmon season. Fishery constraints to protect Sacramento River winter-run Chinook will mostly affect recreational anglers fishing south of Point Arena, while protections for California Coastal Chinook apply mainly to commercial anglers along the northern coast.

The daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except coho. The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length between Horse Mountain and Point Arena (38° 57’ 30” N. latitude). For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length. For anglers fishing north of Point Conception, no more than two single-point, single-shank barbless hooks shall be used and no more than one rod per angler when fishing for salmon or fishing from a boat with salmon on board. In addition, barbless circle hooks are required when fishing with bait by any means other than trolling. 

For complete ocean salmon regulations in effect during April, please visit the Ocean Salmon Web page at: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/oceansalmon.asp or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline (707) 576-3429.

Final 2013 ocean salmon regulations will be decided by the PFMC April 6-11 and the Commission April 17 and will be published in the CDFW 2013 supplemental fishing regulations booklet available in May at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations.

The only caveat holding fishermen back at Pillar Point Harbor is that only one of the three launch ramps at Pillar Point Harbor is currently open, which could cause a line of boats waiting to get in the water. Two of the three boat ramps remain closed because they are clogged with sediment and too shallow for boats.

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