California Ocean Salmon Seasons Set By PFMC

Oregon (south of Cape Falcon) and California

Fisheries south of Cape Falcon are limited mainly by the low abundance forecast for Klamath River fall Chinook, and the need to protect ESA-list California Coastal Chinook. Sacramento River fall Chinook contribute significantly to ocean harvest. This year’s management measures are designed to provide fishing opportunity for the more abundant Sacramento River fall Chinook while reducing fishing impacts on Klamath River fall Chinook and California Coastal Chinook.

Commercial ocean season

The area from Cape Falcon to Heceta Bank line is open now through May, intermittently in June through September and all of October. The area from Heceta Bank line to

The Council addresses the “federally recognized fishing rights” of coastal tribes as part of its annual process to adopt ocean salmon recommendations for tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon. The Council adopted the seasons as proposed by the tribes. The tribal ocean fishery structure is similar to past years with a spring season focused on Chinook and a summer fishery focused on both Chinook and coho.

Humbug Mountain will be open in May, intermittently in August and September, and all of October. The season dates in July and August are open for all salmon with a 10,000 marked coho quota the entire area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, and the September to October timeframe will be managed with a weekly Chinook limit.

The Oregon Klamath Management Zone is open now through April, and in June, July, and most of August with Chinook quotas and weekly landing limits in place during the summer months. The California Klamath Management Zone is closed for the season.

The areas south of the California Klamath Management Zone have seasons that vary considerably between management areas (Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Monterey) with several short openers interspersed throughout the summer. In general, fishing opportunity is significantly reduced compared to last year.

Sport ocean season

The area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain is open now through October for Chinook. The mark-selective coho fishery is open from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA Border (100,000 marked coho quota) starting in mid-June and continuing through most of August, and a non-mark-selective fishery is open from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain (17,000 non-marked coho quota) in September.

The Oregon Klamath Management Zone is open from late June through most of August, with a mark-selective coho fishery mid-June through most of August. The California Klamath Management Zone is open in May, August, and the first few days of September.

The areas south of the California Klamath Management Zone have seasons that vary considerably between management areas (Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Monterey), with reduced opportunity in the northern areas due to protections for California Coastal Chinook, and more abundant opportunity in the southern areas. In general, fishing opportunity is reduced compared to last year.