PFMC Meetings Create Potential Salmon Fishing Season Options
The Pacific Fishery Marine Council has been holding its annual meeting – this year in Sacramento – to discuss what kind of salmon fishing seasons California will have this year. As usual, there are multiple options for ocean salmon fishing dates and regulations before a final decision is made in the coming weeks.
Here are some details from a Golden State Salmon Association Facebook page on how 2026 could set up for salmon anglers:
First Proposed 2026 Salmon Fishing Seasons Released
The first draft of the 2026 ocean salmon fishing seasons has been released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
This document outlines three possible season options for both commercial and recreational fisheries along the West Coast.
There’s a lot in the report that applies to Washington and Oregon, but the sections most relevant to California fishermen are:
• Commercial seasons: pages 7–10 of the report
• Ocean recreational seasons: pages 22–25
Some early details that stand out:
• The proposed seasons include weekly trip limits for commercial boats
• The three options are tied to different harvest quota levels
• The proposals are based on a projected 392,000+ Sacramento
River fall Chinook population this year
These are only preliminary options. The Pacific Fishery Management Council will review feedback and finalize the 2026 season structure during meetings in March and April.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on what this means for California fishermen as the process moves forward and new information becomes available.
