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Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations

What's New in 2025?

Free Fishing Days

July 5th and August 30th, 2025

On these days only in 2025, ALL regulations apply and report cards are required—but NO license is required for sport fishing.

Select Inland Sport Fishing Amendments to Sections 2.30, 5.00, 7.50, and 8.00

Section 2.30

Amendment to include American Shad as a species that may be taken by spearfishing in the Valley District, and clarification of spearfishing boundaries.

Section 5.00

Amendment to Black Bass size minimum for Castaic Lake (Los Angeles Co).

Section 7.50

Clarification of boundary for (b)(42) Deep Creek, and the addition Parker Lake (Mono Co.) and Willow Creek (Alpine Co.) to the list of trout waters with special regulations. These additions resulted in water number changes to the subsequent/following waters in 7.50(b).

Section 8.00

Low-Flow restriction updates are now available online, replacing the previous telephone system. Visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Low-Flow Updates page for the latest information.

Protect Against the Spread of Golden Mussel

To protect California against the spread of invasive golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) discovered in October 2024 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Luis Reservoir’s O'Neill Forebay, the Commission added golden mussel to the list of species restricted from live importation, transportation and possession (CCR Title 14, Section 671), effective December 19, 2024. Golden mussels pose an immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state, water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality. The emergency action makes it illegal to import, transport, or possess golden mussels in California. Please visit California’s Invaders: Golden Mussel and CDFW News | Golden Mussel for more information.

Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations Booklet Changes: Anadromous In-Season Updates

Tired of tracking regulations in both the main Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet and the in-season Supplemental booklet? We have good news!

The special fishing regulations for hatchery trout, hatchery steelhead and salmon in Section 7.40, Title 14, will be updated to appear in the main Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet beginning on or about July 15, 2025. Previously, these updated regulations have only been available in a separate Supplemental booklet. For the 2025 calendar year, the Supplemental booklet will still be produced to ensure optimal information access for anglers with its ultimate retirement occurring January 1, 2026. This booklet included the Lower Klamath River Basin (subsection 7.40(b)(50)) and Central Valley sport fishing regulations (subsections 7.40(b)(4), (b)(43), (b)(66), and (b)(80)) annual updates.

The 2025 salmon regulations will be adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in May 2025. This aligns with the 2025 federal salmon regulations adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council in April 2025, and more information will be announced on CDFW's website at wildlife.ca.gov.

White Sturgeon Fishing: Catch-and-Release Only

As of July 12, 2024, White Sturgeon is a candidate for listing as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.

The White Sturgeon fishing season will be open from October 1 through June 30 as catch-and-release only. Sturgeon shall not be held out of water suspended by the gills, gill plates, mouth, or solely by the tail, and shall not be dragged across the ground, boat decks, or piers. Please see pages 30 through 31 for inland sport fishing sturgeon regulations.

For more information, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s white sturgeon page.

    It is Unlawful to do the Following

    • Fish without a valid fishing license if you are 16 years of age or older (FGC 7145); exceptions, fishing from public piers in ocean or bay waters;
    • Fail to return a report card by the deadline printed on the report card. Reporting harvest online satisfies the return requirement (CCR T-14, Section 1.74);
    • Take or possess fish taken illegally (FGC 2000 and 2002);
    • Transfer licenses, tags, validations, permits, applications or reservations to another person (FGC 1052);
    • Use or possess any license, tag, validation, permit, application or reservation not lawfully issued to the user (FGC 1052);
    • Alter, mutilate, deface, duplicate or counterfeit any license, tag, validation, permit, application or reservation (FGC 1052);
    • Fish without the required report card on a free-fishing day (CCR T14 Section 1.74);
    • Sell fish taken with a sport fishing license (FGC 7121);
    • Cause the deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state (CCR T14 Section 1.87);
    • Use explosives in state waters inhabited by fish (FGC 5500);
    • Use or possess any net in state waters except as is authorized (FGC 8603);
    • Disturb legal traps set by another person (FGC 9002);
    • Litter into or within 150 feet of state waters (FGC 5652);
    • Possess fish where the size or species cannot be determined (FGC 5508 and 5509);
    • Fail to exhibit on demand all licenses, tags, validations, permits, applications or reservation to any peace officer or authorized CDFW employee (FGC 2012);
    • Fail to exhibit, on demand, all fish, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians and reptiles and any device or apparatus capable of being used to take them, to any peace officer or authorized CDFW employee (FGC 2012); o
    • Prohibit a warden from inspection of any boat, market or receptacle where fish may be found (FGC 1006).
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