The California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) adopted
ocean and inland salmon season regulations for 2013 at its meeting today
in Santa Rosa.
Forecasts of abundant Sacramento and Klamath River fall
Chinook salmon allowed the FGC to adopt long seasons and liberal bag
limits.
“California salmon fishermen have endured ‘boom &
bust’ seasons over the past decade,” said FGC President Michael Sutton.
“The Commission is delighted that forecast salmon returns are high
enough this year to justify greater catch limits.”
Estimates are that the numbers of returning Sacramento River fall-run Chinook and Klamath River fall-run Chinook
salmon will exceed conservation objectives.
“California anglers are looking forward to some
excellent salmon fishing opportunities this season,” said Stafford Lehr,
CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief. “The ocean abundance and projected inland
returns are good for both the Sacramento and Klamath
River fall Chinook. The Klamath River fall Chinook ocean forecast is
the third highest since 1985.”
The newly adopted ocean salmon sport fishing regulations
conform to those adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council last
week. The opening date in the Klamath Management Zone is May 1. All
other zones are currently open. Complete ocean
salmon regulations are posted at: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/oceansalmon.asp
On all Central Valley rivers, the daily bag and possession limit is two Chinook salmon.
On the Trinity and Klamath rivers the daily bag limit is
three adult Chinook 22 inches or longer and one Chinook jack less than
22 inches. The possession limit is nine adults and three jacks prior to
reaching the quota. All anglers must have
Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when fishing for salmon on the
Klamath and Trinity rivers.
Key elements of the newly adopted ocean and inland
salmon seasons and regulations for Central Valley and the Klamath and
Trinity rivers are listed below. The full regulations package approved
by the Commission will be available at
www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2013/index.aspx
SACRAMENTO RIVER
Open Aug. 1 through Dec.16 from the Deschutes Road
Bridge near Anderson downstream to 500 feet upstream from Red Bluff
Diversion Dam.
Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from 150 feet below the
Lower Red Bluff (Sycamore) boat ramp to the Highway 113 Bridge near
Knights Landing.
Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from the Highway 113 Bridge near Knights Landing downstream to the Carquinez Bridge.
FEATHER RIVER
Open July 16 through Oct. 15 from unimproved boat launch
ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall downstream to 200 yards
above the Live Oak boat ramp.
Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from 200 yards above Live Oak boat ramp to the mouth.
AMERICAN RIVER
Open from July 16 through Dec. 31 from Nimbus Dam to Hazel Avenue Bridge.
Open from July 16 through Aug. 15 from Hazel Avenue
Bridge to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gauging station
cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery.
Open July 16 through Oct. 31 from the USGS gauging
station cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery to the Sacramento Municipal
Utility District (SMUD) power line crossing the southwest boundary of
Ancil Hoffman Park.
Open from July 16 through Dec. 31 from the SMUD power
line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park to the
Jibboom Street Bridge.
Open July 16 through Dec. 16. from the Jibboom Street Bridge to the mouth.
MOKELUMNE RIVER
Open July 16 through Oct. 15 from Camanche Dam to the Highway 99 Bridge.
Open July 16 through Dec. 31 from the Highway 99 Bridge to the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam, including Lodi Lake.
Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from the Lower Sacramento
Road Bridge to the mouth. (For purposes of this regulation, this river
segment is defined as Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs
downstream of the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, east
of Highway 160 and north of Highway 12.)
KLAMATH RIVER
Open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing from Aug. 15
through Dec. 31 with a daily bag limit of four Chinook salmon, no more
than three adult Chinook salmon 22 inches or greater when the take of
adult Chinook is allowed and a possession limit
of twelve Chinook salmon, no more than nine adults 22 inches or greater
when the take of adults is allowed. The 2013 quota for the Klamath
River basin is 40,006 fall-run salmon greater than 22 inches. Once this
quota has been met, no Chinook salmon greater
than 22 inches long may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit
of Chinook salmon less than 22 inches). A weekly CDFW status report will
be available by calling 1-800-564-6479.
Open to spring-run Chinook salmon fishing from Jan. 1
through Aug. 14 with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon. The
take of salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam
downstream to Weitchpec from Jan. 1 through Aug.
14.
TRINITY RIVER
Open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing from Sept. 1
through Dec. 31 with a daily bag limit of four Chinook salmon, no more
than three Chinook salmon 22 inches or larger and a possession limit of
twelve Chinook salmon, no more than nine adults
greater than 22 inches. The 2013 quota for the Klamath River basin is
40,006 fall-run salmon more than 22 inches long. Once this quota has
been met, no Chinook salmon greater than 22 inches long may be retained
(anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook
salmon less than 22 inches. A weekly CDFW status report will be
available by calling 1-800-564-6479. The Trinity River main stem
downstream of the Highway 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road
Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing Sept. 1 through
Dec. 31.
Open to spring-run Chinook salmon fishing from Jan. 1
through Aug. 31. The daily bag and possession limit is two Chinook
salmon. The take of salmon is prohibited from the confluence of the
South Fork Trinity River downstream to the confluence
of the Klamath River from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31.
All other regulations for bag and possession limits for
trout, salmon and other species, as well as general information about
restrictions on fishing methods and gear on the above rivers, are
available on the CDFW website at
www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations
Summary of PFMC Ocean Season:
The FGC also adopted sport fishing ocean regulations
consistent with those adopted April 11 by the Pacific Fishery Management
Council. From the Oregon-California border to Horse Mountain in
Humboldt County the season will run from May 1 through
September 8. In the Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg areas, the season
opened April 6 and will continue through November 10. The minimum size
limit in these ports north of Point Arena will be 20 inches the entire
season.
Between Point Arena and Pigeon Point, in the San
Francisco area, the PFMC set the season to be open seven days per week
through November 10, except from June 1 through July 9, when Mondays and
Tuesdays will be closed to salmon fishing. The minimum
size limit is 24 inches through the end of July, and 20 inches
thereafter.
For the areas south of Pigeon Point to the U.S-Mexico
border, including Monterey Bay, salmon fishing will continue seven days
per week through October 6, except from June 1 through July 9, when
Mondays and Tuesdays will be closed to salmon fishing.
The minimum size limit will remain 24 inches throughout the season.
The ocean bag and possession limit in California is two
salmon of any species except coho. For complete California ocean salmon
regulations, 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.
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