Steelhead carry the coastal rivers and the water below the valley dams, river salmon close in December, and the ocean belongs to crab and rockfish until New Year and to crab, sanddabs and, south of Point Conception, lobster after it. Trout streams turn catch and release on November 16 while the lakes stay open, so most winter trout fishing is in the lakes CDFW and the water districts keep planting, heaviest in the south. Sturgeon are catch and release only, and the Delta's striped bass fishing slows through the coldest weeks.
What to fish for in early November
Three winters in one state. The north is a steelhead winter ruled by the rain and by the low-flow closures, the Delta and the valley are striped bass and sturgeon water, and the south never stops fishing the ocean. Up high the Sierra is under snow and ice until spring, and the open trout water is down around Bishop.
Steelhead
Pushes up the coastal rivers with each storm and spreads out between them, while the fish below the valley dams move on releases rather than rain.
Where. Tailouts and soft edges on a dropping, greening river from the Smith to the Russian when the flow keeps them open, and below the Trinity, Feather and American dams.
The steelhead waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Lower Klamath River about 53F Today's forecast Trinity River about 48F Today's forecast Striped Bass
Winters in the Delta and the upper bay, feeding on the baitfish that gather in the cold.
Where. Deep sloughs and channel edges in the western Delta and around Rio Vista, and the shoals of San Pablo Bay on a moving tide.
The striped bass waters we forecast Water Forecast San Francisco Bay Today's forecast White Sturgeon
Moves from the bay into the Delta and the lower Sacramento on winter flows and feeds along the bottom, every fish going back.
Where. Deep holes and channel edges in Suisun and San Pablo bays and the lower river, best on an outgoing tide after rain.
The white sturgeon waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Carquinez Strait not modeled Today's forecast Sacramento River at Freeport about 58F Today's forecast Rainbow Trout
Planted fish carry the winter at low elevation while the high lakes freeze and the streams go catch and release; the Eastern Sierra's spring creeks keep wild fish feeding.
Where. Foothill and Southern California lakes on the planting schedule, Amador and Collins among them, the tailwaters below the big dams, and the Lower Owens and Hot Creek around Bishop.
The rainbow trout waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Eagle Lake about 52F Best Wed, Nov 11, A+Today's forecast Lake Almanor about 53F Best Wed, Nov 11, A+Today's forecast Shasta Lake about 59F Today's forecast Largemouth Bass
Slows in the cold but feeds on warm afternoons, and in the south the big females start to move up before the quarter ends.
Where. Deep points and channel swings on Clear Lake, the Delta and the southern reservoirs, Castaic and Casitas among them, moving shallower in the last weeks.
The largemouth bass waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Lake Isabella about 59F Best Mon, Nov 9, A+Today's forecast Castaic Lake about 64F Best Thu, Nov 12, A+Today's forecast Rockfish
The party boats fish the reefs until the boat season closes at the end of December, and from shore, piers and jetties, which that closure does not touch, they bite all winter.
Where. The reefs off Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay, Monterey and Morro Bay in December, and the jetties and rocky shore from the North Coast to San Diego.
The rockfish waters we forecast Water Forecast Crescent City Today's forecast Half Moon Bay Best Mon, Nov 16, C+Today's forecast Monterey Bay Best Sun, Nov 15, FToday's forecast
Usual water now is that water's normal for this point in the season: a lake's modeled seasonal curve or a river gauge's long-run average, not this year's reading. The forecast link reads this week's.
What changes soon
The next six weeks of this report's calendar for California.
- Sat November 7Recreational Dungeness crab opens outside the Cape Mendocino to Ten Mile State Marine Reserve closure. Traps remain prohibited from the Oregon border to Point Conception; hoop nets and snares are not covered by that trap restriction.
- Sun November 15Last day to keep trout on streams and rivers without special regulations, last day of the Crowley Lake season, and last day of Pacific halibut north of Point Arena.
- Mon November 16Streams and rivers without special regulations, the Eastern Sierra's included, turn catch and release for trout until the opener on April 24, with artificial lures and barbless hooks for every species. Lakes and reservoirs stay open at five trout a day.
- Tue December 1Coastal streams in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Monterey counties come under the low-flow closure rules until March 7. Check CDFW's low-flow page before every trip.
- Tue 15 and Wed December 16The Fish and Game Commission meets in Sacramento, with a change to the white seabass minimum size up for discussion.
- Wed December 16The Central Valley salmon season closes on most stretches of the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers.
In the last two weeks
- Sun November 1No ocean salmon season is open anywhere in California: the last area, Point Reyes to Pigeon Point, closed after October 31.
Every date for California from November to February (10)
- Sun November 1No ocean salmon season is open anywhere in California: the last area, Point Reyes to Pigeon Point, closed after October 31.
- Sat November 7Recreational Dungeness crab opens outside the Cape Mendocino to Ten Mile State Marine Reserve closure. Traps remain prohibited from the Oregon border to Point Conception; hoop nets and snares are not covered by that trap restriction.
- Sun November 15Last day to keep trout on streams and rivers without special regulations, last day of the Crowley Lake season, and last day of Pacific halibut north of Point Arena.
- Mon November 16Streams and rivers without special regulations, the Eastern Sierra's included, turn catch and release for trout until the opener on April 24, with artificial lures and barbless hooks for every species. Lakes and reservoirs stay open at five trout a day.
- Tue December 1Coastal streams in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Monterey counties come under the low-flow closure rules until March 7. Check CDFW's low-flow page before every trip.
- Tue 15 and Wed December 16The Fish and Game Commission meets in Sacramento, with a change to the white seabass minimum size up for discussion.
- Wed December 16The Central Valley salmon season closes on most stretches of the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers.
- Thu December 31Last day of the Klamath and Trinity salmon seasons, of boat fishing for rockfish and lingcod, of Pacific halibut south of Point Arena, and of sturgeon fishing from the Feather River confluence up to the Highway 162 bridge.
- Fri January 1Boat fishing for rockfish and lingcod closes in every management area until March 31, California sheephead close to boats until the end of February, and sturgeon may not be taken in central San Francisco Bay until March 15.
- Sun February 28Last day of the boat closure for California sheephead. Spiny lobster stays open until Wednesday, March 17.
This week's fishing reports
This report covers the season. For what was caught this week, read the people who report on this water.
California is covered in winter by people and platforms rather than by the state, which publishes plants, closures and crab status but no conditions report. In the north the backbone is Nor Cal Fish Reports, where about sixty boats, guides, shops and lake staff posted 721 dated reports last winter, with Kenny Priest's weekly North Coast column and the Fish Sniffer's issues around it. South of Point Conception the ocean is counted rather than described: SportfishingReport.com posted landing counts on every day from December to February, and the San Diego landings write nearly daily reports, while 976-TUNA, the other daily count line, has posted nothing since August. Inland in the south one Bakersfield shop, Cope's, covers Castaic, Pyramid, Isabella, the Kern and Nacimiento every Friday.
- Nor Cal Fish Reports
- Fishing the North CoastKenny Priest
- The Fish SnifferDan Bacher, Jack Naves and Paul Kneeland
- Western Outdoor NewsDave Hurley and Ernie Cowan
- The Fly Shop stream report
- Fly Fishing Specialties
- Fish Emeryville
- Trout Creek Outfitters, Truckee
- Almanor Fishing Association
- Sierra Bright Dot fly fishing reportFred Rowe
- Santa Cruz Sentinel Fish RapAllen Bushnell
- SportfishingReport.com dock totals
- Seaforth Sportfishing
- Point Loma Sportfishing
- Fisherman's Landing
- San Diego Fishing Forums (sdfish.org)
- Pier Fishing in California monthly pier reportKen Jones
- Cope's Tackle and Rod ShopChad Burton and Chris Borden
- Today's News-Herald fishing report
- CDFW Fish Planting Schedule
Where to fish in California, area by area
Each water links to its live forecast. The engine outlook in these areas was generated November 3, 2026, for the 14 days from that date; good hours are the hours at or above a B+.
The North Coast, the Oregon line to Bodega Bay
the Smith River · the Eel River · the Mad River · the Van Duzen · the Mattole
Short, steep rivers that come off the Coast Ranges through redwood country to the ocean, rising fast in a storm and dropping back just as fast after it, the Smith quickest of all. CDFW closes them to fishing whenever their flow falls below a set level. The ocean side is cold, exposed water worked from a handful of harbors, where the bar crossing decides whether a boat goes out at all.
Who reports here. Kenny Priest's Fishing the North Coast came out every Thursday last winter, river by river with each one's flow and low-flow status, and it is the only dated account of the Smith and the Crescent City ocean; it no longer runs in the Times-Standard, so read it on his own site. The Russian had two shop reports from Guerneville and Bodega Bay only the Fish Sniffer, and nobody at all reported Fort Bragg, the Gualala or the Mendocino streams.
The recreational opener has trap restrictions and a Northern California health closure; see the current CDFW decision.
Adult Chinook retention closes after October 28 between Old Lewiston Bridge and Cedar Flat; jack harvest remains open.
Engine outlook
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The Klamath and the Trinity
the Klamath River · the Trinity River · Lewiston Lake · Willow Creek · Weitchpec
The one river system on the coast that reaches far inland, the Klamath running out of Oregon through deep canyons to the sea, joined at Weitchpec by the Trinity from below Lewiston Dam. The Trinity runs on releases from Lewiston, so it stays fishable when the rain-fed rivers are blown out, and with four of its dams taken out, salmon can run up the Klamath into Oregon again.
Who reports here. The Fly Shop in Redding reported the Trinity and Lewiston Lake with release figures through the winter, and two guides posted Trinity steelhead trips from Willow Creek every few weeks. Nobody reports the Klamath itself in winter beyond the Fish Sniffer, about once a month.
Engine outlook
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The Bay Area, Half Moon Bay to Carquinez
San Francisco Bay · San Pablo Bay · the Carquinez Strait · Half Moon Bay · Pillar Point
A drowned river valley where the whole Central Valley drains to the Pacific through the Golden Gate: salt water in the central bay, brackish San Pablo Bay upstream, and the narrow Carquinez Strait beyond it. Party boats run from Berkeley, Emeryville, Sausalito and San Francisco inside the bay and from Pillar Point on the open coast, and the water districts and park agencies keep a ring of planted lakes in the hills.
Who reports here. The Berkeley, Emeryville, Sausalito and San Francisco party boats report almost daily until rockfish close on December 31. After that, last winter, only Fish Emeryville kept posting, with crab and sanddab trips and, in February, catch and release sturgeon out of Pittsburg, and nobody reported striped bass or halibut inside the bay. Two anglers wrote up Los Vaqueros and Del Valle all winter.
Engine outlook
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
- Best: Mon, Nov 16, C+5 good hours64F measured Nov 3 at San Francisco Barbest run 3h
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Rio Vista · Sherman Island · Antioch · Pittsburg · Suisun Bay
Hundreds of miles of leveed channels and sloughs where the Sacramento and the San Joaquin meet, tidal from end to end although most of it is fresh. The west end around Rio Vista, Antioch and Suisun Bay is big open water; the east and south are a maze of narrow sloughs, flooded islands and tule-lined backwaters, with the pumps that send water south at its southern edge.
Who reports here. The Fish Sniffer covered Rio Vista stripers and Suisun Bay sturgeon in each of its four winter issues, and Fly Fishing Specialties posted a Delta report with a water temperature every few weeks. Nobody reports the bass fishing of the central and south Delta, around Stockton and Discovery Bay. Its outlook water is the Sacramento at Freeport, scored as the fresh river it is.
Engine outlook
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The Sacramento Valley rivers
the Sacramento River · the Feather River · the Yuba River · the American River · Keswick
The big valley rivers below the dams: the Sacramento from Keswick south past Redding, the Feather below Oroville, the Yuba below Englebright and the American below Nimbus. Their flows and temperatures are set by releases from the reservoirs above rather than by the weather, so they run colder and steadier than rain would make them, and hatcheries on the Feather and the American put salmon and steelhead back into them.
Who reports here. The Fly Shop reported the Lower Sacramento below Keswick with its release changes, and Fly Fishing Specialties the American, the Yuba and the Feather with flows and the odd water temperature. Below Red Bluff nobody reports the river regularly, so Reclamation's and DWR's release figures are the only current word.
The Sierra foothill reservoirs
Lake Oroville · Folsom Lake · Collins Lake · New Bullards Bar · Lake Amador
The reservoirs strung along the western foot of the Sierra from Oroville to McClure, deep canyon lakes that rise in a wet year and fall back to bare red banks in a dry one, with launch ramps that close as the water drops. Bass, trout and kokanee share most of them, and a few smaller lakes run by their own operators, such as Amador and Collins, plant their own trout through the winter.
Who reports here. Lake Amador's staff posted more often than any other lake in the north last winter, and Collins Lake reported its weekly plants; the Fish Sniffer covered Folsom, Oroville, Bullards Bar, Camanche and New Melones in each issue. Don Pedro and McClure had no winter reporter.
Clear Lake and Lake Berryessa
Clear Lake · Lakeport · Clearlake Oaks · Lake Berryessa
Two big lakes in the Coast Range north of the bay. Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake wholly inside the state, shallow, warm and weedy, and one of the best known largemouth fisheries in the country; Berryessa is a deep reservoir to its south with bass, trout and kokanee.
Who reports here. One Clear Lake guide reported in November, January and February, and Western Outdoor News covered the January bass tournament and the big February bags. Berryessa reached print only twice, in the Fish Sniffer.
The northern mountains, Shasta to Eagle Lake
Shasta Lake · the McCloud River · the Pit River · Hat Creek · Baum Lake
Volcanic country around Mount Shasta and Lassen, with spring-fed creeks that hold their temperature all year, the big reservoir at Shasta, and high lakes such as Almanor, Eagle, Davis and Frenchman on the plateau to the east. Eagle Lake holds a trout found nowhere else, adapted to its alkaline water. Snow decides the access from December on.
Who reports here. The Fly Shop reported Shasta Lake, the McCloud, the Pit, Hat Creek and Baum Lake through the winter, and the Almanor Fishing Association posted every three to five weeks. Eagle Lake and Frenchman had no web reporter after early December beyond the Fish Sniffer, and Trinity Lake and Whiskeytown were planted and reported by nobody.
Engine outlook
- Best: Wed, Nov 11, A+12 good hours52F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 12h
- Best: Wed, Nov 11, A+11 good hours53F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 5h
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
Lake Tahoe and the Truckee
Lake Tahoe · the Truckee River · the Little Truckee · Donner Lake · Stampede
Lake Tahoe, very deep, very clear and shared with Nevada, and the Truckee River, its only outlet, running north past the town of Truckee and east to Reno through a canyon followed by the interstate. Around them sit a handful of small reservoirs, Donner, Stampede, Boca and Prosser, that freeze in a cold winter.
Who reports here. Trout Creek Outfitters posted a Truckee River report almost every Friday, and a guide and the Reno Fly Shop added more from both sides of the state line. Tahoe's mackinaw were reported by a Nor Cal Fish Reports correspondent and a Truckee hardware store rather than by its charter boats.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sun, Nov 8, A+7 good hours39F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 7h
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, A+11 good hours48F measured Nov 3 at TRUCKEE R A FARAD CAbest run 7h396 cfsat TRUCKEE R A FARAD CA1 mi away
The Eastern Sierra, Topaz to Bishop
Crowley Lake · June Lake · Convict Lake · Mammoth Lakes · Hot Creek
The dry east face of the range, where the highway runs the Owens Valley and the Mono Basin past high lakes, spring creeks and desert tailwaters. Most of its water is fished in the season that opens in late April, and a winter visitor finds the high country frozen or snowed in and the open water down in the valley around Bishop. Topaz Lake, the big trout reservoir on the Nevada line at the head of the Antelope Valley, is shared with Nevada.
Who reports here. Sierra Bright Dot in Bishop posted every Thursday all winter without a gap, covering the Lower Owens, Hot Creek and the Upper Owens with hatches and flies. The Mammoth and June Lake shops publish nothing dated in winter, and Bridgeport and the East Walker went unreported after mid-November. The border lake's winter reports are filed in the other state's section.
Engine outlook
- Best: Wed, Nov 11, A+12 good hours50F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 8hGraded only on the days it is open: closed from November 16 until the last Saturday in April
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, B8 good hours42F modeled from weather, no gaugebest run 3h21 cfsat E WALKER RV NR BRIDGEPORT, CA1 mi awayGraded only on the days it is open: closed from November 16 until the last Saturday in April
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, A+12 good hours52F modeled from weather, no gaugebest run 9h
The Central Coast, Santa Cruz to Port San Luis
Santa Cruz · Monterey Bay · Moss Landing · Monterey · Big Sur
A long coast with a deep submarine canyon in the middle of Monterey Bay, the steep Big Sur shore south of it, and harbors at Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, Monterey, Morro Bay and Port San Luis. Inland, a few reservoirs in the coastal hills carry bass and planted trout, and the small coastal streams run steelhead in a wet winter.
Who reports here. The Santa Cruz Sentinel's Fish Rap ran every Thursday for Monterey Bay, and the Monterey boats posted counts for crab and sanddab trips into February. Port San Luis and Morro Bay went quiet at New Year, Cope's covered Nacimiento weekly, and Lake San Antonio was planted and reported by nobody.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sun, Nov 15, F0 good hours67F measured Nov 3 at Monterey tide station
- Best: Sun, Nov 15, F0 good hours68F measured Nov 3 at Port San Luis tide station
The San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierra
Millerton Lake · the San Joaquin River · Pine Flat Lake · the Kings River · Lake Kaweah
The rivers that drain the southern Sierra into the valley, the San Joaquin, Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern, each dammed where it leaves the foothills into a reservoir that swings with the snowpack. Below the dams the rivers run cold for a few miles before the valley takes them for irrigation, and the Kern runs its own canyon down to Isabella.
Who reports here. Cope's Tackle in Bakersfield reported Isabella, the Kern, Success and Kaweah every Friday, with flows and water temperatures. The Kings, Pine Flat, Millerton and the San Joaquin have had no dated reporter since the Fresno Bee column stopped in October 2025.
Engine outlook
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, A+6 good hours60F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 4h326 cfsat Lake Isabella tailwater1 mi away
The Southern California coast, Santa Barbara to San Diego
Santa Barbara · Ventura · Oxnard · Marina del Rey · Redondo Beach
The southern bight, where the coast turns east at Point Conception and the Channel Islands and the offshore banks shelter the mildest water on the coast. Sportfishing landings from Santa Barbara to San Diego run half-day to multi-day trips, and the piers, harbors and long sand beaches carry a big shore fishery of its own.
Who reports here. The landings count every day: SportfishingReport.com posted Southern California counts on all ninety days from December to February, and Seaforth, Point Loma Sportfishing and Fisherman's Landing wrote nearly daily reports. In January most rockfish counts came from San Diego boats fishing Mexican water. On the sand, the sdfish.org forum and Ken Jones's monthly pier report are all there is.
Engine outlook
- Best: Mon, Nov 16, A9 good hours74F measured Nov 3 at San Pedro Southbest run 7h
- Best: Tue, Nov 10, A10 good hours72F measured Nov 3 at San Diego tide stationbest run 10h
The Southern California lakes
Castaic Lake · Pyramid Lake · Lake Casitas · Lake Cachuma · Big Bear Lake
Reservoirs built to store water carried in from the north and the Colorado, close to the cities and run by water districts, cities, counties and the state, each with its own fees, days and rules. Florida-strain largemouth stocked in them grew to trophy size here, and the mountain lakes at Big Bear, Hemet and Cuyamaca are trout water.
Who reports here. Cope's reported Castaic and Pyramid every Friday last winter, and was the only source to record Castaic closed for algae through January and Pyramid closed by storm damage at New Year. Lake Jennings, Dixon and Wohlford post around their trout plants, and the sdfish.org boards cover the San Diego city lakes, whose own catch report is gone. Perris, Silverwood, Skinner and Irvine have no reporter.
Engine outlook
- Best: Thu, Nov 12, A+12 good hours64F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 12h
- Best: Tue, Nov 10, A+13 good hours56F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 13h
The Colorado River and the desert
Lake Havasu · the Parker Strip · Blythe · Palo Verde · Imperial Dam
The lower Colorado along the Arizona line, held back into Lake Havasu and then run between Parker and Imperial Dam through farm country and backwater lakes, with the shrinking Salton Sea off to the west. Winter is the mild season here, when the summer heat that rules the river is gone.
Who reports here. Today's News-Herald in Lake Havasu City runs a weekly Havasu round-up with water temperatures. Below Parker nobody publishes anything dated, and the Salton Sea has no report of any kind.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sun, Nov 8, A+11 good hours70F measured Nov 3 at COLORADO RIVER ABOVE IMPERIAL DAM, AZ-CAbest run 9h
The rules from November to February
What changed this time
- River salmon reopened this year on the Klamath, the Trinity and the Central Valley rivers. The lower Klamath's adult quota was met in September, so below the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec only jacks of 23 inches or less may be kept, and the spit at the river mouth is closed to all fishing for the rest of 2026. From October 29, adult Chinook must also be released on the Upper Trinity from Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West Bridge at Cedar Flat; jack harvest remains open.
- CDFW's November 2 low-flow update lists the Russian, Gualala, Napa and the listed Marin and Sonoma streams as closed on November 3 and 4. Check the separate North Coast table for the Smith, Eel and other northern rivers before each trip. The Mad River hatchery released its last steelhead in spring 2025, so no more hatchery steelhead are being added there.
- Dungeness crab: the October 30 decision prohibits recreational crab traps from the Oregon border to Point Conception until at least January 1, 2027. Hoop nets and snares remain options where the season is open, but take and possession are prohibited from Cape Mendocino to Ten Mile State Marine Reserve because of domoic acid. That area's reopening depends on a new health determination.
- In effect on October 12: razor clamming closed in Del Norte and Humboldt counties for domoic acid, anchovy caught in Monterey Bay kept for bait only, and a state warning against eating sport-harvested mussels, clams, scallops or oysters from Monterey County.
- Before fishing more than three miles off the San Francisco area: the federal rule text revised in June closes rockfish and lingcod in federal water there in November and allows December fishing only seaward of 50 fathoms, while CDFW's summary and the same rule's preamble say the area is open through December 31. All groundfish fishing is now banned inside the new Cordell Bank Groundfish Exclusion Area.
- White sturgeon are a candidate for listing under the state Endangered Species Act. CDFW's status review was due in July 2025 and had not been posted by October 12, and no listing hearing had been scheduled.
- Golden mussel: at Folsom Lake every trailered or motor boat needs a completed 30-day quarantine seal or a hot-water decontamination seal, and may launch only at Granite Bay and Browns Ravine. The Forest Service bans carrying the mussels below the high-water mark at Shasta, Trinity and Lewiston lakes, and seals issued at Castaic and Pyramid may not be accepted at other lakes.
- Low reservoirs: on October 10 Lake Oroville was 45 percent full, Bidwell Canyon's ramp was close to its limit and four other ramps were closed, and the Afterbay Outlet ramp below the dam is closed until summer 2027. Castaic is drawn down a little each winter for dam work, and the road to Bailey Cove on Shasta Lake is closed for repairs.
- South of Pigeon Point an emergency rule for white sharks bans wire or metal leaders and hooks wider than 1.5 inches when fishing from shore or within 1,000 yards of it. It expires on December 31 unless the Commission extends it.
- Pending: the 2026 sport fishing package, awaiting state approval, would make the 2027 steelhead report card a short card valid from January 1 to April 30. NOAA's proposed 2027-28 groundfish rule would leave cabezon and kelp greenling open all year in federal water and open the southern area at all depths from April; CDFW will announce the state rules.
- CDFW does not publish planting dates in advance. Last winter its schedule logged 478 plants from November to February, nearly all trout, led by Los Angeles, Fresno, San Bernardino and Kern counties; in the Eastern Sierra only Inyo County waters were planted. The Kern River Hatchery near Kernville is closed for repairs.
- New fish-eating advisories this year cover Los Vaqueros Reservoir, Lake Hemet and Twin Lakes in Mono County. CDFW lists Ramer Lake in the Imperial Wildlife Area as closed for construction, and the Elkhorn Slough reserve and Moss Landing Wildlife Area under an emergency closure.
Read on October 12, 2026, from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's freshwater and ocean regulations, its groundfish summary, its low-flow, planting, crab, lobster, salmon, sturgeon, health advisory and emergency closure pages and its news releases; from the Fish and Game Commission's agendas, meeting calendar and rulemaking pages; from NOAA Fisheries' groundfish, salmon and Pacific halibut rules; and from the Department of Water Resources, California State Parks, Los Angeles County Parks, the Forest Service, the Department of Public Health and OEHHA. The low-flow table and the new Dungeness and Upper Trinity decisions were re-read on November 3, 2026; other core-source dates remain as recorded.
Licenses, and which state's rules apply
- Anyone 16 or older needs a California sport fishing license, resident or visitor, and must keep it in immediate possession while fishing. The annual license runs for 365 days from the day it is bought, not by calendar year, so nothing renews on January 1; a visitor can buy a ten-day non-resident license instead. No license is needed to fish from a public pier in ocean waters, but a jetty, breakwater, dock or sea wall counts as one only if it is a public structure forming the outermost wall of a harbor, and every other rule, report cards included, still applies on a pier.
- A one-day or two-day license needs no Ocean Enhancement Validation; any other license needs one to fish the ocean south of Point Arguello in Santa Barbara County. A second rod in inland waters needs a Second Rod Validation. A report card is needed to fish for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Klamath, Trinity and Smith rivers, even by anglers who need no license: children under 16, anglers on a public pier and anyone fishing on a free fishing day. The paper card must be carried, since a purchase shown in the app does not count, and report cards keep their own seasons rather than the license's 365 days.
- A California or a Nevada license is good anywhere on Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake, and both lakes are closed to fishing from two hours after sunset to one hour before sunrise. On the stretch of the Colorado River that forms the Arizona border, a California or an Arizona license is good from either bank or from a boat, and the old Colorado River special-use stamp no longer exists.
Bait, gear and fish you cannot keep
- Inland, an angler fishes one closely attended rod or hand line with no more than three hooks or three lures, or two rods with a Second Rod Validation (children under 16 need none), but only one rod where only artificial lures or barbless hooks are allowed, and snagging is prohibited. In the ocean the general rule allows any number of hooks and lines, with exceptions that include San Francisco Bay, where the limit is one line with three hooks, and any time rockfish, lingcod or other groundfish are aboard, when it is one line with two hooks. A boat fishing for groundfish must carry a descending device ready for use.
- Inland, no live or dead fin fish may be used as bait except the species a district's own rule lists, and the Sierra and North Coast districts list none outside a few named lakes. Dead ocean fish may be used as bait anywhere, but outside the bait rules a fish may not be carried away alive from the water it was caught in. Chumming is allowed inland only in a few named places, among them the Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay, and it is allowed throughout the ocean and San Francisco Bay.
- Golden mussels may not be imported, moved or possessed, and every boat should be cleaned, drained and dried between waters. Expect watercraft inspections at launch ramps around the state, run by each water's manager rather than CDFW, and a mandatory inspection before launching on Lake Tahoe. A motorized boat on fresh water needs the mussel fee sticker.
Lakes, ponds and rivers
- Lakes, reservoirs and ponds are open all year at five trout a day unless the special-regulations lists say otherwise. Streams and rivers not on those lists are open for keeping trout from the last Saturday in April through November 15, five a day; from November 16 until that Saturday they are catch and release for trout, and only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used for any species. A water on the special lists follows its own entry instead, so read the entry before fishing it.
- Fishing for steelhead in anadromous water needs a Steelhead Report Card, and every wild steelhead must be released unharmed. Steelhead fishing is closed from the Santa Maria River south to Mexico, and neither steelhead nor coho salmon may be kept in the ocean. Coastal streams close to fishing when flows are forecast to fall below set levels, from September 1 to April 30 in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties and from December 1 to March 7 in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Monterey counties, so check CDFW's low-flow page before each trip.
- White sturgeon are catch and release only. The season runs from October 1 to June 30 from the Carquinez Bridge up to the Feather River confluence on the Sacramento and the I-5 bridge on the San Joaquin, but only from October 1 to December 31 above them, and every tributary is closed; in central San Francisco Bay sturgeon may not be taken from January 1 to March 15. Use one single barbless hook, and keep any white sturgeon over 60 inches fork length, and every green sturgeon, in the water.
- Black bass in lakes, reservoirs and the Delta are five a day of 12 inches or longer unless a water is listed otherwise, and in rivers and streams five a day at any length. Striped bass are two a day of at least 18 inches in most water; the Colorado River District, the Southern District and a few named lakes run a limit of their own.
Through the ice
- Fish may be taken through the ice on any water during its open season, and California sets no separate line limit for ice, so the ordinary one rod, or two with a Second Rod Validation, applies. Crowley Lake and the other waters on the special-regulations lists keep seasons of their own, and Crowley's ends on November 15. Night fishing is prohibited on every Mono County water except Topaz Lake.
Salt water
- From a boat, rockfish and lingcod are closed from January 1 to March 31 in all five groundfish management areas, under the federal rule and the state summary alike. Anglers fishing from shore, piers and jetties, and spear divers, are exempt from the groundfish seasons and depth limits. Quillback and bronzespotted rockfish may never be kept, and lingcod are two a day of at least 22 inches.
- California halibut are open all year, at least 22 inches, five a day south of Point Sur and two north of it. In Southern California, kelp, barred sand and spotted sand bass are five a day together, no more than four of them barred sand bass, at least 14 inches, and white seabass are three a day of at least 28 inches. California sheephead are closed to boat anglers from January 1 to the end of February, though shore anglers and divers may take them all year.
- Spiny lobster opens at 6 p.m. on the Friday before the first Wednesday in October and closes at the end of the first Wednesday after March 15. Every lobster angler, under 16 included, needs a Spiny Lobster Report Card, and the limit is seven a day of at least three and one-quarter inches, taken by hand or hoop net only. Between Point Arguello and Mexico a person may have no more than five hoop nets and a boat no more than ten.
- Dungeness crab opens on the first Saturday in November and runs to July 30 in Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties and to June 30 elsewhere, ten a day of at least five and three-quarter inches, and none may be taken from San Francisco or San Pablo Bay. Crab traps may not be set in the seven days before the opener, and a trap needs a Recreational Crab Trap Validation where a hoop net or crab loop trap does not. CDFW can delay the season and keep traps out of the water to protect whales.
- Marine protected areas restrict or ban fishing: a state marine reserve allows no take at all, and a state marine conservation area restricts some kinds of take, so check the CDFW MPA map for any stretch of coast before fishing it. Abalone is closed in all ocean waters, and giant sea bass, broomtail and gulf grouper, and white sharks may never be kept.
Read on these agency pages: CDFW: Sport Fishing Licenses and Report Cards, CDFW: License App, CDFW: California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, Nevada Department of Wildlife: Lake Tahoe Angler Information Guide, CDFW: General Ocean Fishing Regulations, CDFW: Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations, CDFW: Quagga and Zebra Mussels, CDFW: Golden Mussel, CDFW: Steelhead Report and Restoration Card, CDFW: Ocean Salmon, CDFW: Low Flow Fishing Regulations, CDFW: Fishing for White Sturgeon, CDFW: California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, Fish and Game Commission: Sport Fishing 2026 proposed regulatory language, eCFR: 50 CFR 660.360, Pacific Coast groundfish recreational measures, Federal Register 2026-19346: Pacific Coast groundfish 2027-28 specifications (proposed rule), CDFW: Ocean Fishing Regulations, Southern Region, CDFW: Ocean Fishing Regulations, Oregon Border to the 40 10 Line, CDFW: Recreational Lobster Fishing, CDFW: General Ocean Invertebrate Fishing Regulations, CDFW: Marine Protected Areas.
The season at a glance
What these months usually do
Each lake's own seasonal curve, the one the engine scores the lake on: what these dates usually do, modeled rather than measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castaic Lake | 65F | 55F | 51F | 52F | 55F |
| Crowley Lake | 52F | 44F | 39F | 38F | 38F |
| Diamond Valley Lake | 67F | 60F | 55F | 55F | 57F |
| Eagle Lake | 53F | 47F | 40F | 39F | 40F |
| Lake Almanor | 54F | 49F | 42F | 41F | 41F |
| Lake Cuyamaca | 58F | 50F | 46F | 48F | 51F |
| Lake Isabella | 60F | 53F | 50F | 50F | 52F |
| Lake Tahoe | 52F | 44F | 41F | 40F | 40F |
| Shasta Lake | 60F | 52F | 47F | 47F | 49F |
Each river's own gauge: its average for these dates across the years it has recorded, measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American RiverAMERICAN R A FAIR OAKS CA, 1971 to 2023 | 60F | 54F | 49F | 48F | 49F |
| Colorado River above Imperial DamCOLORADO RIVER ABOVE IMPERIAL DAM, AZ-CA, 1974 to 2026 | 66F | 57F | 53F | 55F | 59F |
| Lower Klamath RiverKLAMATH R NR KLAMATH CA, 2017 to 2026 | 54F | 46F | 45F | 46F | 45F |
| Russian RiverRUSSIAN R A HACIENDA BRIDGE NR GUERNEVILLE CA, 2002 to 2026 | 58F | 51F | 50F | 52F | 53F |
| Sacramento River at FreeportSACRAMENTO R A FREEPORT CA, 1972 to 2023 | 59F | 51F | 47F | 49F | 52F |
| Trinity RiverTRINITY R A DOUGLAS CITY CA, 2020 to 2026 | 49F | 43F | 44F | 43F | 45F |
| Truckee RiverTRUCKEE R A FARAD CA, 2022 to 2026 | 47F | 39F | 38F | 38F | 38F |
The moon from November to February
| Month | New moon | Full moon |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Sun, Nov 8 | Tue, Nov 24 |
| December 2026 | Tue, Dec 8 | Wed, Dec 23 |
| January 2027 | Thu, Jan 7 | Fri, Jan 22 |
| February 2027 | Sat, Feb 6 | Sat, Feb 20 |
The U.S. Naval Observatory's dates, on local time.
Daylight in each area from November to February
Worked out for one place in each area, on its own clock.
| Area | Shortest day | Earliest sunset | Latest sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| The North Coast, the Oregon line to Bodega Bayat Russian River | 9h 28m, Dec 21 | 4:52pm, around Dec 7 | 7:31am, around Jan 5 |
| The Klamath and the Trinityat Lower Klamath River | 9h 10m, Dec 21 | 4:47pm, around Dec 8 | 7:44am, around Jan 4 |
| The Bay Area, Half Moon Bay to Carquinezat Half Moon Bay | 9h 34m, Dec 21 | 4:53pm, around Dec 7 | 7:26am, around Jan 5 |
| The Sacramento-San Joaquin Deltaat Sacramento River at Freeport | 9h 29m, Dec 21 | 4:47pm, around Dec 7 | 7:25am, around Jan 5 |
| The Sacramento Valley riversat American River | 9h 28m, Dec 21 | 4:45pm, around Dec 7 | 7:24am, around Jan 5 |
| The Sierra foothill reservoirsat Lake Oroville | 9h 22m, Dec 21 | 4:43pm, around Dec 8 | 7:28am, around Jan 4 |
| Clear Lake and Lake Berryessaat Lakeport, on Clear Lake | 9h 25m, Dec 21 | 4:51pm, around Dec 7 | 7:32am, around Jan 4 |
| The northern mountains, Shasta to Eagle Lakeat Shasta Lake | 9h 15m, Dec 21 | 4:43pm, around Dec 8 | 7:34am, around Jan 4 |
| Lake Tahoe and the Truckeeat Truckee River | 9h 23m, Dec 21 | 4:38pm, around Dec 8 | 7:22am, around Jan 4 |
| The Eastern Sierra, Topaz to Bishopat East Walker River | 9h 30m, Dec 21 | 4:38pm, around Dec 7 | 7:15am, around Jan 5 |
| The Central Coast, Santa Cruz to Port San Luisat Monterey Bay | 9h 39m, Dec 21 | 4:53pm, around Dec 6 | 7:21am, around Jan 6 |
| The San Joaquin Valley and southern Sierraat Lake Isabella | 9h 44m, Dec 21 | 4:42pm, around Dec 6 | 7:05am, around Jan 7 |
| The Southern California coast, Santa Barbara to San Diegoat Huntington Beach | 9h 55m, Dec 21 | 4:45pm, around Dec 4 | 6:58am, around Jan 8 |
| The Southern California lakesat Castaic Lake | 9h 50m, Dec 21 | 4:45pm, around Dec 5 | 7:03am, around Jan 7 |
| The Colorado River and the desertat Colorado River above Imperial Dam | 9h 59m, Dec 21 | 4:33pm, around Dec 4 | 6:43am, around Jan 8 |
The lowest tides from November to February
| Station | Lowest, Nov | Lowest, Dec | Lowest, Jan | Lowest, Feb | Biggest range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent City | -1.9 ftWed, Nov 25, 6:13pm | -2.0 ftThu, Dec 24, 6:02pm | -1.7 ftFri, Jan 22, 5:44pm | -1.2 ftFri, Feb 19, 4:39pm | 10.8 ftDec 24 |
| Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay | -1.8 ftWed, Nov 25, 5:20pm | -1.9 ftThu, Dec 24, 5:10pm | -1.6 ftThu, Jan 21, 4:07pm | -1.1 ftFri, Feb 19, 3:45pm | 9.1 ftDec 24 |
| Crockett | -1.0 ftWed, Nov 25, 7:59pm | -1.1 ftThu, Dec 24, 7:47pm | -1.0 ftThu, Jan 21, 6:43pm | -0.7 ftFri, Feb 19, 6:19pm | 8.2 ftDec 24 |
| Berkeley | -1.9 ftWed, Nov 25, 6:26pm | -2.1 ftThu, Dec 24, 6:15pm | -1.9 ftThu, Jan 21, 5:12pm | -1.3 ftFri, Feb 19, 4:51pm | 9.7 ftDec 24 |
| Monterey, Monterey Bay | -1.5 ftWed, Nov 25, 5:18pm | -1.8 ftThu, Dec 24, 5:06pm | -1.7 ftThu, Jan 21, 4:02pm | -1.3 ftThu, Feb 18, 2:57pm | 8.9 ftDec 24 |
| Port San Luis | -1.5 ftWed, Nov 25, 4:52pm | -1.9 ftThu, Dec 24, 4:41pm | -1.8 ftThu, Jan 21, 3:37pm | -1.5 ftThu, Feb 18, 2:33pm | 8.9 ftDec 24 |
| Santa Ana River entrance (inside) | -0.3 ftWed, Nov 25, 5:47pm | -0.4 ftThu, Dec 24, 5:39pm | -0.4 ftThu, Jan 21, 4:40pm | -0.3 ftFri, Feb 19, 4:16pm | 4.3 ftDec 24 |
| San Diego (Broadway) | -1.4 ftWed, Nov 25, 3:57pm | -1.9 ftThu, Dec 24, 3:50pm | -2.0 ftThu, Jan 21, 2:51pm | -1.7 ftFri, Feb 19, 2:28pm | 9.4 ftDec 24 |
NOAA's predictions, in feet above the average of each day's lower low tide, so a minus tide falls below it. Wind and air pressure move the water off the prediction.