Friday May 1, 2026
CalTrout —
Where and How Ocean Fisheries Are Reopening
The commercial troll fishery will be reopened for the first time in three years in the San Francisco and Monterey regions but remains closed in Fort Bragg, Eureka, and Crescent City regions due to weaker abundances of Chinook salmon from the Klamath River and the presence of threatened California Coastal Chinook salmon in these waters. Recreational sport fisheries will be open throughout the state but will be limited in the northern half of the state.
Uneven Recovery Across Salmon Runs
This year’s season structure announced by the Pacific Fishery Management Council reflects a high forecasted abundance of fall-run Chinook salmon from the Sacramento River but a relatively low abundance of Chinook salmon from the Klamath River in the north. Since 2018, Klamath River Chinook salmon have been designated as “overfished” due to low spawner abundances from poor river conditions for juvenile salmon, ocean heatwaves, and fisheries management that overestimated fish abundance and underestimated the harvest to occur. For the first time since 2017, Klamath River Chinook salmon are no longer considered overfished; however, their abundances have yet to reach the management target goal but appear to be trending in a positive direction.