Commercial ocean salmon fishing is back along the coast of California following a spike in salmon populations, with Chinook salmon fall-run populations noting significant increases.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Sunday that the three-year ban on ocean salmon fishing will be lifted this spring, giving recreational salmon anglers “more opportunities in 2026.”
“We’re excited that we’re able to open up the commercial ocean fishery this year,” Stephen Gonzalez, a public information officer for the CDFW, told Annenberg Media. “The numbers are trending up. We just hope that they’ll keep improving so we can keep the fishery open year after year.”
California banned salmon fishing in 2023 after a rapid decline in the salmon population, according to a press release from the CDFW. The shutdown took a toll on California fishing communities. In January 2025, the federal government approved $20.6 million in disaster relief funds for fishers, processors, operators, and guides affected by the ban.
In 2025, the salmon population dropped to 166,000 fish, down from a preseason estimate of 214,000 in 2024, according to CDFW data. The three year-ban marked the longest shutdown in California history.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council — which advises the U.S. secretary of commerce and manages fisheries for more than 100 species of fish — voted Sunday to end the ban, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Chinook salmon, a predominant species in California, were largely affected by the 2022 drought conditions that limited migration and laying of eggs, the LA Times reported. Rising water temperatures also contributed to the decline, as increased water diversions from the Sacramento River Basin to agriculture reduced available habitat.
“These impacts are not isolated,” Gonzalez said. “They interacted with other major stressors such as dams blocking spawning habitat, habitat degradation, wildfires and drought.”
Over the past decade, California Coastal Chinook populations ranged between 5,000 to 10,000 fish, down from historical estimates of 600,000, according to the State of Salmon in California. Recent wet winters have helped ease drought conditions, allowing populations to begin recovering, according to CBS News.
For Sacramento River fall-run Chinook, the Sacramento Index —a forecasting tool used for in-season management — estimated nearly 400,000 adult salmon this year, more than double last year’s estimate, Gonzalez said. The Klamath River fall-run forecast reached about 176,000 adult salmon, also more than double last year’s estimates, according to the CDFW.
State agencies have also developed a Salmon Strategy, launched in 2024, which aims to stabilize and restore salmon populations and reduce extinction risk through six priorities and 71 actions. The strategy focuses on removing barriers, protecting habitats, protecting water flows and quality, modernizing hatcheries, transforming technology, and fostering partnerships.
“We have a Salmon Strategy For A Hotter, Drier Future,” Gonzalez said. “We’re anticipating California is going to get warmer; the water is going to get warmer. There’s going to be more wildfires.”
During the three-year ban, the CDFW worked with state and federal partners, tribes, sport anglers, commercial fishing interests, and NGOs to achieve a level of recovery that allows for the reopening, according to CDFW Director Meghan Hertel in the press release.
The 2026 season, however, will open with some restrictions, according to the CDFW. Commercial fishing, beginning in May, will be limited to certain days and subject to catch quotas.
“Salmon is an iconic fish for the state of California, for tribal nations, for people who’ve grown up here,” Gonzalez said. “It’s important to us as a culture and as a fish. It depends on cooperation from many agencies and a lot of different people coming together.”