Commission votes to close salmon fishing on Northern California rivers
SACRAMENTO – The California Fish and Game Commission voted this week to close salmon fishing in Central Valley rivers and in the Klamath River Basin, making it the second straight year.
The California Fish and Game Commission's vote includes the Sacramento, American, Feather and Mokelumne rivers for fishing for chinook salmon.
The commission also adopted an emergency closure of the spring Chinook salmon sport fishing seasons on the Klamath and Trinity rivers. On those same rivers, the commission voted to prohibit possession of fall-run Chinook salmon.
These regulations are scheduled to take effect no later than July 1, but must be approved by the California Office of Administrative Law.
The Sacramento River used to support between 1 and 2 million fish every year. In 2023, about 134,000 adult fall-run Chinook returned to the river to spawn.
This closure comes after the Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended that the California ocean salmon season be canceled for a second year.
Salmon populations have struggled to survive due to climate change and dams.