California Code of Regulations
Title 14 - Natural Resources
Division 1 - Fish and Game Commission-Department of Fish and Game
Subdivision 1 - Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles
Chapter 6 - Fish, Commercial
Section 182.1 - Commercial Salmon Fishing

(a) In Districts 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, no king (chinook) salmon may be possessed that is less than 26 inches in length and no silver (coho) salmon less than 22 inches, such lengths to be measured from the tip of the snout to the extreme tip of the tail without resorting to any force other than swinging or fanning the tail. Salmon may be taken only by hook and line and there is no bag limit except as modified in subsections (g), (h), (i) and (n) of these regulations.

(b) In Districts 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, no person shall engage in commercial salmon fishing using other than single barbless hooks. Single barbless hook means a hook with a single shank and point, with no secondary point or barb curving or projecting in any other direction. Hooks manufactured with barbs can be made "barbless" by forcing the point of the barb flat against the main part of the point.

(c) Except as prohibited under Section 8215 of the Fish and Game Code and subsection (j) of these regulations, frozen salmon may be possessed in Districts 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, and landed in a dressed, head-off condition, subject to the following minimum size limits: king salmon, 19 1/2" in dressed, head-off length; silver salmon, 16 1/2" in dressed, head-off length. Dressed, head-off length is the distance between the mid-point of the clavicle arch and the fork of the tail measured along the lateral line.

(d) In Districts 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, commercial salmon fishing vessels shall use no more than six troll lines at any time to drag hooks with bait or lures.

(e) In Districts 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, south of Point Arena (39° 00' 00" N. lat.), under the authority of a commercial fishing license, all salmon species other than silver salmon, which are provided for in subsection (i), may be taken between May 1 and September 30.

(f) In District 7 between Point Arena and Cape Vizcaino (39° 43' 30" N. lat.), under the authority of a commercial fishing license, all salmon species except silver salmon may be taken between May 1 and May 31. In District 7 between Point Arena and Horse Mountain (40° 5' 00" N. lat.), all species other than silver salmon, which are provided for in subsection (i), may be taken from June 5 through September 30, except no commercial salmon fishing is permitted in the area on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays from June 9 through July 16.

(g) In District 7 between Cape Vizcaino and Horse Mountain, under the authority of a commercial fishing license, all salmon species except silver salmon may be taken from May 1 through the earlier of May 31 or the date that the Director of the California Department of Fish and Game determines that a total of 8,000 king salmon will be taken, with the following exceptions and restrictions:

(h) In District 6 and that portion of District 7 north of Punta Gorda (40° 15' 30" N. lat.), under the authority of a commercial fishing license, all salmon species other than silver salmon, which are provided for in subsection (i), may be taken from June 5 through the earlier of August 31 or the date that the Regional Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determines that a total of 55,500 king salmon will be taken in the commercial fishery since May 1, 1988, in the commercial fishery between Port Orford, in southern Oregon (42° 45' 11" N. lat.) and Punta Gorda, with the following provisions, exceptions and clarifications:

(i) Silver salmon may be taken for commercial purposes during the same time periods and in the same areas as commercial fishing for all other salmon species is allowed with the following clarifications and exceptions:

(j) In District 6 and that portion of District 7 north of Point Arena, during all three-day closures, except for the 12-hour period immediately following the closure, no vessel may be underway at sea inside the closed area with salmon on board except if prior notification is given the nearest Coast Guard Station of intent to transport commercially-caught salmon through the closed area. Furthermore, it is unlawful for a vessel with an ocean salmon permit from any state to have troll fishing gear in the water in these districts between May 1 and October 31 during those times that commercial salmon fishing is not permitted.

(k) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Section, commercial salmon fishing in Districts 6 and 7 north of Punta Gorda is prohibited for three consecutive days upon attainment of 85 percent of the silver salmon quota for the commercial salmon fishery south of Cape Falcon, as determined by the Regional Director of the NMFS.

(l) Troll fishing gear is defined as one or more lines that drag hooks with bait or lures behind a moving fishing vessel.

(m) In District 6, no salmon may be taken for commercial purposes in state waters off the mouth of the Klamath River within an area bounded on the north by 41° 38' 48" N. latitude (approximately 6 nautical miles north of the Klamath River mouth) and on the south by 41° 26' 48" N. latitude (approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Klamath River mouth).

(n) In Districts 6 and 7 between Trinidad Head (41° 3' 20" N. lat.) and Punta Gorda, under the authority of a commercial fishing license, all salmon species may be taken between September 1 and the earlier of October 31 or the date that the Regional Director of the NMFS determines that a total of 15,000 king salmon will be taken.

(o) It is unlawful for any person to fish for, or take and retain any species of salmon in Districts 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19:

(p) All other provisions, exceptions and restrictions for commercial salmon fishing off California are described in Title 50--Code of Federal Regulations, Part 661.