Salmon fishing resumes off California coast for first time since 2022. Here's what that means

Commercial and recreational salmon fishing has resumed off the North Coast after a three-year statewide closure, marking a long-awaited milestone for a troubled industry that has endured historic losses in revenue and resources.

Charter captains are reporting abundant catches out of Bodega Bay, and commercial boats up and down the coast are again unloading hauls of the prized West Coast staple for the first time since 2022.

Still, the reopening is far from a return to normal, industry veterans say.

This year's season is heavily restricted with staggered openings and closings designed to limit the take on rebounding Chinook salmon returns. And fewer boats may be around to cash in, as some fishermen say years of lost income from curtailed and closed fisheries have driven some away from the water for good.

"We're at a little less than half throttle right now," said Capt. Mike Harbarth of Sonoma Coast Adventures. "There is strict management and they're being conservative this year. We've all respected that."

From his charter boat "Shauna Lee" berthed at the Porto Bodega Marina, Harbarth said sport anglers have managed to reel in their two-fish limits on most trips out. Some of those fish have weighed up to 30 pounds and Harbarth said they are finding "miles and miles of salmon" off the Sonoma Coast.

Harbarth, who has spent most of his life chasing salmon, remembers when California's season stretched from late winter into the next fall - a far cry from the current reality. But, after three consecutive years of closures, the carefully managed reopening is a welcome start.

Years of drought and changing ocean conditions over the past decade contributed to a sharp decline in Chinook stocks targeted by sport and commercial anglers. Coho salmon, a more sensitive species, are so imperiled they're off limits in California.

Once-abundant West Coast runs have been diminished over the past century by water diversions, damned rivers, development and habitat loss, with ever tighter regulations, including full and partial closures geared to preserve what remains.

State and federal fishery managers reopened the season in late June following improved rainfall and snowpack in 2023 and 2024, which boosted survival rates for juvenile Chinook salmon migrating from the Sacramento Valley to the Pacific Ocean, according to John McManus, the senior policy director for the Golden State Salmon Association.

Those fish have now returned as adults in numbers large enough to support a limited fishery, McManus said, though managers are carefully monitoring harvest levels to ensure the stock remains sustainable.

About two-thirds of the allowed commercial harvest of 83,000 fish already has been caught as of July 1, according to the state.

For the commercial fleet and its many associated businesses, however, the return of salmon fishing won't come close to offsetting losses tied to the three-year closure. It came as California's other perennial contender for the most lucrative fishery, Dungeness crab, has been shifted and shortened - to protect rare marine mammals, but compounding losses for the industry.

Dick Ogg, a commercial fisherman and president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen's Marketing Association, said the limited salmon opening isn't enough for many to rebuild their businesses.

"It basically took away what summer income these guys have," Ogg said of the extended closure. "Without that, you're basically waiting until January to get any more money and it's really hard."

Some boats have been able to pivot to harvesting albacore, rockfish or cod, Ogg said, but not every vessel has the equipment to do so, and retooling can be costly.

Some, he said, have left the industry entirely.

"When you look at the cost of a vessel, the cost of a permit, the cost of fuel and then trying to maintain crew and insurance, it's a difficult situation for any young fisherman to get into," Ogg said.

Ogg, 73, said his biggest concern is ensuring the industry's next generation has a pathway into commercial fishing.

"My personal objective is to figure out, No. 1, how to maintain the access and opportunity and increase it if possible," Ogg said. "I want to find ways to mitigate issues and find ways to financially support and help develop opportunities for the younger generation."

The federal government is again stepping in to offer limited support, in the form of disaster aid.

In June, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $21.3 million in disaster relief for California's salmon industry following years of advocacy by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, fishermen and industry groups.

California lawmakers first requested federal assistance in 2023, eventually securing $20.6 million the following year. However, industry representatives argued that amount fell short of their total estimated losses, which state officials put at $90 million in the first two years of closures alone.

"Congressman Huffman was fierce in his pursuit of that disaster relief," McManus said.

But industry leaders say the disaster relief is only a bandage and questions remain - about both the fishery and fleet's future.

While two consecutive wet winters helped rebuild the salmon returns, McManus said the long-term outlook will depend on how the state manages its rivers and water supply going forward.

Diversions, dam operations and habitat degradation in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems - the state's benchmark watershed for salmon production - continue to threaten the wild and hatchery-supported populations that are vital to the commercial and recreational fisheries, he said.

Wild salmon hatch in rivers and streams before migrating to the Pacific Ocean where they spend most of their lives before returning to their natal waters. Healthy river flows during the early stages of that life cycle are critical to ensuring enough juvenile fish can survive to adulthood, McManus said.

Still, for Harbarth, the charter boat captain, the bustle of summer days pursuing salmon is a reminder of what's possible.

He is welcoming back customers who spent the intervening years with other hobbies. Now, bleary-eyed, they arrive dockside at dawn and, hours later, disembark for home in the afternoon, hopefully with coolers of Chinook.

The season is a shadow of what it once was, but Harbarth said witnessing the rebound of stock out in the ocean has given many reason to believe that steps are being taken in the right direction.

You can reach Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5254 or at anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 9:57 AM.