2013-2014 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations

Effective March 1, 2013

Species Regulations (CCR, T14, Chapter 2, Article 4, Sections 5.65-5.95)

5.65. Shad, American.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under special regulations.
• (b) Limit: Twenty-five.
• (c) Methods of take: Shad may be taken only by angling, except that a dip net may be used in the Valley District.

5.70. Splittail, Sacramento.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under district or special regulations.
• (b) Limit: Two
• (c) Methods of take: Splittail may be only taken by angling.

5.75. Striped Bass.

• (a) Open season: All year except for closures listed in special regulations.
• (b) Limit: Two, except in waters listed in (d) below.
• (c) Minimum size: 18 inches total length except in waters listed in (d) below.
• (d) Exceptions:
  • (1) In the Colorado River District, the Southern District (except Lake Elsinore, and New Hogan, San Antonio and Santa Margarita lakes
    • (A) Limit: Ten.
    • (B) Minimum size: No size limit.
  • (2) Lake Elsinore has the limit and minimum size shown in (b) and (c) above.
• (e) For the purpose of these regulations, any striped bass hybrid with white bass is considered to be striped bass.

5.79. White Sturgeon Report Card and Tagging Requirements for Inland Waters.

• (a) Sturgeon Fishing Report Card Required. All anglers must have a Sturgeon Fishing Report Card in their possession while fishing for or taking sturgeon. Anglers must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74.
• (b) Tagging and Recording Requirements for Retained Fish. A Sturgeon Fishing Report Card includes detachable tags that shall be used to tag any white sturgeon that is taken and retained in the sport fishery. Any white sturgeon possessed by any person shall be tagged.
  • (1) Upon taking and retaining a white sturgeon, the cardholder shall immediately record the following information:
    • (A) The month, day, fishing location and length of the fish shall be recorded in the appropriate spaces on the tag. Tags shall be used in sequential order.
    • (B) The month, day, fishing location and length of the fish shall be recorded in the appropriate spaces on the Sturgeon Fishing Report Card which corresponds to the number on the tag.
  • (2) Immediately after recording the information above, the cardholder shall remove and completely detach the tag from the card and affix it to the white sturgeon. Cardholders shall not wait until completion of fishing activity to tag any white sturgeon in possession.
  • (3) The tag shall be securely fastened to the fish. To affix the tag, a “zip tie”, string, line or other suitable material shall be passed through the tag at the location specified on the sturgeon tag and attached to the fish.
  • (4) Tags shall not be removed from the report card until immediately prior to affixing to a white sturgeon. Any tags detached from the report card and not affixed to a white sturgeon shall be considered used and therefore invalid. No person shall possess any used or otherwise invalid sturgeon tags.
  • (5) Records of Prior Activity. All tags must be accounted for at all times by entry of a record on the Sturgeon Fishing Report Card corresponding to all tags that are not in possession. Any tag that was lost or destroyed shall be recorded as such on the corresponding line on the Sturgeon Fishing Report Card.
  • (6) If the sturgeon has a department reward disk attached, write the reward disk number in the space provided on the report card.
• (c) Reporting Requirements for Released Fish.
  • (1) Whenever the cardholder catches and releases a sturgeon, the cardholder shall immediately record the month, day, location code, and species of sturgeon.
  • (2) If all lines in the “sturgeon released” field of the report card are filled, any additional sturgeon caught and released need not be recorded on the card.
  • (3) If the sturgeon has a department reward disk attached, write the reward disk number in the space provided on the report card.
• (d) Sturgeon tags must be left affixed to the fish in place, including while stored at a residence or non-transient location, until the fish is processed for immediate consumption.
• (e) The annual fee for the Sturgeon Fishing Report Card is specified in Section 701, Title 14, CCR.

5.80. White Sturgeon.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under special regulations.

• (b) Daily and annual bag limit: One fish per day. Three fish per year statewide.

• (c) Size limit: No fish less than 40 inches fork length or greater than 60 inches fork length may be taken or possessed.

• (d) Methods of take: Only one single point, single shank, barbless hook may be used on a line when taking sturgeon. The sturgeon must voluntarily take the bait or lure in its mouth. No sturgeon may be taken by trolling, snagging or by the use of firearms. Sturgeon may not be gaffed, nor shall any person use any type of firearm or snare to assist in landing or killing any sturgeon.
  For the purposes of this section, a snare is a flexible loop made from any material that can be tightened like a noose around any part of the fish.

• (e) Removal from water: Any sturgeon greater than 68 inches fork length may not be removed from the water and shall be released immediately.

• (f) Report card required: Any person fishing for or taking sturgeon shall have in their possession a nontransferable Sturgeon Fishing Report Card issued by CDFW and shall adhere to all reporting and tagging requirements for sturgeon defined in Sections 1.74 and 5.79, Title 14, CCR.

• (g) Special North Coast District Sturgeon Closure (Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Siskiyou cos.). It is unlawful to take any sturgeon in the North Coast District at any time.

• (h) For regulations on take and possession of sturgeon in ocean waters as defined in Section 27.00, see Sections 27.90, 27.91, and 27.95.

• (i) Special Sierra and Valley District Sturgeon Closure from January 1 to December 31 (Shasta, Tehama and Glenn cos.)

  • (1) Sacramento River from Keswick Dam to the Highway 162 Bridge.
    • (A) It is unlawful to take any sturgeon.
    • (B) It is unlawful to use wire leaders.
    • (C) It is unlawful to use lamprey or any type of shrimp as bait.

5.81. Green Sturgeon.

• (a) Green sturgeon may not be taken or possessed.
• (b) Green sturgeon may not be removed from the water and shall be released immediately.
• (c) Green sturgeon taken and released incidentally to white sturgeon fishing shall be reported on a Sturgeon Fishing Report Card issued by the department, in accordance with procedures defined in Sections 1.74 and 5.79, Title 14, CCR.
• (d) Special Sierra and Valley District Sturgeon Closure from January 1 to December 31 (Shasta, Tehama and Glenn cos.).
  • (1) Sacramento River from Keswick Dam to the Highway 162 Bridge.
    • (A) It is unlawful to take any sturgeon.
    • (B) It is unlawful to use wire leaders.
    • (C) It is unlawful to use lamprey or any type of shrimp as bait.

5.82. Sunfish and Crappie.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under district or special regulations.
• (b) Limit: Combined bag limit of twenty-five sunfish and crappie of all species, except in:
  • (1) Barrett and Upper Otay Lakes (San Diego County): zero bag limit for all species.
• (c) Size Limit: No size limit, except at Hodges and El Capitan Lakes (San Diego County), where the crappie minimum size limit is 10 inches, total length.

5.83. Tilapia.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under district or special regulations.
• (b) Limit: No limit.

5.85. Trout and Salmon.

See Chapter 3, District Trout, Salmon and Special Regulations.

5.86. Hoopa and Yurok Indian Salmon Possession Limit.

It is unlawful for any person to possess more than one daily bag or possession limit of fish except as follows: Eligible Hoopa Valley and Yurok Reservation Indians, as defined in Chapter 1, Part 250, Title 25, CFR-Indian Fishing, Hoopa Valley Reservation and Yurok Reservation-Department of the Interior; may possess more than two salmon outside boundaries of the Hoopa Valley Reservation, provided:

• (a) Such eligible Indians possess and display upon demand by any officer authorized to enforce this section their Indian Fishers identification card.
• (b) All fish are possessed for subsistence or ceremonial purposes and are clearly marked by removing the dorsal fin prior to transporting them from the reservation.

It shall be unlawful to sell or possess for sale any salmon marked pursuant to this section.

5.87. North Coast Salmon Report Card Requirement.

• (a) Report Card Required in Waters of the Klamath-Trinity River System and the Smith River. All anglers must have a North Coast Salmon Report Card in their possession while fishing for or taking salmon in waters of the Klamath-Trinity River System and the Smith River, and must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74.
• (b) Prior to beginning fishing activity, the cardholder shall record the month, day, and fishing location on the first available line on the report card.
• (c) For the Klamath-Trinity River System: Whenever the cardholder lands (either retains or releases) a Chinook salmon, the angler shall immediately record whether the fish was an adult or a jack, and whether the fish has an adipose fin present. Whenever the cardholder releases a Coho salmon, the angler shall immediately record whether the maxillary is present or absent.
• (d) For the Smith River: Whenever the cardholder lands (either retains or releases) a Chinook salmon, the angler shall immediately record whether the fish was an adult or a jack, and whether the fish has an adipose fin or left ventral fin present.
• (e) Whenever the cardholder moves to another fishing location, the angler shall record the month, day, and location on the next line on the report card.
• (f) In the Klamath-Trinity River System and Smith River, a jack Chinook salmon is defined as any Chinook salmon that is less than 22 inches total length.
• (g) In the event an angler fills in all lines and returns a North Coast Salmon Report Card, an additional card may be purchased. See Section 1.74.
• (h) The annual fee for the North Coast Salmon Report Card is specified in Section 701, Title 14, CCR.

5.88. Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Requirements for Inland Waters.

• (a) Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card Required. All anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for or taking steelhead in anadromous waters, as defined in Section 1.04. Anglers must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74. For purposes of these regulations, a steelhead trout is defined as any rainbow trout greater than 16 inches in length found in anadromous waters.
• (b) Prior to beginning fishing activity, the cardholder must record the month, day, and location code on the first available line on the report card.
• (c) When a steelhead is retained, the cardholder must immediately fill in a circle indicating whether the fish is a wild fish or a hatchery fish.
• (d) When the cardholder moves to another location code, or finishes fishing for the day, the angler must immediately record on the card the number of wild and hatchery fish that were released from that location and the number of hours fished for steelhead to the nearest hour.
• (e) In the event an angler fills in all lines and returns a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card, an additional card may be purchased. See Section 1.74.
• (f) The annual fee for the Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card is specified in Section 7380 of the Fish and Game Code.

5.90. White Bass.

• (a) Open season: All year.
• (b) Limit: No limit. No live white bass may be possessed or transported. Any white bass taken must immediately be killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills, except at Lake Nacimiento (San Luis Obispo County) where any white bass taken must immediately be released into the water or killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills.

5.91. YELLOW PERCH.

• (a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under district or special regulations.
• (b) Limit: No limit.

5.93. Fully Protected Fishes.

None of the following fishes may be taken or possessed at any time: Colorado pikeminnow, Mohave chub, Lost River sucker, Modoc sucker, shortnose sucker, humpback sucker, Owens pupfish, unarmored threespine stickleback, rough sculpin, bonytail, Owens tui chub, Cottonball Marsh pupfish and desert pupfish.

5.95. Other Species.

Other species of fish may be taken in any number and at any time of the year by angling, except for closures and restrictions listed under district special regulations.