{"id":4429,"date":"2026-07-13T15:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T15:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4429"},"modified":"2026-07-13T15:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T15:12:15","slug":"salmon-fishing-resumes-off-california-coast-for-first-time-since-2022-heres-what-that-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4429","title":{"rendered":"Salmon fishing resumes off California coast for first time since 2022. Here\u2019s what that means"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>

Read more Steamy Bay Area heat wave expected to peak at mid-week<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Still, the reopening is far from a return to normal, industry veterans say.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a little less than half throttle right now,\u201d said Capt. Mike Harbarth of Sonoma Coast Adventures. \u201cThere is strict management and they\u2019re being conservative this year. We\u2019ve all respected that.\u201d<\/p>\n

From his charter boat \u201cShauna Lee\u201d 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 \u201cmiles and miles of salmon\u201d off the Sonoma Coast.<\/p>\n

Harbarth, who has spent most of his life chasing salmon, remembers when California\u2019s season stretched from late winter into the next fall \u2014 a far cry from the current reality. But, after three consecutive years of closures, the carefully managed reopening is a welcome start.<\/p>\n