photo by E.W. Roberts III
The all-depth recreational groundfish season will open on July 16, 2023 in the San Francisco Groundfish Management Area (GMA) and Mendocino GMA. The all-depth, boat-based season allows fishing in these GMAs regardless of depth, outside of many state or federal marine protected areas or other closures where fishing is prohibited.
The all-depth, boat-based season provides access to nearshore rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings along with deeper shelf and slope rockfish species and lingcod. Take of bronzespotted rockfish, cowcod, and yelloweye rockfish continues to be prohibited year-round at all depths. As of Aug. 7, 2023, take of quillback rockfish is also prohibited year-round at all depths.
Divers and shore-based anglers will continue to be exempt from boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish, which allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling in line with current regulations.
All recreational GMAs in California are scheduled for up to five and a half months of all-depth fishing time in 2023. Additionally, in some areas during specified months, an “offshore-only” fishery will be in effect seaward (away from land) of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line. Different take and possession rules apply to these seasons. The 2023 fishing seasons for each GMA are:
Southern Groundfish Management Area:
- Closed: Jan. 1 – March 31
- All-Depth Season: April 1 – Sept. 15
- Offshore-Only Season: Sept. 16 – Dec. 31
Central Groundfish Management Area:
- Closed: Jan. 1 – April 30
- All-Depth Season: May 1 – Aug. 31
- Offshore-Only Season: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area:
- Closed: Jan. 1 – May 14
- Offshore-Only Season: May 15 – July 15
- All-Depth Season: July 16 – Aug. 31
- Offshore-Only Season: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31
Mendocino Groundfish Management Area:
- Closed: Jan. 1 – May 14
- Offshore-Only Season: May 15 – July 15
- All-Depth Season: July 16 – Aug. 31
- Offshore-Only Season: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31
Northern Groundfish Management Area:
- Closed: Jan. 1 – May 14
- All-Depth Season: May 15 – Aug. 20
- Offshore-Only Season: Aug. 21 – Oct. 15
- Closed: Oct. 16 – Dec. 31
The authorization to fish for groundfish at all depths does not supersede closures in certain state and federal marine protected areas, or other special area closures such as Cowcod Conservation Areas or Cordell Bank where specific fishery closures still apply.
For more detailed information on the 2023 recreational groundfish regulations, visit CDFW’s Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations web page. Anglers should review current groundfish regulations in their area before fishing, as season dates, limits, and depths may change in-season.
For more information on groundfish, check out CDFW’s Groundfish web page, which provides information on groundfish fishery science and management, barotrauma, and new fish identification resources for yelloweye rockfish, yellowtail rockfish vs. olive rockfish, and other rockfish species of concern.
post by CDFW Environmental Scientist Kerri Foote
editor’s note: this article was updated Sept. 8, 2023
Marine Management News 