Creature Feature: Gopher Rockfish

Most gopher rockfish are caught between Pt. Conception and Monterey Bay in nearshore waters, but they may generally be found from Mendocino County southward off California. Gopher rockfish range from the intertidal zone to depths of around 282 ft., but are most commonly found at depths greater than 40 ft.

Evaluating the Needs of the California Halibut Fishery: A Progress Report

Collecting halibut length, sex, and age data from a commercial trawl landing to inform the stock assessment, at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
CDFW photo by K. Lesyna

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is committed to working with stakeholders to evaluate the needs of the California halibut fishery and community. Since holding two public webinars in summer/fall 2021, CDFW staff have made advances in several priority areas, as outlined below.

2020 Stock Assessment
To improve the performance and accuracy of the California halibut

Fishery Scientists Share Salmon Abundance, Spawning Numbers at Virtual Information Meeting

Chinook salmon
photo by K. Morgenstern

At the virtual Salmon Information Meeting today, fishery scientists presented updates on the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California’s rivers in 2021 and shared the expected abundance for the upcoming fishing season.

The 2022 ocean abundance projection for Sacramento River fall Chinook, a main salmon stock harvested in California waters, is estimated at 396,500 adult salmon, higher than the 2021 forecast. The Klamath River fall Chinook abundance forecast also came in slightly above the 2021 forecast, with 200,100 adult Klamath River fall Chinook salmon predicted to be in the ocean this year, a value that remains well below the stock’s historical levels.

Want to Fish for Free? Come On Down to Your Local Public Pier!

Fishing at Ocean Beach Pier, San Diego

Where can you go to catch some tasty California ocean fish if you don’t have a recreational fishing license? Try one of the many free fishing piers, jetties, or breakwaters along the coast, where you can wet your line for fish such as perch, greenling, rockfish, and bass. A list of free fishing piers and a zoomable map of pier locations is now available on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website to help you plan your pier fishing adventure.

Bag Limits for Saltwater Snails? Following the Regulations for Tidepool Foraging

Gooseneck barnacles may not be collected. photo © Lauren Glevanik CC BY-NC 2.0

Rock crab. Daily bag limit: 35. Size limit: 4 in. across. May be collected by hand, see regulations for trap/hoop net and measuring device requirements. CDFW photo by A. Frimodig

Shore crab. Daily bag limit: 35. CDFW photo by C. Makeyev

Green abalone. No abalone species may be taken (red abalone season is closed). photo by J. Demeter

California mussels. Daily bag limit: 10 lb. in the shell. Only hands may be used to collect them (no tools may be used). CDFW photo by C. Makeyev

Purple sea urchins, red sea urchin. Daily bag limit 35; some northern California counties have larger bag limits for purple sea urchin when snorkling or diving (see regulations). CDFW photo by D. Stein

Tidepools have yielded food for hungry humans for thousands of years, though it was a brave soul who first pried open a mussel and thought, “Ooh, this looks tasty!”