Inland Salmon Fishing is On!

Image courtesy of California Department of Fish and Game

The long-awaited 2012 season opener is nearly here! Tomorrow, July 16th, salmon fishing opens on the Sacramento, Feather, American, and Mokelumne Rivers.

We've been hearing reports that the Feather River is literally loaded up with salmon, and we're looking forward to a banner season.

Here's a summary of the updated salmon fishing regulations issued by the DFG. More details on gear restrictions etc. can be found on the DFG's site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations.

Sacramento River 

• Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas. 
• From Deschutes Road Bridge near Anderson to 500 feet upstream of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam, open Aug. 1 through Dec. 16. 
• From 150 feet below the Lower Red Bluff (Sycamore) boat ramp to the Carquinez Bridge (includes Suisun Bay, Grizzly Bay and all tributary sloughs west of Highway 160), open July 16 through Dec. 16. 
• All other areas and dates are closed to salmon fishing. 

Feather River 

• Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas. 
• From the unimproved boat launch ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp, open July 16 through Oct. 15. 
• The area within 250 feet of the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall has been closed under the authority of DFG for public safety and to prevent take of legally protected fish.
• From 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp to the mouth of the river, open July 16 through Dec. 16. 
• All other areas and dates are closed to salmon fishing. 

American River 

• Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas. 
• From Nimbus Dam to Hazel Avenue Bridge, open July 16 through Dec. 31. 
• From Hazel Avenue Bridge to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging station cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery, open July 16 through Aug. 15. 
• From the USGS gauging station cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) power line crossing the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park, open July 16 through Oct. 31. 
• From the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park to the Jibboom Street Bridge, open July 16 through Dec. 31. 
• From the Jibboom Street Bridge to the mouth, open July 16 through Dec. 16. 
• All other dates are closed to salmon fishing. 

Mokelumne River 

• Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas. 
• From Camanche Dam to the Highway 99 Bridge, open July 16 through Oct. 15. 
• From the Highway 99 Bridge to the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam, including Lodi Lake, open July 16 through Dec. 31. 
• From the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge to the mouth, open July 16 through Dec. 16. 
• For purposes of this regulation, this river segment is defined as Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs downstream of the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, east of Highway 160 and north of Highway 12. 

The San Joaquin, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers and all other inland Central Valley areas will remain closed to salmon fishing for 2012. 

Here's to a great season! Be sure to keep us posted on what you're catching!