BY DAVE HURLEY
SACRAMENTO – It’s been a long three years since shoreline anglers have been able to cast spinners from the banks on the Sacramento River at Benicia, Freeport, Hood, and other locations along the banks. Trollers will once again be able to pull a variety of Wiggle Warts, Flatfish, and Silvertrons from Isleton to Walnut Grove while others will anchor up higher on the river from the metropolitan Sacramento region upstream with Flatfish or spinners. The reopening of the Sacramento River is a boon to local tackle shops who will now be able to restock their terminal tackle for river salmon.In addition to the Sacramento River, inland anglers will enjoy a full season on the Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers after a shortened season in 2025. For the Central Valley, the general fall-run salmon fishing season will open on July 16 and close on Dec. 16, with some variation for upper and lower stretches of the rivers. For each tributary a daily bag limit of two fish and a possession limit of four fish of any size have been set.
The river regulations are as follows:
July 16 – December 16:
- Sacramento River from the Carquinez Bridge to Highway 113 near Knight’s Landing
- Sacramento River from Highway 113 to Woodson Bridge
August 1 – October 31 and November 1 – December 31
- Sacramento River from Woodson Bridge to the Deschutes Road Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge east to the Carquinez Bridge is still officially listed under Ocean/San Francisco Bay Regulations from July 27 – July 22 and August 1 – August 31.
This is great news for inland anglers, tackle shops, launches, hotels, gas stations, guides, and all who will once again benefit from the ability to target Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River and tributaries. The ability to fish for inland salmon in 2026 is attributed to increases in hatchery production, investments in salmon research and habitat restoration projects, a series of good water years, dam removals and inland and ocean fishery closures. All regulations, season dates and boundaries will be printed in the Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations when available.