March Offers Fishing Shows, Derbies - And Anticipation
March is an ideal time to prepare for the spring and summer fishing seasons. The new fishing regulations booklets have just been released with season dates, limits and special regulations. You can talk to fishing guides and hire an outfitter at a sports show, kick the tires on a new boat or RV, and take the kids to a local fishing derby. It's time to target crappies and prespawn bass in lakes and reservoirs, and plan for the upcoming ocean seasons and the Sierra trout opener next month.
2018 Saltwater, Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations Released
The 2018 freshwater and saltwater sport fishing regulations booklets have just been released. They are available online at the CDFW website and are being distributed to license agents and CDFW sales offices across the state. More Info
Learn to Fish at CDFW's Fishing in the City Events
Fishing in the City clinics give city dwellers an opportunity to learn how to fish close to home. Several events will be held in March and April. Find one near you and take a first-timer fishing! More Info
Fred Hall Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show
The Fred Hall Shows are rolling down the state. The fishing, boating, travel, hunting, outdoor recreation extravaganzas have already taken place in Bakersfield and Long Beach this month. The Del Mar show in San Diego County is scheduled for March 22-25 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, Calif. CDFW will be there selling the full complement of recreational and commercial licenses, tags, report cards and warden stamps among other items. CDFW hatcheries will provide rainbow trout for the kids' fishing pond, and CDFW wildlife officers will be there to answer questions and provide insight into one of the most rewarding careers available - protecting California's natural resources. Shows Info
Siskiyou Sportmen's Expo
For anglers in the north state, the Siskiyou Sportsmen's Expo takes place March 24-25 at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds, 1712 Fairlane Road in Yreka, Calif. CDFW will provide trout for the youth fishing event. Siskiyou Info
Catch a Big One!
Every year, CDFW trout hatcheries release trophy-sized trout to certain waters for recreational angling and the chance to catch a special fish. CDFW has just announced the locations for the release of trophy trout in 2018 with stocking beginning in late April and continuing through July in some places. More Info
Drought, Poor Ocean Conditions Impact Salmon Outlook for 2018
The effects of the recent drought are still impacting California's salmon populations. Unsuitable river conditions, coupled with persistently poor ocean conditions during the same period resulted in very low numbers of adult Chinook returning to spawn in both the Klamath and Sacramento river basins in 2017. Over the next two months, state and federal wildlife officials will use this and other information to set the ocean and river salmon sport fishing, season dates, open and closed areas, size limits and bag limits. More Info
Fishing Area Closure: Nimbus Basin
Closure of the Nimbus Basin to fishing is part of the Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage Project, which involves reorienting the hatchery's fish ladder into the Nimbus Basin and removing the existing fish weir. This project will create and maintain a reliable system of collecting adult salmon and steelhead broodstock for the hatchery and increase the amount of natural spawning and rearing habitat available in the lower American River. More Info
Save the Dates: San Joaquin River Fishing Derby and Trout Fest
March 24 - 5th Annual San Joaquin River Fishing Derby, 7 to 11 a.m. with registration beginning at 6 a.m., Sycamore Island, Madera, Calif. The derby celebrates the San Joaquin River's diverse fishing and recreational opportunities and both trout and bass are the target species. Prizes will include an annual pass to Sycamore Island, a River Camp scholarship, river tours and a grand prize drawing for a California Lifetime Fishing License. There is no charge to enter the derby but participants must pay the regular Sycamore Island day-use fee of $9 per vehicle and $5 per trailered boat. For more information, please visit the 5th Annual Sycamore Island Fishing Derby .
April 14 - Trout Fest at the Moccasin Creek Hatchery in Tuolumne County takes place 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15300 Highway 49, Moccasin, Calif. This popular kids-focused event offers trout fishing for kids 15 and younger, trout cleaning, trout tasting, fish printing, fly tying, fly casting and other hands-on activities. All gear is provided and all activities are free. For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Featured Scientist: Morgan Knechtle
Meet Morgan Knechtle, whose love for rivers and childhood fishing adventures led him to a CDFW career as one of our environmental scientist salmon experts. More Info
CDFW Fish Truck Tracker
You can enjoy firsthand CDFW's efforts to raise and stock millions of trout each year for recreational angling. Check out the fish planting schedule website, which is updated in real time by CDFW hatchery staff, and plan your next trip. Fish Planting Schedule
2018 Warden Stamp
For just $5, you can support California's wildlife officers and help provide them with better equipment and training. The 2018 warden stamp celebrates CDFW's K-9 officers and is great way to show your support for California's natural resources. More Info
