Hunter Cut

The White Sturgeon sport fishing season is scheduled to reopen October 1. 

The new White Sturgeon sport fishing regulations specify the following open seasons to reduce stress during warmer times of the year and protect spawning and migrating fish. 

1. From Oct. 1 through June 30: For ocean waters and San Francisco Bay east to downstream of the confluence of the Feather River on the Sacramento River and downstream of the I-5 bridge on the San Joaquin River.
2. From Oct. 1 through December 31: upstream of the confluence of the Feather River to the Highway 162 Bridge on the Sacramento River and upstream of the I-5 bridge on the San Joaquin River.

Closures to sturgeon fishing:

• Closed all year
• All tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.
• North Coast District (Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Siskiyou counties).
• Sacramento River upstream of the Highway 162 bridge (Butte City).
• Yolo Bypass, Toe Drain Canal, and Tule Canal upstream of the Lisbon Weir.
• Closed January 1 through March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncey (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.

The new regulations also specify handling requirements:

• Any sturgeon greater than 60 inches fork length may not be removed from the water and shall be released immediately.
• Sturgeon of any size shall not be held out of water suspended by the gills, gill plates, mouth, or solely by the tail, and shall not be dragged across the ground, boat decks, or piers.

Green Sturgeon are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act and take is prohibited. All Green Sturgeon must be kept in the water and released immediately.  

Report card required: Any person fishing for or taking sturgeon shall have in their possession a non-transferable Sturgeon Fishing Report Card issued by the department and shall adhere to all reporting and tagging requirements for sturgeon defined in Sections 1.74 and 27.92, Title 14, CCR. To learn more about the report card requirement tap here. To learn more about reporting your harvest on a report card tap here.

For regulations on take and possession of sturgeon in inland waters as defined in Section 1.53, see Section 5.80 and Section 5.81.

Sturgeon Fishing Report Card Required. All anglers must have a valid Sturgeon Fishing Report Card in their possession while fishing for or taking white sturgeon. Cardholders must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74 of these regulations.

For more information, see California Saltwater Sportfishing Regulations