Nearshore rockfish Regulations in California (2026)

Recreational nearshore rockfish rules in California saltwater, as published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Last checked November 7, 2026.

Limits differ by area — the summary below is the first published rule; see every rule underneath.

Size limit

All Rockfish: No minimum size limit

Bag limit

10 per person

Season

Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1…

Can I keep it today? Check your harbor & date

Recreational Nearshore rockfish rules in California

Where: Northern Management Area (ocean)
Size limit: All Rockfish: No minimum size limit
Bag limit: 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person
Season: Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - December 31: Open all depths

Descending device required in possession when taking federal groundfish from a boat in ocean waters (CCR T14, §27.20(b)(2)).
Boundary: 42°00’ N. latitude (CA-OR Border) to 40°10' N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino) (CCR T14, §27.25(a)) Printable PDF of this table
Filleting aboard a vessel: All Rockfish: No minimum length. Fillets must have entire skin attached Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum length. Fillets must have the entire skin attached
Divers and shore-based anglers are exempt from season and depth restrictions (footnote 2).
Page updated June 23, 2026; regulations subject to in-season change.

Official source

Where: Mendocino Management Area (ocean)
Size limit: All Rockfish: No minimum size limit
Bag limit: 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person
Season: Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - December 31: Open all depths

Descending device required in possession when taking federal groundfish from a boat in ocean waters (CCR T14, §27.20(b)(2)).
Boundary: 40°10' N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino) to 38°57.5' N. latitude (Point Arena)(CCR T14, §27.30(a)) Printable PDF of this table
Filleting aboard a vessel: All Rockfish: No minimum length. Fillets must have entire skin attached Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum length. Fillets must have the entire skin attached
Divers and shore-based anglers are exempt from season and depth restrictions (footnote 2).
Page updated June 23, 2026; regulations subject to in-season change.

Official source

Where: San Francisco Management Area (ocean)
Size limit: All Rockfish: No minimum size limit
Bag limit: 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person
Season: Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - December 31: Open all depths

Descending device required in possession when taking federal groundfish from a boat in ocean waters (CCR T14, §27.20(b)(2)).
Boundary: 38°57.5' N. latitude (Point Arena) to 37°11' N. latitude (Pigeon Point)(CCR T14, §27.35(a))
Filleting aboard a vessel: All Rockfish: No minimum length. Fillets must have entire skin attached Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum length. Fillets must have the entire skin attached
Divers and shore-based anglers are exempt from season and depth restrictions (footnote 2).
Page updated June 23, 2026; regulations subject to in-season change.

Official source

Where: Central Management Area (ocean)
Size limit: All Rockfish: No minimum size limit
Bag limit: 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person
Season: Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - December 31: Open all depths

Descending device required in possession when taking federal groundfish from a boat in ocean waters (CCR T14, §27.20(b)(2)).
Boundary: 37°11' N. latitude (Pigeon Point) to 34°27' N. latitude (Point Conception)(CCR T14, §27.40(a)) Printable PDF of this table
Filleting aboard a vessel: All Rockfish: No minimum length. Fillets must have entire skin attached Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum length. Fillets must have the entire skin attached
Divers and shore-based anglers are exempt from season and depth restrictions (footnote 2).
Page updated June 23, 2026; regulations subject to in-season change.

Official source

Where: Southern Management Area (ocean)
Size limit: All Rockfish: No minimum size limit
Bag limit: 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person
Season: Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - June 30: Open All Depths | July 1 - Sep 30: 50 Fathom - Inshore Only Take is prohibited seaward of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line, which is a series of connected waypoints defined in Federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C) | Oct 1 - Dec 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters

Descending device required in possession when taking federal groundfish from a boat in ocean waters (CCR T14, §27.20(b)(2)).
Boundary: 34°27' N. latitude (Point Conception) to the U.S.-Mexico Border (CCR T14, §27.45(a))
Filleting aboard a vessel: All Rockfish: No minimum length. Fillets must have entire skin attached Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum length. Fillets must have the entire skin attached
Divers and shore-based anglers are exempt from season and depth restrictions (footnote 2).
Page updated June 23, 2026; regulations subject to in-season change.

Official source

Commercial rules

Show 5 commercial rules

Where: Northern Management Area (state waters north of 40°10′ N. lat.) (ocean)
Size limit: Black-and-yellow, gopher, and kelp rockfish, California scorpionfish (sculpin) not less than 10 inches total length. Kelp greenlings, rock greenlings, China and grass rockfish not less than 12 inches total length.
Bag limit: Cumulative trip limit in state waters: Black rockfish: 7,000 lbs / 2 mo | Nearshore rockfish excluding black rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo, of which no more than 75 lbs may be copper rockfish

Federal trip limits for non-nearshore groundfish stocks (including lingcod and the other flatfish complex) are extended into state waters, statewide. Trip limits for nearshore groundfish stocks are provided in the tables below. Please be aware, vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits.
Commercial Groundfish Trip Limits in State Waters North of 40° 10' N latitude (near Cape Mendocino) Vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits. Federal groundfish are defined in Section 1.91, Title 14, CCR.
Size limit source: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=191712&inline
A Nearshore Fishery Permit is required to take nearshore fish stocks commercially (T14 CCR §150.01).

Official source

Where: Mendocino Management Area (state waters south of 40°10′ N. lat.) (ocean)
Size limit: Black-and-yellow, gopher, and kelp rockfish, California scorpionfish (sculpin) not less than 10 inches total length. Kelp greenlings, rock greenlings, China and grass rockfish not less than 12 inches total length.
Bag limit: Cumulative trip limit in state waters: Shallow nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo | Deeper nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo, of which no more than 75 lbs may be copper rockfish

Federal trip limits for non-nearshore groundfish stocks (including lingcod and the other flatfish complex) are extended into state waters, statewide. Trip limits for nearshore groundfish stocks are provided in the tables below. Please be aware, vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits.
Commercial Groundfish Trip Limits in State Waters South of 40° 10' N latitude (near Cape Mendocino) Vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits. Federal groundfish are defined in Section 1.91, Title 14, CCR.
Size limit source: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=191712&inline
A Nearshore Fishery Permit is required to take nearshore fish stocks commercially (T14 CCR §150.01).

Official source

Where: San Francisco Management Area (state waters south of 40°10′ N. lat.) (ocean)
Size limit: Black-and-yellow, gopher, and kelp rockfish, California scorpionfish (sculpin) not less than 10 inches total length. Kelp greenlings, rock greenlings, China and grass rockfish not less than 12 inches total length.
Bag limit: Cumulative trip limit in state waters: Shallow nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo | Deeper nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo, of which no more than 75 lbs may be copper rockfish

Federal trip limits for non-nearshore groundfish stocks (including lingcod and the other flatfish complex) are extended into state waters, statewide. Trip limits for nearshore groundfish stocks are provided in the tables below. Please be aware, vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits.
Commercial Groundfish Trip Limits in State Waters South of 40° 10' N latitude (near Cape Mendocino) Vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits. Federal groundfish are defined in Section 1.91, Title 14, CCR.
Size limit source: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=191712&inline
A Nearshore Fishery Permit is required to take nearshore fish stocks commercially (T14 CCR §150.01).

Official source

Where: Central Management Area (state waters south of 40°10′ N. lat.) (ocean)
Size limit: Black-and-yellow, gopher, and kelp rockfish, California scorpionfish (sculpin) not less than 10 inches total length. Kelp greenlings, rock greenlings, China and grass rockfish not less than 12 inches total length.
Bag limit: Cumulative trip limit in state waters: Shallow nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo | Deeper nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo, of which no more than 75 lbs may be copper rockfish

Federal trip limits for non-nearshore groundfish stocks (including lingcod and the other flatfish complex) are extended into state waters, statewide. Trip limits for nearshore groundfish stocks are provided in the tables below. Please be aware, vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits.
Commercial Groundfish Trip Limits in State Waters South of 40° 10' N latitude (near Cape Mendocino) Vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits. Federal groundfish are defined in Section 1.91, Title 14, CCR.
Size limit source: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=191712&inline
A Nearshore Fishery Permit is required to take nearshore fish stocks commercially (T14 CCR §150.01).

Official source

Where: Southern Management Area (state waters south of 40°10′ N. lat.) (ocean)
Size limit: Black-and-yellow, gopher, and kelp rockfish, California scorpionfish (sculpin) not less than 10 inches total length. Kelp greenlings, rock greenlings, China and grass rockfish not less than 12 inches total length.
Bag limit: Cumulative trip limit in state waters: Shallow nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo | Deeper nearshore rockfish: 2,000 lbs / 2 mo, of which no more than 75 lbs may be copper rockfish

Federal trip limits for non-nearshore groundfish stocks (including lingcod and the other flatfish complex) are extended into state waters, statewide. Trip limits for nearshore groundfish stocks are provided in the tables below. Please be aware, vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits.
Commercial Groundfish Trip Limits in State Waters South of 40° 10' N latitude (near Cape Mendocino) Vessels fishing in both state and federal waters are not entitled to additive trip limits. Federal groundfish are defined in Section 1.91, Title 14, CCR.
Size limit source: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=191712&inline
A Nearshore Fishery Permit is required to take nearshore fish stocks commercially (T14 CCR §150.01).

Official source

Quick answers

What is the nearshore rockfish size limit in California?

All Rockfish: No minimum size limit (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).

How many nearshore rockfish can I keep in California?

10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish (PDF): 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish (PDF): 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish (PDF): 2 fish per person (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).

When is nearshore rockfish season in California?

Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters | April 1 - December 31: Open all depths. Whether it is open on a specific day can change by emergency rule — check today's status in the app.

More groundfish & flatfish in California

All California saltwater fishing regulations →

Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Most anglers need a California saltwater license or registry: get one here.