Salmon fishing returns to Sacramento River after 3-year closure as restoration efforts continue

For the first time in three years, fisherman are once again casting their lines into the Sacramento River in search of Chinook salmon.

California officially reopened salmon fishing on the river this week after a three-year closure brought on by historically low salmon populations.

The reopening marks a significant milestone for fishermen, guides and conservationists who have spent years working to restore one of the state's most iconic fish species.

The Sacramento River is best known for its Chinook salmon, one of four major salmon species found in California alongside coho, pink and chum salmon.

The season runs through Dec. 31, but anglers must have a valid California sport fishing license and are limited to two Chinook salmon per day.

Years of restoration helped make the reopening possible

Many conservation groups and state officials credit the reopening to years of restoration work aimed at rebuilding California's struggling salmon populations.

The state has adopted a six-point strategy to restore salmon runs, including habitat restoration, hatchery improvements and removing barriers that prevent fish from reaching spawning grounds.

One of the most significant milestones came in late 2024, when the last of four dams on the Klamath River was removed.

The Klamath dam removal project, the largest in U.S. history, reopened hundreds of miles of historic salmon habitat that had been blocked for more than a century.

Rebuilding salmon habitat across Northern California

Efforts to restore salmon extend well beyond the Klamath River.

For more than a century, agriculture, urban development, dams and levees have dramatically altered California's rivers and streams, reducing spawning habitat and contributing to declining salmon populations.

"When salmon aren't doing well, lots of other things in the environment aren't doing well," said Carson Jeffres with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.

Today, researchers, farmers, water agencies and conservation groups are working together across the Sacramento River watershed to improve spawning habitat, modernize hatcheries and increase young salmon survival.

"We've all come together and said we're going to improve conditions for salmon," said David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association. "It's some of the most exciting work we're doing."

One innovative project near Woodland floods rice fields during the winter, turning them into seasonal nurseries where juvenile salmon can grow before migrating downstream.

"The more we do, the more things will improve for salmon, and we'll hopefully have vibrant salmon runs in California for many years to come," Guy said.

In Solano County, restoration efforts on Putah Creek are producing encouraging results.

Streamkeeper Max Stevenson has helped restore natural creek habitat by reshaping the streambed to create better spawning conditions.

The work has resulted in more than 21,000 salmon returning to spawn, producing an estimated 500,000 baby salmon.

"That's a great number," Stevenson said. "That's like having a small hatchery out here."

Farther north near Redding, crews are adding large rocks and trees back into the Sacramento River to create slower-moving water where young salmon can grow before heading to the Pacific Ocean.

"Hopefully, what we're doing is holding those fish longer, letting them get bigger before they turn and head to the ocean," said Roger Cornwell, president of the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors.

Researchers say salmon recovery remains a long-term effort, but the return of recreational fishing represents an important step forward.

"The ability to have people go and catch fish and use the resource is one of the ways you bring that energy for conservation and management," Jeffres said.

"The season's only going to get better."

Along the river in Sacramento on Friday, boats filled the water while others tried their luck from the shoreline, hoping to reel in the first Chinook of the season.

Fishing guide B Panachon Say-Lee said anticipation has been building for months.

"We're all excited. The season's only going to get better," he said.

Even with sonar technology helping locate fish beneath the surface, catching salmon remains far from guaranteed.

"And then you have those red fireballs right here in the suspended column — those are fish," Say-Lee said while pointing to his fish finder.

Still, finding those fish is only half the battle.

"Any day you can catch one fish per person, that's a great day," he said.

Fellow fisherman echoed that sentiment.

"We call it hours of boredom for moments of pandemonium," one fisherman said.

Not everyone landed a fish on opening day.

"We got one that got off right at the boat," another angler said.

Many people said they were simply happy to be back on the water.

"Everybody was excited to get out. Either way, beautiful day," Say-Lee said.