Species guide · California

Chinook salmon fishing in California

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, a sea-run species also called king salmon, king and blackmouth. Listed for the Northern California region.

Where it's scoring now All California waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Northern California

Jan: Not present
Feb: Not present
Mar: Off season
Apr: Shoulder season
May: Shoulder season
Jun: Peak season
Jul: Peak season
Aug: Peak season
Sep: Shoulder season
Oct: Off season
Nov: Not present
Dec: Not present

Peak: Jun to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Sep.

Research notes, Northern California region

Historically Monterey and San Francisco open in April with Fort Bragg and Eureka peaking July and August and San Francisco kings staging off the Golden Gate into September. Ocean sport salmon was closed 2023 to 2025 after Sacramento fall-run collapses; 2026 allowed only Sep 1 to Oct 31 north of Pigeon Point and Sep 1 to 30 south of it. Klamath, Smith and Eel river mouths have closure zones.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 0

The Waterlands engine isn't scoring chinook salmon in any California bay system in the current 14-day forecast, which usually means the species is out of season.

Not scored in this forecast: Coastal waters from Cape Mendocino to Pt. Arena CA out 10 nm, Coastal Waters from Point Arena to Point Reyes California out to 10 nm, Humboldt Bay, Humboldt Bay Bar, Monterey Bay, San Francisco Bay South of the Bay Bridge and San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, the West Delta and the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge.

How and where it feeds

Water temperature: Feeds from 42°F to 60°F, best between 46°F and 54°F.
Water depth: 10 to 300 ft of water.
Structure: Point, rip, kelp, channel, open water, estuary and bay, in that order of preference.
Tide and current: Prefers incoming tide, high tide and moving water, with moderate current.In Puget Sound and Southeast Alaska, Chinook gather where tidal current runs past points and over underwater ridges, forming rips that stack herring and needlefish. At estuary mouths like Buoy 10 the incoming tide brings cooler ocean water, bait and salmon in, and ODFW names the first hour after high slack as the tide starts out as a prime window. Ocean trolling is less tide driven than inside waters.
Light: Bites best around dawn and dusk.
Pressure: Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits: 20 kt of wind and 7 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Chinook hold near bait off points, kelp edges and tide rips, usually suspended 20 to 120 feet down and deeper as the sun gets higher. Troll slowly, under 2 mph, with a flasher and herring, hoochie or spoon on a downrigger, or mooch a plug-cut herring at the depth where the sounder shows bait. Winter blackmouth and feeder kings sit within 10 feet of the bottom in 60 to 200 feet.

Methods: downrigger trolling, trolling with flasher, mooching, motor mooching, casting from shore
Lures: 11-inch flasher with hoochie, trolling spoons, plugs, bucktail flies, large spinners and spoons from shore
Bait: plug-cut herring, whole herring, herring strip, anchovy