Laws & Licensing

Regulations, licenses, seasons, closures, and enforcement.

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Laws & Licensing WANews deskSeptember 17, 2026
WDFW closes Satsop River to fishing Sept. 16–30 after early salmon targeting
WDFW shut the Satsop from the mouth to Bingham Creek Hatchery dam, including CRC 329A, Sept. 16–30 after enforcement saw anglers targeting salmon before the Oct. 1 opener. Low flows made Chinook more vulnerable; the close preserves October coho impacts.
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Laws & Licensing TXNews deskSeptember 17, 2026
Galveston red tide bloom monitored; menhaden and mullet in the kill
TPWD’s Sept. 14 release: a red tide bloom reported off Galveston since Sept. 8 is being sampled from Crystal Beach to Bolivar Roads and along southern Galveston Island. Cells are moderate to high; the kill is mostly Gulf menhaden and striped mullet.
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Laws & LicensingNews deskSeptember 17, 2026
NOAA revises recreational catch estimates lower; seasons stay put for now
NOAA Fisheries published recalibrated recreational effort and catch estimates back to 1981 under an improved Fishing Effort Survey. The new numbers are systematically lower. Catch limits and seasons do not change until stock assessments use the data, starting late 2026.
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Laws & Licensing FLNews deskSeptember 17, 2026
Gulf gag grouper recreational season ends at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1
FWC matched NOAA’s 2026 Gulf gag calendar: state waters excluding Monroe County, and the federal Gulf EEZ, are open Sept. 1–30 and close at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1. Minimum 24 inches TL; two gag in the four-grouper bag. SEDAR 72 still lists the stock overfished and overfishing.
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Laws & Licensing CANews deskSeptember 17, 2026
CDFW restricts northern anchovy to bait-only from Pigeon Point to Point Lobos
A Sept. 11, 2026 CDFW director declaration under Fish and Game Code 5523 bars commercial and recreational take of northern anchovy for human consumption from south of Pigeon Point to a line due west of Point Lobos after OEHHA and CDPH found elevated domoic acid.
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Laws & Licensing ORNews deskSeptember 16, 2026
ODFW sets four October meetings on 2027 bottomfish and Pacific halibut
ODFW will take 2027 recreational bottomfish and Pacific halibut seasons to four public meetings Oct. 5–8. Agenda includes 2026 recap, bag and season structure, possible limited yelloweye retention after the NMFS rebuilt finding, and September PFMC halibut proposals.
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Laws & Licensing MANews deskSeptember 16, 2026
Massachusetts seizes 324 pounds of illegal commercial stripers in Chatham
Massachusetts Environmental Police, on a Coast Guard tip near Ryders Cove on Aug. 5, found 18 commercial striped bass on a closed day — six under 35 inches and twice the daily commercial limit. 324 pounds forfeited after a civil libel hearing.
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Laws & LicensingNews deskSeptember 14, 2026
FWS final rule adds 1,488 hunting and sport-fishing opportunities on refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2026–27 station-specific final rule opens or expands hunting and sport fishing at 111 field stations (107 refuges and 4 hatcheries) across 32 states — about 1,488 opportunities, including first-time access at 14 refuges and 3 hatcheries. It also rescinds delayed non-lead ammo/tackle rules that were set for Sept. 1 at nine refuges.
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Laws & LicensingNews deskSeptember 8, 2026
NMFS corrects California ocean salmon bag-limit wording
A Sept. 3 Federal Register correction restores the omitted “all salmon except coho, two salmon per day” bag limit for the Monterey recreational ocean salmon area and clarifies San Francisco-area wording.
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Laws & Licensing CANews deskSeptember 1, 2026
California white sturgeon stay closed through September 30
CDFW’s Sept. 1 ocean-regs update: white sturgeon are closed July 1–Sept. 30, 2026. Green sturgeon may not be taken or lifted from the water at any time.
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Laws & Licensing CANews deskAugust 19, 2026
NOAA and CDFW close California’s summer commercial ocean salmon; San Francisco sport days cut
The 83,000-Chinook summer harvest limit is in. Commercial ocean salmon is closed. San Francisco recreational spring/summer ended Aug. 23.
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