Rockfishing Depth Restrictions Change July 1

Southern California rockfish anglers should take note: Starting July 1, 2025, depth restrictions for the recreational rockfish season are set to change, shifting access to fishing grounds and species for the summer months. This change is part of the state’s three-part seasonal framework aimed at conserving fish populations while still allowing opportunities for anglers throughout the year. Currently, through June 30, anglers have full access to all depths. That means they can legally target nearshore, shelf, and slope rockfish, as well as lingcod, cabezon, and greenlings, at any depth between the California/Oregon border and the Mexico border. This broad accessibility has been in place since the season opened on April 1. But once July 1 hits, the rules change: recreational groundfish fishing will be limited to depths within the 20-fathom line, which equates to about 120 feet of water. This restriction will remain in effect through September 30. Anglers fishing deeper than this mark during these months could face citations or other penalties, making it critical to understand how to interpret federal waypoints and use depth-finding technology. Federal waypoints define the depth contours used to manage groundfish fisheries. These waypoints are a set of latitude and longitude coordinates, published by NOAA and the...