CDFW Rules By Spot
Pick a fishing spot and see the real open season, minimum size and daily catch limit for every fish you can hook there.
Checked against the 2026 California ocean sport fishing regulations (Southern California, south of Point Conception).
Surf Beach rules
Rolling waves, sandy troughs, and fish that cruise the wash.
- Season
- Open all year south of Point Conception
- Size limit
- No minimum size
- Daily catch limit
- 10 surfperch total, no more than 5 of any one kind
💡 Shiner perch do not count toward the 5-of-one-kind rule.
- Season
- Open all year
- Size limit
- No minimum size
- Daily catch limit
- 10 croakers per day in combination
💡 White seabass and corbina have their own separate limits.
- Season
- Open all year
- Size limit
- 22 inches total length
- Daily catch limit
- 5 per day south of Point Sur
💡 Measure every halibut with a ruler — shorts must go back in the water right away.
- Season
- Open all year
- Size limit
- No minimum size
- Daily catch limit
- 2 corbina per day
💡 Corbina may not be taken with nets — hook and line only.
- Season
- Open all year
- Size limit
- 36 inches total length
- Daily catch limit
- 3 per day
💡 Leopard sharks grow slowly — most crews photograph and release them.
These are plain-English summaries of California Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean sport fishing rules for Southern California. Seasons, sizes and bag limits change every year and by area. Always check the current CDFW regulations with an adult before you keep a fish.
Licences & access
Anyone under 16 does not need a California sport fishing licence in the ocean. Everyone 16 and older needs one, plus an ocean enhancement validation south of Point Arguello.
On most public ocean piers and jetties in California, anglers of any age can fish without a licence. All size, season and bag limits still apply.
Some of the best-looking spots are MPAs where fishing is limited or banned. Check the CDFW MPA map for your beach before you cast.
From a public pier you may use two rods. Elsewhere in ocean waters, finfish rules limit you to hook-and-line gear as described in the current regulations.