Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Report For May 4, 2026 “The Return Of The King”

Are you all ready for the good news or the good news? According to the president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsmans Association’s (NCGASA) James Stone, we will be having a full salmon season on Northern California’s Sacramento River this season. James has openly proclamed the intent of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to announce a full salmon season returning to the Sacramento River in 2026. This would include a July 16, 2026 opening day on the Sacramento River below Woodson Bridge in Corning, Ca. Followed by an August 1, 2026 opening day above Woodson Bridge. Which includes the famous Barge Hole in Cottonwood, California. The seasons will close on December 16 for the section of river below Woodson Bridge, and a season closure of December 31, 2026 above Woodson Bridge. A six month long salmon season. In addition to the return of a full Salmon season on the Sacramento River, a two salmon per person daily bag limit would also be granted by CDFW. So basically folk we are returning to a normal Fall Chinook Salmon season on the Sacramento River. With the exception of one subtle change.

For those of you who have fished the Sacramento River in the years past, you may have caught the fact that I mentioned the location for the July 16, 2026 opening day will take place from Woodson Bridge south, or down river. So for all your anglers who have historically fished below the Red Bluff diversion dam in Red Bluff, California. You will now have to make new plans to fish below Woodson Bridge on the salmon opener.Some of you are wondering why this location change was made by CDFW. The decision to change the demarcation line for opening day has solid reasoning behind it, and in fact was implemented prior to the closure in 2023. For those unaware between Corning, California and Red bluff, California on the east side of the Sacramento Valley are three cold water tributaries of the Sacramento River. These tributaries have hosted Spring Run Chinook Salmon in their waters for thousands and thousands of years. Due to a rapid decline in Spring Chinook numbers in these three tributaries (Deer, Mill, and Antelope Creeks) the Spring Chinook Salmon have made the endangered species list. Without getting into great detail about run timing and other naturally occurring events. Let me say this is the reason of concern with having a Red Bluff diversion dam opening day on July 16th as we have historically had. The specific concern by the department is that the endangered Spring Run Chinook Salmon that are unable to gain access to their tributaries in the spring, due to low water flows in the Sacramento River and these tributaries. Leaves these Spring Run Chinook Salmon stuck in the Sacramento River where they can be incidentally caught by anglers who are targeting Fall Chinook Salmon after the season opens in mid July. In my opinion, there is good reasoning and logic behind this decision by CDFW. However with that being said this regulation change will do very, very little to nothing to save, preserve, or rebuild the endangered spring run salmon that swim in these unique tributaries. Great idea but two decades too late. What the department has allowed to happen to these specific runs of chinook salmon historically can not be mitigated through incidental “bycatch” regulation. Never the less in the big picture this regulation change is trivial at best. After three years without a opening day of salmon season on the Sacramento River, I’m sure most of you would agree this is something we can look past to be back on the water.

It’s been three years since  Sacramento River salmon fishing was declared a federal disaster. Leading to a three year salmon season shutdown in all of California. Keeping anglers off their waters for what seems to have been forever. Apparently that is all about to change on July 16, 2026. We’re going to be back in action and this season couldn’t start soon enough.  For all you river anglers it’s time to dig out those Kwikfish and dust them off,  and maybe check for freezer burn on your cured roe if you still have any. Spool those rods and tie up those roe leaders, it’s go time folks. Once again jet boats will be heard tearing up and down the Sacramento River. Memories will be made, and traditions will be passed down. King Salmon will again become a boost to local economies along the Sacramento River and in Northern California as a whole.

If history repeats itself like it generally tends to, we as anglers should be in for one heck of a season. As some of you OG NorCal salmon anglers may remember,  the first ever salmon season closure in 2008, 2009, and 2010 was followed by a wide open 2011 season. So the past has proven that a three year closure will result in an over abundance when the season has reopened on the fourth year. So expectations should remain high for this upcoming season. It is very likely going to be outstanding fishing.

The official word is going to be made public on May 6, 2026 from my understanding. To book a reservation for your own private salmon fishing charter please contact us by phone at 530-722-8876. Or reach out on this website by filling out a submission form and we will contact you shortly. Tight Lines.