Night Fishing 4 Crappie; License Requirement on Private Property

February 7, 2014

Question: We love to fish for crappie and are wondering if it is legal to fish for them at night. I am not aware of any California lakes that allow night fishing using lights off of your boat. Is this legal, and if so, what bodies of water allow this type of fishing? Thanks for all of your weekly information (W. Yamamoto).

Answer: Night fishing for crappie is permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFW) as long as the lake where you plan to fish permits fishing at night (California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 2.15). Some lakes prohibit night fishing for purposes of access control, safety or security reasons. You will need to contact the agency or concessionaire managing the lake to inquire about their policy.

Question: I live right on the river and can fish from my backyard off my private dock. Do I need a fishing license? I heard if it is private property you do not need a license. (Eric)

Answer: You need a fishing license, because it's not a matter of where you're standing, it's a matter of the waters you're fishing in. All rivers of the state are public waters, and all fish contained in those waters are public fish. Even if a stream or river runs through private property, all of the fish within those waters belong to the people of California, and thus a fishing license is required. The only places where you would not need a fishing license would be if you were fishing in a pond on private property that has no stream or creek water flowing into it or out of it. The water must be completely self-contained so that no fish from outside of the property can swim into it or swim out of it. The only other place where you can fish without a fishing license is on a public pier in the ocean (CCR Title 14, Section 1.88).

This is good stuff thanks for posting it!
tom

Yes, time to begin planning the Melones Crappie All Nighter Invitational

Yes, time to begin planning the Melones Crappie All Nighter Invitational

I'm game for this

Yes, time to begin planning the Melones Crappie All Nighter Invitational

Just got my light in the mail today I'm down.

Good stuff hojo I've wondered about the private pond no license question.