Bow Fishing in Local Lakes

October 15, 2009

Question: I bought all the bow fishing tackle to start bow fishing and went out to a local lake where I have seen a lot of carp. When I was putting my boat in, a park ranger stopped me and said bow fishing was illegal in our county. Is this correct? I did not see anything in the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) regulations book pertaining to this. (Shawn C.)

Answer: While DFG does not prohibit bow fishing in certain waters, some local jurisdictions do not allow it because the gear can be considered a weapon, raising public safety concerns. Local regulations may also prohibit bow fishing from public piers in the ocean. Bow and arrow fishing tackle is also authorized only for certain species and in certain areas of DFG regulations (CCR Title 14, Section 2.25).