When Is Night Fishing Legal?

May 7, 2009

Question: We love to fish for crappie and are wondering if it is legal to fish for them at night, too. 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 Department of Fish and Game (DFG) as long as the lake where you plan to fish permits fishing at night (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.

The question isn't "where is it legal to night fish", it's "when is it legal to nightfish". I would think that it is only legal to night fish at night.

The question isn't "where is it legal to night fish", it's "when is it legal to nightfish". I would think that it is only legal to night fish at night.

There is nothing in the regs that says you can't night fish during the day.

The question isn't "where is it legal to night fish", it's "when is it legal to nightfish". I would think that it is only legal to night fish at night.

There is nothing in the regs that says you can't night fish during the day.

I stand corrected 

LOL . Love night fishing.