Where to Fish?

May 23, 2019

Question: My friend and I are planning to launch a small boat in Oceanside and then spend the day fishing about a mile off-shore. We don’t want to do anything illegal by catching an undersized fish or taking a fish that is out of season and so on. Where can we obtain a quick reference guide book on what is in/out of season, size and areas that are okay to fish in? (Steve T., Anza)

Answer: The annual Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet is always the go-to reference booklet to avoid anything illegal. In the back of the book you’ll find a table that guides you to regulations (bag limits, size limits, etc.) for specific fish species. In the front of the booklet are summary tables for groundfish, a group of over 60 fish species managed by the federal government, including rockfish. Look for the Southern Groundfish Management Area table for your area, toward the front of the booklet. Hardcopy booklets will be available soon wherever sport fishing licenses are sold and at your local CDFW office. We strongly encourage to download the book in PDF form from the CDFW website, and put it on your phone so you’ll have it as long as your phone is with you.

Fishing just outside Oceanside Harbor, you are well away from marine protected areas that prohibit fishing.

Quick reference summaries for open/closed seasons and regulation information for Southern California is located on CDFW’s website.