Lingcod Limits

June 4, 2020

Question: Do lingcod count toward the 10-fish limit for rockfish? (Anonymous)

Answer: No. The lingcod bag limit is two fish of at least 22 inches total length. The rockfish bag limit falls within an aggregate bag limit called the RGC Complex that includes rockfish, greenling and cabezon. Generally speaking, when fishing in the ocean you may take no more than 20 finfish, with no more than 10 of a single species, per CCR Title 14, section 27.60. There are a number of laws that aggregate several species into a limit such as the RGC Complex limit of 10. Within the RGC Complex, there are smaller limits sometimes referred to as sublimits, and there are three protected rockfish species that cannot be taken: cowcod, yelloweye rockfish and bronzespotted rockfish. Sublimits include only three canary rockfish and only four black rockfish within the 10 total RGC Complex allowed daily. Although no rockfish have a size limit, the cabezon has a three fish sublimit and must be 15 inches long and greenling must be 12 inches long.