(FOX40.COM) \u2014 Anglers will once again be able to fish for Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River this summer, after a three-year closure.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously passed new fishing regulations. The updated regulations reverse fishing closures for Chinook salmon as populations continue to rebound in the central valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve increased hatchery production. We\u2019ve got more investments in salmon research and habitat restoration projects. We\u2019ve had a series of good water years,\u201d said Krysten Kellum, information officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s salmon season will begin July 16 for most stretches of the Sacramento River. Anglers will be allowed to keep two Chinook salmon per day, with a four-fish possession limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year they\u2019re expecting between 250 to 300,000 salmon returning, which would be the highest I can remember in a long time,\u201d said Michael Rasmussen.<\/p>\n
Rasmussen has been guiding fishing charters on the Sacramento River for 24 years. He said after three years of closures, this could turn into an epic season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to see a lot of those four-year-old fish that\u2026 started seeing the benefits of the closure right off the bat,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to average, you know, 27 to 34 pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rasmussen says navigating the years-long closure wasn\u2019t easy, but he expects a major turnout on opening day \u2014 with anglers from all over the world looking to catch the prized fish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had customers from all over, from Europe, from Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With excitement building for that first bite of 2026, he\u2019s already preparing for a busy season ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re gearing up, tying leaders, getting stuff ready\u2026 getting bait,\u201d he said. \u201cWe go out hard for six months after it opens up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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