Hey all, wanted to put together a quick breakdown of where things stand for 2026 in the San Francisco Management Area (Point Arena down to Pigeon Point) since the season's right around the corner!
All-Depth Access — Woohoo!
If you fished last fall you already felt this one. Back in August 2025, the Fish and Game Commission lifted the depth restrictions, so we're back to fishing all depths from April 1 through December 31, and that carries into 2026.
The backstory: those restrictions existed because a 2021 stock assessment declared California quillback rockfish overfished. Turns out that assessment was based on pretty thin data. A new 2025 assessment found the stock is healthy and may never have actually been overfished.
CDFW is now converting those emergency provisions into permanent rules through standard rulemaking, expected to take effect by early May 2026. Worth keeping an eye on the CDFW groundfish summary page until that's finalized.
Lingcod — Still 2 Fish
Lingcod limit is still 2 fish statewide with a 22" minimum size. No change from 2025. Fillets need to be at least 14" with the entire skin attached if you're cleaning fish on the water.
Rockfish Bag Limit — 10 Fish, With Sub-Limits to Know
The RCG complex (rockfish, cabezon, greenling) bag limit holds at 10 fish. A few sub-limits to keep track of:
- Canary rockfish: 2 fish max, statewide, within your 10-fish bag. This sub-limit was introduced via emergency action in August 2025 and is carrying into 2026. It was added because canary populations are considered "precautionary" and regulators needed to keep recreational harvest within the federal guideline now that all-depth fishing opened back up. Easy one to miss when you're sorting through a mixed bag.
- Copper rockfish: 1 fish max, also within your 10-fish bag. Unchanged from 2025.
- Vermilion and sunset rockfish are now managed as a single species for regulatory purposes — In our SF GMA, the combined sub-limit is 2 fish.
No-Retention Species — Still the Same Four
Yelloweye, cowcod, quillback, and bronzespotted rockfish remain completely off-limits at all times, at all depths.
Bottom Line
2026 looks a lot like the back half of 2025 — which was honestly a great stretch. All-depth access in particular is pretty exciting.
April 1 is right around the corner. See you out there!