After an unprecedented three-year shutdown of California’s commercial salmon fishery, Chinook salmon runs are beginning to rebound, particularly in the Klamath Basin. On Wednesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hosted its Annual Salmon Information Meeting where fisheries scientists and industry stakeholders shared the latest ocean salmon abundance forecast and offered a basin-by-basin breakdown last year’s salmon returns and a first look at what’s to come in 2026. The annual meeting marks the beginning of a two-month public process to develop management criteria for the upcoming sport and commercial ocean salmon fishing seasons, both of which are tentatively scheduled to open on May 16. 

Other salmon news:

• Fishing the North Coast With Kenny Priest: Blog: Sacramento, Klamath salmon rebound projected for 2026
• California Trout: Blog: Historical ecology as a tool for restoration in the Sacramento Valley and beyond