Creel Quick answer: Rockfish is open in 5 of the 6 California regions where CDFW regulates it, with a All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit. The bag limit is not the same everywhere — the table below has the number for each region. Read on September 7, 2026; seasons change in-season with days of notice.
Rockfish by region
| Region | Status | Bag limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Open | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
| Mendocino | Open | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
| San Francisco | Open | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
| SF Bay | Open | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
| Central | Open | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
| Southern | Partial | 10 fish in combination per person, except: Copper rockfish: 1 fish per person Vermilion/sunset rockfish: 4 fish per person combined in Northern Management Area 2 fish per person combined in all other areas Canary rockfish: 2 fish per person | All Rockfish: No minimum size limit Cabezon and Greenlings: No minimum size limit |
Season dates
- Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters · April 1 - December 31: Open all depths
- Jan 1 - Mar 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters · April 1 - June 30: Open All Depths · July 1 - Sep 30: 50 Fathom - Inshore Only Take is prohibited seaward of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line, which is a series of connected waypoints defined in Federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C) · Oct 1 - Dec 31: Closed - unlawful to possess in all waters
What it costs to get it wrong
An undersize fish or one over the bag limit runs roughly $430 to $485 in total bail as an infraction, plus a further $71 to $82 for every individual fish over the line. Charged as a misdemeanor the base part is about $958 to $1,095, with the same per-fish amount on top. The range is real: two of the assessments are set county by county.
How California fishing fines are actually calculated →
This page is a snapshot taken on September 7, 2026. Creel re-reads every CDFW regional page daily and shows current status for your region, offline. Always confirm with CDFW before fishing.