The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) offers two Free Fishing Days each year, typically around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends, when it is legal to fish without any license.
The first of the two Free Fishing Days will occur on Saturday, July 2. California’s second Free Fishing Day will take place on Saturday, September 3.
All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours, and stream closures, remain in effect on Free Fishing Days.
To fish the rest of the year, a license is required and is available for purchase online through the CDFW’s website at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing. A basic annual resident sport fishing license in California currently costs $54, while a one-day fishing license costs $17.54.
