Pacific HMS rules for recreational anglers: a guide

Pacific highly migratory species rules for recreational anglers come from two layers: a short federal list and the everyday state limits. The Pacific Fishery Management Council writes the plan. NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region puts it into 50 CFR 660 Subpart K. CDFW, ODFW and WDFW publish the bag limits you fish by.

Is there a federal bag limit for yellowfin or albacore on the West Coast? Federal rules set albacore at 10 per person south of Point Conception and 25 north. Bluefin is 2 per person in the EEZ off California. There is no federal limit for yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, swordfish, striped marlin or dorado. State limits apply instead.

This guide gives the numbers as the regulation text states them and points to the agency for the final word. It covers which rule applies where, a species table across all four jurisdictions, charter permit and logbook duties, and where each state publishes its limits. Check NOAA and your state agency before you fish.

How Pacific HMS management works

The Magnuson-Stevens Act is the underlying federal fisheries law. Under it, the PFMC highly migratory species plan sets the framework for Pacific highly migratory species (Pacific HMS). NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region implements that plan through 50 CFR Part 660 Subpart K, with the permit requirement in §660.707 and the recreational limits in §660.721.

The plan covers these species:

• North Pacific albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack and Pacific bluefin tuna
• swordfish
• striped marlin
• dorado (dolphinfish)
• common thresher, shortfin mako and blue sharks

EEZ versus state waters

State waters run 0 to 3 nautical miles. The EEZ runs 3 to 200 nm. Federal rules are not intended to override a stricter state rule. State limits govern state waters and fish landed in that state. Oregon’s rules apply out to 50 miles. For most anglers, the state limit is the one that decides what goes in the box.

The federal recreational rules in §660.721

The federal bag limits in §660.721 cover albacore, Pacific bluefin, boat limits and tuna filleting. They apply in the EEZ. Section 660.721 sets no minimum length for either species.

Albacore: 10 south of Point Conception, 25 north

The line runs due west from Point Conception (34°27′ N). The limit you fish under depends on where any part of your trip takes place:

• 10 albacore if any part of the trip is in the EEZ south of the line, to the U.S.-Mexico border.
• 25 albacore if any part of the trip is in the EEZ north of the line, to the California-Oregon border.

The trigger is the trip, not the catch location: if any part of your trip crosses into a zone, that zone’s limit is in play. The limit applies per 24-hour period at sea, however many trips you make in a day, with one daily limit per person per calendar day. The operator of a sportfishing vessel is responsible for keeping the vessel within the limits.

Pacific bluefin: 2 per person off California

The limit is 2 per person for any part of a trip in the EEZ south of the California-Oregon border (42°00′ N). This section sets no federal bluefin limit off Oregon or Washington. See the state sections below.

Boat limits

On California trips, each person may keep fishing until the combined daily limits of all licensed and juvenile anglers aboard are reached. State boat-limit conditions may add restrictions, so check CDFW.

Filleting tuna at sea south of Point Conception

This applies from 34°27′ N to the U.S.-Mexico border. The cut exists so law enforcement and biologists can identify the species. Bag each fish individually and mark the bag with the species’ common name. Cut 6 pieces, skin on:

• 4 loins.
• The collar in 1 piece, with both pectoral fins attached.
• The belly, including the vent, with both pelvic fins attached.

Species-by-species: federal, California, Oregon and Washington

Use this table alongside our tuna fishing guides when you plan the trip. Cells show only the figures the agencies publish, or point you to the agency page.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Oregon’s 25 is an aggregate daily limit across offshore pelagic species. Check each agency before fishing.

Tunas

California runs a 20-finfish general limit, with no more than 10 of any one species. The tuna fit in like this:

• Albacore and bluefin count in addition to the 20-fish limit.
• Yellowfin, bigeye and other unlisted tunas count within it.
• Skipjack has no limit.
• No tuna has a minimum size.

The federal and state texts differ in two places:

• Washington albacore. The federal text allows 25 in the EEZ north of Point Conception, and the section applies off California, Oregon and Washington. WDFW sets no limit. Check NOAA and WDFW.
• Bluefin off Oregon and Washington. There is no federal bluefin limit there. WDFW sets 2 per day.

Swordfish and striped marlin

California sets swordfish at 2 and marlin at 1. Spears, harpoons and bow-and-arrow tackle may not be used to take broadbill, and that gear may not be aboard on a day or trip when swordfish or marlin have been taken. Divers may not take broadbill.

Oregon puts swordfish and marlin in the 25 aggregate. For Washington, see the WDFW page. A vessel holding a federal HMS permit may not sell striped marlin.

If you also fish the East Coast, the Atlantic billfish and swordfish rules work differently.

Sharks and prohibited species

California allows 2 each of mako, thresher and blue shark. White shark is prohibited, and using bait, lure or chum to attract one is barred.

Oregon counts most sharks in the 25 aggregate. Leopard, spiny dogfish and soupfin are excluded. White, basking, megamouth and oceanic whitetip sharks must be released unharmed.

Federal rules require you to return these to the sea immediately when fishing for HMS:

• salmon, unless taken under salmon rules
• great white, basking and megamouth sharks
• Pacific halibut, unless taken under halibut rules

Charter permits and logbooks

The permit requirement in §660.707 names commercial vessels and recreational charter vessels. Private recreational boats are not named. The NOAA Pacific HMS permits page is the place to confirm your status.

Charter permit facts:

• A for-hire vessel needs one if it fishes for HMS in the EEZ, or lands or transships HMS inside the EEZ boundary.
• The permit is open access, valid 2 years, tied to 1 vessel and carried aboard.

For logbooks, record each fishing day within 24 hours. Submit originals within 30 days of each landing. A state logbook can meet the requirement:

• CDFW CPFV logbook for California.
• WDFW CPFV logbook for Washington.
• The OR/WA Charter Logbook for Oregon charters.

NOAA’s West Coast HMS logbooks page covers the federal side. East Coast anglers work under a separate Atlantic HMS permit and reporting system.

IATTC and WCPFC limits are commercial

IATTC regulations in 50 CFR Part 300 Subpart C do not apply to a person or vessel sport fishing for personal use. Charter vessels authorized to fish for tuna in the IATTC Convention Area fall under its logbook and vessel-register provisions. Its Pacific bluefin catch limits are commercial. The WCPFC regulations in Part 300 Subpart O set no recreational bag limits. Your recreational limits come from NOAA and the states.

Where each state publishes its rules

Each state agency publishes the limit you actually fish by. Check the agency before you fish.

California: CDFW Title 14

The CDFW ocean sport fishing regulations carry the Title 14 limits, which also govern fish landed in California. For bluefin and yellowfin trips and the Point Conception line, see our Southern California offshore fishing guide.

Holding more than one day’s limit requires a multi-day trip declaration with CDFW. Check CDFW for how it works.

Oregon: ODFW Marine Zone

The ODFW Marine Zone regulations set the 25 aggregate, the prohibited sharks and the methods. An Ocean Endorsement is required to retain tuna and other marine finfish, and the ODFW Ocean Endorsement page explains it.

Legal methods are angling, hand, bow and arrow, spear, gaff, snag hook and herring jigs. Beyond 3 miles, when you keep only offshore pelagic species, chumming is allowed and the number of rods or lines per angler is not restricted. For sizes, see the ODFW page.

If you fish out of Oregon or Washington, our guide to fishing the Pacific Northwest offshore covers the water.

Washington: WDFW

The WDFW fishing regulations page carries the Washington limits, and the WDFW albacore page covers that species. The published limits:

• Albacore: no daily, possession or size limit.
• Yellowfin, skipjack and bluefin: 2 each.
• Other marine food fish not otherwise provided for, except albacore and mackerel: 2.

Gear is hook and line, spear, or bow and arrow. For bigeye, swordfish, marlin and dorado, see the WDFW page.

Fish from Mexico and across state lines

California’s bluefin limit applies to all bluefin possessed, wherever taken. The exact text is in the California tuna regulation text.

• California’s boat limit does not apply to trips that start in California where fish are taken in other jurisdictions.
• IATTC rules do not apply to personal-use sport fishing.
• For Mexican licenses, ask CONAPESCA.
• The state where you land governs the fish landed there. Check that state’s agency.

Rules decide what you keep. Water decides where you look

The rules tell you what you can keep. OBS SST, Chlorophyll and Chart Contours help you decide where to look, such as the 60-degree albacore water off Westport. Chart layers are not for navigation, and we promise no fish. If you want to read the water before the run, find your port in the state and port guides on breakpointmaps.com or download Breakpoint from the App Store or Google Play.

Frequently asked questions about Pacific highly migratory species rules for recreational anglers

Do I need a federal permit on my private boat?

Section 660.707 names commercial and charter vessels, not private recreational boats. Check NOAA’s permit page, and confirm the license and endorsement rules your state requires, including Oregon’s Ocean Endorsement.

Which limit applies in the EEZ off Washington?

The federal text allows 25 albacore, while WDFW sets no albacore limit. For bluefin, there is no federal limit there, and WDFW sets 2 per day. The two texts differ, so check both NOAA and WDFW before you fish.

Does the California bluefin limit apply to fish from Mexico?

Yes. California’s limit of 2 applies to all bluefin possessed, wherever taken. That means fish landed in California count against it even if you caught them in Mexican waters. Ask CONAPESCA about Mexican licenses, and check CDFW before you fish.

How do I fillet tuna at sea south of Point Conception?

Bag each fish individually and mark the bag with the species’ common name. Cut 6 pieces, skin on: 4 loins, the collar in 1 piece with both pectoral fins attached, and the belly with the vent and both pelvic fins attached. The cut allows species identification.

Can I keep a striped marlin and sell it?

California allows 1 marlin per person. In Oregon, marlin fall within the 25 aggregate. A vessel holding a federal HMS permit may not sell striped marlin. For Washington, see the WDFW page, and check each agency before you fish.

Which sharks must be released?

Federal rules require you to return white, basking and megamouth sharks immediately when fishing for HMS. Oregon adds oceanic whitetip to its release list. California prohibits take of white shark and bars attracting one with bait, lure or chum.

Do IATTC limits apply to me?

Not for personal-use sport fishing. IATTC regulations in 50 CFR Part 300 Subpart C do not apply to a person or vessel sport fishing for personal use. Its Pacific bluefin catch limits are commercial. Your limits come from NOAA and the states.

Do Atlantic HMS rules apply out here?

No. The Pacific runs under Subpart K and the state agencies. The Atlantic runs under a separate system, covered in our Atlantic tunas federal rules guide.

Closing

Federal rules cover albacore and California bluefin. The states set the everyday limits. Charters carry permit and logbook duties. Check NOAA and your state agency before every trip, then pair the rules with where to look on the water.