California Fishing Report Card: Species, Rules & How to Submit

Use Indelible Ink

Entries on physical report cards must be legible and made in indelible ink. Do not use pencil, erasable pen or a smearing marker.

Physical Card Means Physical Card

Report-card proof may appear in the CDFW License App, but it is not a valid replacement for the physical report card.

Cards Are Not Transferable

No person should possess another person’s report card as their own. Every cardholder needs their own card.

Filled All Lines?

If all lines are filled, report or return that card before purchasing a second steelhead, salmon, sturgeon or lobster report card.

Online Form Can Time Out

Have your card, GO ID, dates, locations, gear codes and catch entries ready before starting because the online form can time out.

Write the Confirmation Number

After online submission, write the confirmation number on the report card and keep it as proof. A reported card may no longer be used in the field.

Steelhead Report Card

• Buy the card before fishing for steelhead in anadromous waters.
• Before fishing, record month, day and location code.
• Fill required date/location columns whether or not you catch fish.
• Immediately tally hatchery steelhead kept.
• When finished or moving location codes, record released wild and hatchery steelhead and hours fished.
• If you did not fish during the valid year, mark “Did Not Fish” and report/return the card.

Spiny Lobster Report Card

• Required for any person fishing for or taking lobster.
• Right before entering the ocean or placing a hoop net, record month, day, location and gear code.
• Use separate lines for each location and gear type.
• When done at that location or done fishing, record lobsters kept.
• Report every card by April 30, even if you did not fish or did not catch lobster.
• Children helping deploy/pull hoop nets or handle lobster may need their own card.

Sturgeon Report Card

• Required for any angler fishing for white sturgeon in California waters.
• Current white sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release only; no sturgeon may be kept.
• Cards are good for the White Sturgeon fishing season from October 1 to June 30.
• For 2025-26 cards, report July 1-31, 2026.
• Fill a line for every location code fished that day.
• Do not write lengths on the new card; use the CDFW catch categories shown on the card.

North Coast Salmon Report Card

• Required for salmon in the Smith River System and Klamath-Trinity River System.
• It is not required for all California ocean salmon or all river salmon trips.
• Check current salmon openings before travel because closures and season changes can happen.
• Report or return by January 31 unless the printed card or current CDFW instructions say otherwise.
• Use the card’s location and reporting instructions carefully.
• Keep a photo before mailing if you do not report online.

2025-26 Card Reporting

CDFW’s current sturgeon page lists the 2025-26 season card reporting period as July 1 through July 31, 2026.

Season-Based Card

The current sturgeon card is tied to the White Sturgeon fishing season, October 1 through June 30, not the old calendar-year format.

Catch-and-Release Only

White Sturgeon fishing is catch-and-release only, and Green Sturgeon take is prohibited. No sturgeon of any kind may be kept.

App Can Show Proof of Purchase

The app may show that you purchased a report card, but that proof is not the valid report-card entitlement in the field.

Physical Card Still Required

When fishing under report-card authority, the physical card must be in immediate possession, subject to special lobster diver rules.

Screenshot Is Not Enough

Do not rely on screenshots or photos. Refresh the app before leaving service, but carry the physical card when required.

If You Did Not Fish or Caught Nothing

• You still need to report or return the card if it was issued.
• For steelhead and sturgeon, use the “Did Not Fish” instruction if you truly did not fish.
• If you fished but caught nothing, enter the required date, location, effort and zero-catch information.
• Do not throw away a blank card. A blank card can still need reporting.

If You Filled Every Line

• Do not draw unofficial extra lines on the card.
• Report or return the full card before buying a second card of the same type.
• Once a card is reported online, it can no longer be used in the field.
• Buy the next card only after the required reporting step.

If You Lost the Card

• You may need to buy an additional card through a license agent, online route or CDFW office depending on the item.
• Do not copy old data onto the new card unless CDFW specifically instructs you.
• For sturgeon, CDFW describes reporting lost-card data online or submitting an affidavit with required details.
• Keep your GO ID, card type, dates and best recollection ready before contacting CDFW.

If You Mailed the Card

• Mail to the address printed on the card or current CDFW instructions.
• Use a postmark before the deadline.
• Take clear photos before mailing.
• Use tracking or certified mail if you are close to the deadline.

Children Under 16

Children may not need a base sport fishing license, but they can still need a report card when fishing for report-card species.

Public Pier Anglers

A qualifying public ocean pier may remove the base license requirement, but report-card rules still apply for species such as spiny lobster or sturgeon.

Free Fishing Days

Free Fishing Days remove the base sport fishing license requirement only. Report cards can still be required for report-card species.

Before and During Fishing

• Leaving the physical card at home because the app shows purchase proof.
• Starting to fish before writing the required date, location or gear information.
• Using pencil, erasable pen or unreadable ink.
• Using one card for multiple people.
• Thinking children or pier anglers never need cards.
• Filling the card from memory days later instead of immediately.

After Fishing

• Not reporting because you caught nothing.
• Waiting until the last night and hitting the online timeout.
• Reporting online and then continuing to use the same card.
• Mailing without proof and having no record if the card is lost.
• Forgetting the April 30 lobster deadline and paying the non-return fee.
• Following old sturgeon January 31 advice for a newer season-based card.

Use a Dry Sleeve

Lobster and kayak anglers should keep the card in a waterproof sleeve or zip bag. Salt spray and wet hands can ruin paper fast.

Carry Two Waterproof Pens

Keep one pen with your card and a second in your tackle bag. A dead pen can turn a simple trip into a field problem.

Check Codes at Home

Look up location and gear codes before arriving at a dark pier, river pullout, boat ramp or crowded landing.

Calendar the Deadline

Add multiple reminders at purchase: January reminders for salmon/steelhead, April reminders for lobster, and July reminders for the current sturgeon card.

Photo Before Mailing

Take clear photos of the completed card before mailing. It does not replace the return, but it helps your personal record.

Ask Before Leaving the Counter

If buying at a tackle shop or retailer, ask: “Is this the physical report card I must carry today, and what is the due date?”

CDFW License Help

• CDFW Headquarters: 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
• License and Revenue Branch: (916) 928-5805.
• Email: LRB@wildlife.ca.gov.
• Telephone license sales: (800) 565-1458.
• Online license support: (800) 549-6868.
• CalTIP violation reporting: 1-888-334-2258.

Program-Specific Help

• Sturgeon questions: Sturgeon@wildlife.ca.gov.
• Marine questions: AskMarine@wildlife.ca.gov.
• Fisheries Branch: Fisheries@wildlife.ca.gov.
• Lobster mail: 3883 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123.
• North Coast Salmon mail: 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata, CA 95521.
• Steelhead/Sturgeon mail: PO Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244.