Fishing

Fishing in California

Discover 197 state parks offering fishing in California

🐟 California Fishing License at a Glance

Resident Annual $64.54

Non-Resident Annual $174.14

Youth Under 16 free

Senior 65+: $8.78

Saltwater Included

🎉 Free Fishing Days July 4th weekend; Sept Saturday

Most expensive in nation for non-residents! But excellent year-round opportunities.

Official California Fishing Info →

License fees and free fishing days shown as of June 2026 — fees and dates change yearly. Always confirm current rates and free-fishing dates via the official link above before purchasing.

197 State Parks

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California State Parks with Fishing

Massive old-growth Coast Redwoods towering over the calm South Fork Eel River in Mendocino County, California

Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

A moss-covered body of water in a State Park.

Albany State Marine Reserve

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

Andrew Molera State Park

Angel Island State Park

Annadel State Park

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

Asilomar State Beach

Auburn SRA

Dorn Bay, Clear Lake, CA as viewed from Clear Lake State Park

Bair Island Ecological Reserve

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

Basin Trail State Park

Benbow State Recreation Area

Benicia Capitol State Historic Park

Berkeley Marina

Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park

Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park

Big Stone Lake State Park

creek running through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Black Miners Bar

Bodie State Historic Park

+10

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park on a clear day

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Border Field State Park

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

Brannan Island State Recreation Area

Burleigh H. Murray Ranch

Rustic Mill Adjacent to Rushing Stream in Peak Autumn Season in McConnells Mill State Park

Burton Creek State Park

Butano State Park

Butte City Project

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

California Citrus State Historic Park

Cambria State Marine Conservation Area

Carmel River State Beach

Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

Carpinteria State Beach

Castaic Lake State Recreation Area

Castle Crags State Park

Castro Adobe State Historic Park

Caswell Memorial State Park

Cayucos State Beach

China Camp State Park

China Cove Beach

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

Clear Lake State Park (California)

Coast Dairies State Park

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

Columbia State Historic Park

Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area

Corona del Mar State Beach

Crystal Cove State Park

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

D. L. Bliss State Park

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

Delta Meadows River Park

Doheny State Beach

Donner Memorial State Park

Dos Rios Ranch Preserve

Dos Rios State Park

Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area

Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

El Capitan State Beach

El Presidio de Santa Barbara SHP

Emma Wood State Beach

Empire Mine State Historic Park

Estero Bluffs State Park

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

Fort Ord Dunes State Park

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Fort Tejon State Historic Park

Franks Tract State Recreation Area

Fremont Peak State Park

Gaviota State Park

aerial photograph of Ano Nuevo State Park

George H. Hatfield SRA

George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park ancient towering redwoods with Smith River and morning mist

Great Valley Grasslands State Park

Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

Harmony Headlands State Park

Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area

view of Lake Tahoe from Van Sickle State Park on a snowy day

Hearst San Simeon State Park

Hendy Woods State Park

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Henry W. Coe State Park

Humboldt Lagoons State Park

Car driving through towering coastal redwood trees on the Avenue of the Giants

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Antelope Valley Indian Museum view from southeast

Hungry Valley State Vehicular RA

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

Jack London State Historic Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Jug Handle State Reserve

Jughandle State Natural Reserve

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area

La Purisima Mission State Historic Park

Laguna Beach Park

Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area

Lake Oroville SRA

Lake Perris State Recreation Area

Lake Valley State Recreation Area

Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park

Limekiln State Park

Los Encinos State Historic Park

MacKerricher State Park

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park

Malibu Lagoon State Beach

Manchester State Park

Mandalay State Beach

Manresa State Beach

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park

McGrath State Beach

McLaughlin Eastshore State Park

McNee Ranch State Park

Mendocino Headlands State Park

Millerton Lake State Recreation Area

Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve

Montara State Beach

Monterey State Historic Park

Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

Morro Bay State Park

+10

Morro Strand State Beach

Moss Landing State Beach

Mount Diablo State Park

Mount San Jacinto State Park

Navarro River Redwoods State Park

Oceano Dunes SVRA

Ocotillo Wells SVRA

Old Sacramento State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Olompali State Historic Park

Oso Flaco Lake State Park

Pacheco State Park

Palomar Mountain State Park

brown pelican at a state park in new jersey

Pelican State Beach

Pescadero State Beach

Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park

Pio Pico State Historic Park

Pismo State Beach

Placerita Canyon State Park

Point Cabrillo Light Station SHP

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Point Sal State Beach

Point Sur State Historic Park

Pomponio State Beach

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood State Park

Refugio State Beach

Reynolds Wayside Campground

Rhododendron State Park

Russian Gulch State Park

Saddleback Butte State Park

Salinas River State Beach

Salton Sea State Recreation Area

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

San Bruno Mountain State Park

San Buenaventura State Beach

San Clemente State Beach

San Elijo State Beach

San Gregorio State Beach

San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

San Onofre State Beach

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park

Seacliff State Beach

Shasta State Historic Park

Silver Strand State Beach

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

Skylandia State Park

Sonoma Coast State Park

Sonoma State Historic Park

South Carlsbad State Beach

South Yuba River State Park

Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area

State Indian Museum

Sue-meg State Park

+10

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Sunset State Beach

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

View from Mount Tamalpais summit overlooking fog blanket over San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge

Tolowa Dunes State Park

Tomales Bay State Park

Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park

Topanga State Park

Trione-Annadel State Park

Turlock Lake State Recreation Area

Washoe Meadows State Park

Wassama Round House State Historic Park

Westport-Union Landing State Beach

Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA

Wilder Ranch State Park

Wildwood Canyon State Park

Will Rogers State Historic Park

Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area

Zmudowski State Beach

❓ Fishing in California — FAQ

Do I need a license to fish in California state parks?

Yes — fishing in California state parks generally requires a valid California fishing license. A resident annual license costs $64.54, and a non-resident annual license costs $174.14. Youth and seniors are often exempt or pay reduced fees. Fees shown as of June 2026 — confirm current rates with the official state agency.

Are there free fishing days in California?

Yes — California offers free fishing days when no license is required (July 4th weekend; Sept Saturday). Exact dates change each year, so verify with the official California agency before your trip.