Pacific halibut sport regulations

2023 Recreational Pacific Halibut

• 2023  Season Map
• Halibut and bottomfish combinations 

Columbia River Subarea (Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Point, WA)

All-Depth Season: 

• Quota = 18,375 pounds
• Open dates:  Thurs, May 4; Sun, May 7; Thurs, May 11; Sun, May 14; Thurs, May 18;  Sun, May 21; and Thurs, May 25.  If quota remains will be open on Thursdays and Sundays June 1 through June 30, or until the quota is caught.

Nearshore Season:   

• Quota = 500 pounds
• Open Mon through Wed inside the 40-fathom line off of Oregon beginning May 8, through the earlier of the quota, or September 30.

Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon)

Spring All-Depth Season:  

• Quota = 173,385 pounds
• Opening date:  Monday, May 1
• Fixed dates:  May 1 through June 30, 7-days per week
• Back-up dates:  July 10-16 & July 24-30 (open 7-days per week)

Summer All-Depth Season:

• Quota = 68,803 pounds
• Opens dates:  Aug 3-5; then every other Thurs- Sat, until Oct 31 or the quota is caught

Nearshore:     

• Quota = 33,026 pounds
• Opens May 1, seven days per week, inside the 40-fathom line, through the earlier of the quota or Oct. 31.

Southern Oregon Subarea (OR/CA Border to Humbug Mountain)

• Quota = 8,000 pounds
• Opens May 1, seven days per week, through the earlier of the quota or Oct. 31.

Statewide regulations

• May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks, and by spear.
• It is mandatory to have a descending device onboard the vessel when fishing for Pacific halibut, and to use a device when releasing any rockfish species when fishing outside of 30 fathoms.
• Daily bag limit: 1 Pacific halibut. Annual limit: 6. No length limit.
• Pacific halibut possession limit: 1 daily limit at sea, 3 daily limits on land.
• Fathom lines and conservation areas are defined by waypoints.
• Pacific halibut seasons are managed and enforced based on port of landing.  Halibut may only be landed into ports located within areas currently open to halibut retention, regardless of area of catch.
• During all-depth halibut days, longleader gear fishing OR the traditional general marine bottomfish fishery (lingcod and black rockfish) may be combined with all-depth halibut during days when the bottomfish fishery is not depth restricted. The longleader fishery and traditional bottomfish fishery cannot be combined on the same trip.
• Sablefish, Pacific cod & other flatfish species can be combined with all-depth halibut and the longleader gear or traditional bottomfish fishery. When retained, sablefish and Pacific cod will count towards any bottomfish and/or longleader bag limit.
• When angling for Pacific halibut outside of the 40-fm curve only salmon (as regulations allow), bottomfish as regulations below allow, tuna and most other offshore pelagic species may be in possession or landed when Pacific halibut are onboard the vessel.
• It is unlawful to fish for or take and retain any species while possessing onboard any species not allowed to be taken in that area at the time.
• Anglers are advised to consult the 2023 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for General (statewide), Zone, and Special Regulations prior to fishing.

For more info on tagging salmon and halibut, visit Tips for tagging fish and game

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Other resources:

• Waypoints for fathom lines and other restricted areas
• Catch estimates (sport halibut)
• 2023 Oregon Sport Fishing e-Regulations
• Cold spots for yelloweye rockfish -- recommended soft-bottom areas for halibut with low yelloweye rockfish bycatch out of Newport and Depoe Bay.
• Management of Oregon's sport halibut
• 2022 halibut newsletter