Pacific halibut sport regulations

2022 recreational Pacific halibut seasons

Map of 2022 Recreational Halibut Seasons

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

Reminder:  the daily bag limit for Pacific halibut is 1 fish per day.

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

All-Depth Season: 

• Initial quota = 18,537 pounds; 
  • As of June 19, there is approximately 5,600 pounds remaining.
• Open Thursdays and Sundays beginning May 5 through May 26.  If quota remains can be open every Thursday and Sunday through the earlier of the quota getting caught or June 30.
• May Open Dates:  Thurs, May 5; Sun, May 8; Thurs, May 12; Sun, May 15; Thurs, May 19; Sun, May 22; Thurs, May 26
• June Open Dates (if quota remains):  Thurs, June 2; Sun, June 5; Thurs, June 9; Sun, June 12; Thurs, June 16; Sun, June 19; Thurs, June 23; Sun, June 26; and Thurs, June 30; and Monday, June 13 and Monday, June 20 will be open. 
• Additional Dates added:  Fri, Aug 19; Thurs, Aug 25; Sun, Aug 28; Sat, Sept 3; Sun, Sept 4; Fri, Sept 23.

Nearshore Season:   

• Quota = 500 pounds
• Open Mondays through Wednesdays inside the 40-fathom regulatory line off of Oregon beginning May 9, through the earlier of the quota getting caught or Sept. 30.

Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon)

Spring All-Depth Season:  

• Initial quota = 169,963 pounds.
  • As of June 26, there is 79,000 pounds remaining on the quota (47%)
• Fixed dates:  May 12 through June 30, seven days per week
• Back-up dates available (if enough quota remains):  July 7-9 & July 21-23. 
• Additional Dates:  July 14-16 and July 28-30 have been added as open dates.  

Summer All-Depth Season:

• Quota = 67,445 pounds
• Opens Aug 4-6, every Thurs-Sat through August.
• Open 7-days per week beginning September 1 until the quota is caught, or Oct. 31.
• Additional days per week and/or weeks may be added inseason depending on how much quota is available.

Nearshore:     

• Initial quota = 32,374 pounds
  • As of June 26, there is 31,400 pounds remaining on the quota (97%)
• Opens May 1, seven days per week, inside the 40-fathom regulatory line, through the earlier of the quota is caught, or Oct. 31.
• Reminder, when the all-depth fishery is open, all-depth rules must be followed, regardless of depth of halibut fishing.  Dates the all-depth fishery is open are shown above.

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

• Initial quota = 8,000 pounds
  • As of June 26, there is 7,200 pounds remaining on the quota (90%)
• Opens May 1, 2022, 7-days per week, through the earlier of the quota getting caught, 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 through August 31. Beginning September 1, the daily bag limit is 2 fish in the Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon Subareas. The Columbia River Subarea bag limit remains 1 fish.  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 the nearshore seasons (Columbia River and Central Oregon Subareas), bottomfish and salmon may be retained (as bottomfish and salmon regulations allow) with halibut.  However, once halibut are onboard, no fishing may occur outside of the 40-fm curve.
• 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 2022 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for General (statewide), Zone, and Special Regulations prior to fishing.

2022 longleader gear fishing with all-depth halibut (for all Oregon Subareas)

• During May, June, September and October, when the sport bottomfish fishery is open to all-depth, bottomfish (including lingcod) may be retained on all-depth halibut trips. Longleader gear fishing may not be conducted on the same trip with all-depth halibut. Midwater rockfish species such a yellowtail, widow, and canary rockfish are allowed, but only up to the regular 5 fish general marine fish daily bag limit.  (cannot retain 10 midwater rockfish as would be allowed with longleader gear)
• During July and August (months when the sport bottomfish fishery is restricted to inside of 40-fathoms)  During days open for all-depth halibut fishing, either a combination of sablefish, Pacific cod (sablefish and Pacific cod are part of the 5 fish general marine fish daily bag limit) & other flatfish (skates and rays are not flatfish) species (no other bottomfish species)  or longleader gear fishing for 10 midwater rockfish species may be retained when halibut are onboard the vessel.  Longleader gear must be used, rockfish cannot be retained from halibut or regular bottomfish gear.  Longleader gear fishing may be combined with an all-depth halibut trip but only outside of 40 fathoms, and once rockfish are onboard, NO FURTHER HALIBUT FISHING IS ALLOWED.   
• Find more information here. 

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Other resources:

• Waypoints for fathom lines and other restricted areas
• Catch estimates (sport halibut)
• 2022 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
• 2021 halibut newsletter