A light-bellied, copper-olive rockfish with a pale streak along the lateral line. One fish. That is the whole regulation story.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Rocky reefs from nearshore kelp out to deeper structure; mixed with gopher shallow and vermilion deeper.
One copper per person, counting toward the 10 RCG. No size minimum. If you already have a copper, the next one is a descending-device release even if the rest of your bag is light. Do not guess it is a gopher.
Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) vary from copper-brown to olive, with a pale stripe along the rear half of the lateral line and a whitish belly. Two dark bars often radiate back from the eye.
Copper rockfish live on rocky reefs. CDFW lists copper rockfish among the nearshore species, so even though some fish are caught deeper, they follow the nearshore season.
CDFW's 2026 Southern Management Area table for boat-based anglers: closed January through March; open at all depths April through June; open only shoreward of 50 fathoms July through September; and from October 1 through December 31, nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings are closed while shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod may be taken only seaward of 50 fathoms. Shore-based anglers and divers are not bound by these seasons and depth limits.
That means copper rockfish are closed to boat anglers from October 1 through December 31, 2026.
Because only one copper may be kept, many are released. Bring them back down with a descending device rather than venting or tossing them at the surface; rockfish hauled up from depth suffer barotrauma, and recompressing them at depth improves survival.
OEHHA's LA coastal advisories list rockfish at 1 serving a week for women 18–49 and children and 2 for others. OEHHA's statewide coastal advisory (Catalina) lists copper rockfish at 0 servings for women 18–49 and children, and 1 for women 50+ and men.
No more than 1 copper rockfish within the 10-fish RCG bag. No minimum size.
Copper rockfish is on CDFW’s nearshore list, so it follows the nearshore boat season (closed to boats Oct 1–Dec 31, 2026). When unsure, release.
CDFW groundfish summary — copper rockfish (1 fish) →
Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Only 1, within the 10-fish RCG bag.
CDFW lists copper rockfish as nearshore, so they are closed to boats October–December 2026.
No. Shore anglers and divers are exempt from the boat season and depth limits, but the 1-fish limit still applies.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
