Bowfishing is legal in California, but only for a narrow list of non-game and invasive fish, and only if you hold a valid state sport fishing license and use tackle that meets the state’s line-attachment rule. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) sets the species list and tackle standard, and the water body you choose often adds its own restrictions on top.
Which Fish You Can Take
California runs bowfishing as an “only these species” regime. If a fish isn’t named in Title 14, Section 2.25 of the California Code of Regulations, you cannot shoot it.
Statewide, bow and arrow take is allowed for carp, goldfish, Sacramento (Western) sucker, Sacramento blackfish, hardhead, Sacramento pikeminnow, and lamprey, with no closed season.1Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 2.25 – Bow and Arrow Fishing
The Colorado River District has its own, shorter list: carp, tilapia, goldfish, and mullet. Sacramento sucker, hardhead, and pikeminnow are fair game elsewhere in the state but off-limits along the Colorado River.1Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 2.25 – Bow and Arrow Fishing
Everything else is prohibited. Game fish, trout, salmon, sturgeon, and protected species cannot be taken with a bow, and taking one of those by arrow is treated more severely than a minor tackle slip.
License You Need
Anyone 16 or older must carry a valid California sport fishing license while bowfishing.2CA.gov. Get a Fishing or Hunting License Children under 16 don’t need the license, but every other bowfishing rule still applies to them.
For the 2026 license year, a resident annual sport fishing license costs $64.54 and a nonresident license runs $174.14. Most fees include a 5 percent license agent handling fee and a 3 percent nonrefundable application fee. Some waters and species require add-on validations. The one bowfishers run into most often is the Ocean Enhancement Validation at $7.30, required for ocean waters south of Point Arguello in Santa Barbara County.3California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Sport Fishing Licenses and Report Cards
Tackle Rule
The statewide tackle requirement is short. Under 14 CCR Section 1.23, the arrow shaft, the point, or both must be attached by a line to the bow or to a fishing reel. Crossbows are explicitly allowed.4Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 1.23 – Bow and Arrow Fishing Tackle
The regulation does not restrict bow type or arrowhead style beyond the line-attachment rule, so recurve, compound, longbow, and crossbow setups all qualify. Shoot a loose arrow with no line and you are out of compliance, regardless of what you hit.
Where Local Rules Take Over
Section 2.25 tells you which fish you can take, but it doesn’t tell you where. Marine protected areas, state recreation areas, and local water agencies set their own rules, and those rules are often stricter than the state regulation. Check with the agency that manages the water before you go.
A few examples show how varied the restrictions get. At San Diego’s city reservoirs, bowfishing is allowed only from a vessel on approved reservoirs, prohibited within 100 feet of any person outside the bowfisher’s boat, and banned in areas where water birds are nesting.5City of San Diego. Bowfishing Lake Elsinore is vessel-only for most of its waters but permits shore-based bowfishing along a marked stretch of the levee.6City of Lake Elsinore. Bow Fishing Lake Perris State Recreation Area confines bowfishing to designated areas inside its 5 MPH zone and bans it from shore entirely.7California State Parks. Lake Perris State Recreation Area Laws, Regulations, and Public Safety
Time-of-day rules also vary. Some waters are daylight-only; others allow night bowfishing.
You Have to Use What You Kill
California prohibits wasting any fish taken from state waters. Section 1.87 of the California Code of Regulations makes it unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of fish you have taken.8California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations – General Provisions Bowfishing almost always kills the fish, so the state expects you to use what you harvest. Leaving a pile of carp on the bank is a citable offense.
What a Violation Costs
Most bowfishing violations fall under California Fish and Game Code Section 12000. Breaking a rule in 14 CCR Sections 2.00 through 5.95, which includes the Section 2.25 bowfishing regulation, is punishable as either an infraction or a misdemeanor, with fines from $100 to $1,000.9California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code Section 12000 The prosecutor generally decides which to charge.
Fishing without a required validation is a separate infraction, with fines between $50 and $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for a repeat within five years. Beyond fines, a Fish and Game Code violation can bring equipment seizure and loss of your fishing license, and taking a prohibited species like sturgeon or salmon by bow is treated more seriously than a minor tackle violation.