United States of America

Zones autorisées

• Florida state and adjacent federal waters (general)

  Spearfishing is permitted in most Florida saltwater areas outside restricted buffers, sanctuaries, parks and no-spearing zones, subject to FWC gear and species rules. Coordinate is a representative offshore point on the Florida reef tract (Atlantic side), not a precise boundary.

  No powerheads/bangsticks/rebreathers (rebreathers allowed only for lionfish); no spearing within 100 yards of public bathing beaches, commercial/public fishing piers or fishing bridges; no spearing within 100 feet of jetties (with stated exceptions); prohibited species list applies; all freshwater closed.

  myfwc.com
• California ocean waters (outside MPAs)

  Recreational spearfishing is permitted in California ocean waters outside of closed Marine Protected Areas, with a sport fishing license and ocean enhancement stamp for those 16 and older. Spearguns and Hawaiian slings are generally permitted; powerheads are generally prohibited. Coordinate is a representative offshore point in Monterey Bay (central California coast), not a precise boundary.

  License + ocean enhancement stamp required (16+); powerheads generally prohibited; no take inside State Marine Reserves; many State Marine Conservation Areas prohibit spearfishing - check the CDFW interactive map per site.

  californiastate.blog
• Hawaii nearshore waters (freediving)

  Spearfishing by freediving is broadly permitted in Hawaiian waters with a license where required, outside protected zones.

  SCUBA spearfishing banned in the West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area (cannot possess SCUBA gear and a spear simultaneously there); restricted/prohibited in Marine Life Conservation Districts and Fish Replenishment Areas; night spearfishing restricted in areas such as Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline FMA and Haena CBSFA.

  eregulations.com
• Lake Norman (North Carolina) — spear guns expressly authorised

  North Carolina's largest lake, on the Catawba River north of Charlotte. It is one of only three waters that 15A NCAC 10C .0407 authorises by name for spear guns: entry (46) Iredell permits spear guns in Lookout Shoals Reservoir and Lake Norman, and the other counties the lake touches (Catawba, Lincoln, Mecklenburg) permit spear guns in all their public waters, so the whole lake is open. Conditions: the season runs 1 July to 30 June (year-round); a licence conveying inland fishing or special-device privileges is required; and only nongame fish may be kept — game fish taken must be returned unharmed (15A NCAC 10C .0402(d)).

  reports.oah.state.nc.us
• Lake Hickory (Catawba River, North Carolina) — spear guns expressly authorised

  A 1,530-hectare Catawba River impoundment above Oxford Dam. 15A NCAC 10C .0407 entry (2) authorises spear guns in Lake Hickory by name in Alexander County, and the other counties on the lake (Burke, Caldwell, Catawba) authorise spear guns in all their public waters, so the reservoir is open to freshwater spearfishing. Season 1 July to 30 June (year-round); a licence conveying inland fishing or special-device privileges is required; only nongame fish may be kept, game fish must be released unharmed (15A NCAC 10C .0402(d)).

  reports.oah.state.nc.us
• Lookout Shoals Reservoir (North Carolina) — spear guns expressly authorised

  A Catawba River impoundment between Lake Hickory and Lake Norman. It is named twice in 15A NCAC 10C .0407 as a water where spear guns may be used — entry (2) Alexander and entry (46) Iredell — and Catawba County, which holds the rest of the reservoir, authorises spear guns in all its public waters. Season 1 July to 30 June (year-round); a licence conveying inland fishing or special-device privileges is required; only nongame fish may be kept, game fish must be returned unharmed (15A NCAC 10C .0402(d)).

  reports.oah.state.nc.us

Zones interdites

• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Key Largo and Looe Key Management Areasnational marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing and possession of spearfishing equipment (except while passing through without interruption) are prohibited.

  floridakeys.noaa.gov
• Florida Upper Keys no-spearfishing zone (Miami-Dade County line to Long Key)state no-spearing zone

  Spearfishing prohibited throughout this stretch of the Upper Keys.

  myfwc.com
• Everglades, Dry Tortugas and Florida state parksnational park / state park

  Possession of spears and spearguns is prohibited within Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park and Florida state parks.

  myfwc.com
• California State Marine Reserves (SMRs)marine protected area / marine reserve

  All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited inside California State Marine Reserves under 14 CCR §632(a)(1)(A). Some State Marine Conservation Areas are also closed to spearfishing where their take exceptions do not cover it. This is a categorical entry covering the statewide network; individual reserves are mapped separately - check the CDFW interactive MPA map per site.

  law.cornell.edu
• Hawaii Marine Life Conservation Districts and West Hawaii Regional FMA (SCUBA)marine life conservation district / fisheries management area

  Spearfishing restricted or prohibited inside Marine Life Conservation Districts and Fish Replenishment Areas; SCUBA spearfishing banned in the West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area.

  eregulations.com
• New Jersey State Park Service watersstate park waters

  Spearfishing is prohibited in all waters under the jurisdiction or control of the New Jersey State Park Service.

  eregulations.com
• Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (Georgia)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited throughout Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, a 22-square-mile hard-bottom reef about 19 miles east of Sapelo Island, Georgia. 15 CFR 922.92(a)(6) bans "Using any fishing gear within the Sanctuary except rod and reel, and handline gear", and 922.92(a)(11)(iii) allows spearfishing gear to be carried only "provided that it is stowed on a vessel, not available for immediate use, and the vessel is passing through the Sanctuary without interruption". The southern third of the sanctuary is a Research Area (appendix A to subpart I: 31.362732-31.384444 N, 80.828145-80.921200 W) where 15 CFR 922.94 additionally prohibits taking any marine organism, using or carrying unstowed fishing gear, DIVING, and even stopping a vessel. Coordinate is the sanctuary centre point.

  ecfr.gov
• Hanauma Bay Marine Life Conservation District (Oahu, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  No-take Marine Life Conservation District offshore of Hanauma Bay Beach Park on the southeast coast of Oahu, from the highwater mark seaward to a line from Palea Point to Pai'olu'olu Point. All taking of marine life, including spearfishing, is prohibited; possessing in the water any device usable to take marine life is also prohibited. Coordinate is the bay.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District (Oahu, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  No-take Marine Life Conservation District on the north shore of Oahu including Shark's Cove and Three Tables and the offshore waters, ~100 acres along about a mile of coastline. Spearfishing is prohibited (including possessing/transiting with a spear gun); all take of marine resources is banned. Coordinate is Shark's Cove / Pupukea.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Molokini Shoal Marine Life Conservation District (Maui, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  No-take Marine Life Conservation District offshore of the crescent-shaped Molokini islet in the Alalakeiki Channel, about 3 miles off Maui's southwestern coast. The ~77-acre district (established 1977) is divided into Subzone A (inner cove) and Subzone B (100 yards seaward of the islet). Only trolling in Subzone B is permitted; all spearfishing and possession of any device capable of taking marine life in the water are prohibited throughout. Access is by boat only.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District (Maui, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  No-take Marine Life Conservation District on the northwestern coast of Maui, bounded seaward by a line from Alaelae Point to Kalaepiha Point to the northwestern corner of Honolua Bay. Encompasses ~45 acres (established 1978). Spearfishing and possession in the water of any device capable of taking marine life are prohibited; the only permitted in-water gear is a knife, shark billy, bang stick, powerhead, or CO2 injector.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Manele-Hulopoe Marine Life Conservation District (Lanai, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District on the southern coast of Lanai encompassing the adjacent bays of Manele and Hulopoe (~309 acres, established 1976). Spearfishing is prohibited; the only fishing permitted is pole-and-line from the shoreline for finfish and a'ama crab. All other gear in the water is banned. Subzone A (inner) additionally prohibits all vessel operation.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District (Big Island, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District offshore of Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park on the western (Kona) coast of Hawaii Island, about 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona (~315 acres, established 1969). Spearfishing is not among the permitted methods; only hook-and-line, thrownet, and specified methods for akule, opelu, and crustaceans are allowed in Subzone B. Possession in the water of any device capable of taking marine life (other than safety knives) is prohibited.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Lapakahi Marine Life Conservation District (Big Island, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District on the northwestern coast of Hawaii Island adjacent to Lapakahi State Historical Park, about 12 miles north of Kawaihae (~146 acres, established 1979). Spearfishing and possession in the water of any device capable of taking marine life are explicitly prohibited. Only opelu by lift or net and finfish/crustaceans by hook-and-line or thrownet are permitted (Subzone B only).

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Old Kona Airport Marine Life Conservation District (Big Island, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District (~217 acres, established 1992) offshore of the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area on the western coast of Hawaii Island, immediately north of Kailua-Kona town, extending 500 yards seaward from the Kailua Lighthouse to Keahuolu Point. Spearfishing is prohibited; the only permitted fishing methods are handline at night for akule, opelu by net, and thrownet/pole-and-line from shore for finfish.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Waialea Bay Marine Life Conservation District (Big Island, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District (Beach 69) on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, offshore of Waialea Bay between Kanekanaka Point and the point north of Ohai Point (~35 acres, established 1985). Spearfishing and possession of any device capable of taking marine life in the water are prohibited; hook-and-line is the only permitted finfish method. One of the best snorkeling sites on the Big Island.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District (Oahu, Hawaii)marine life conservation district

  Marine Life Conservation District at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach, Oahu (~76 acres, established 1988), extending from the Kapahulu Avenue groin to the west wall of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, seaward at least 500 yards. All fishing and spearfishing are prohibited; possessing any device capable of taking marine life in the water is banned. Safety knives, shark billies, bang sticks, powerheads, and CO2 injectors may be carried for personal safety.

  dlnr.hawaii.gov
• Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands)marine national monument / national marine sanctuary

  The largest fully protected marine conservation area in the United States, encompassing ~582,578 sq mi of ocean surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from Nihoa to Kure Atoll, extending 200 nautical miles offshore. All commercial and non-commercial fishing (including spearfishing) and possession of fishing gear (unless stowed and unavailable) are prohibited throughout the monument and sanctuary without a permit. All take of living or nonliving sanctuary resources is prohibited. Sustenance fishing (catch consumed within the monument) is only allowed as a condition of an existing activity permit. The monument center coordinate is representative of the NWHI chain. Midway Atoll, inside this monument, is ISO 3166-1 UM-71 (United States Minor Outlying Islands) and is covered by the UMI record, where the narrower Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Midway Atoll Special Management Area carry additional restrictions — 50 CFR 404.7(i) prohibits swimming, snorkelling and SCUBA diving within the Special Management Area, which 15 CFR 922.241 defines as the waters surrounding Midway Atoll out to 12 nautical miles.

  sanctuaries.noaa.gov
• Montara State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve on the San Mateo County coast between Montara and Pillar Point, north of Half Moon Bay, part of California's MLPA network. Under 14 CCR §632(a)(1)(A) all take of any living marine resource, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Año Nuevo State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve along the northern Santa Cruz County coast at Año Nuevo Point (14 CCR §632(b)(67), MLPA network). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve forming a narrow strip (mean high tide line to 200 feet seaward of mean lower low water) along the west Santa Cruz shoreline off Natural Bridges State Beach (14 CCR §632(b)(69)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Lovers Point - Julia Platt State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at Lovers Point, Pacific Grove, on southern Monterey Bay (14 CCR §632(b)(76), MLPA network) — a popular entry-level dive site. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Asilomar State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Asilomar State Beach on the ocean side of Pacific Grove, Monterey Peninsula (14 CCR §632(b)(78)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve covering the granite pinnacles at the mouth of Carmel Bay (14 CCR §632(b)(79)) — a renowned kelp-forest dive site. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Lobos State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Iconic no-take State Marine Reserve off Point Lobos State Natural Reserve south of Carmel (14 CCR §632(b)(81)) — one of California's oldest protected dive areas; diving inside the adjacent State Park unit additionally requires a State Parks reservation. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Sur State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at Point Sur on the Big Sur coast (14 CCR §632(b)(83), MLPA network). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Big Creek State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve on the remote Big Sur coast at Big Creek (14 CCR §632(b)(85)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited, and anchoring in waters shallower than 10 fathoms is also unlawful.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Buchon State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve south of Montaña de Oro State Park near Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County (14 CCR §632(b)(93)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Conception State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at Point Conception, western Santa Barbara County (14 CCR §632(b)(96), MLPA network). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Officially designated no-take SMCA off UC Santa Barbara/Goleta (14 CCR §632(b)(99); CDFW type 'SMCA (No-Take)'): the only exception to the take ban is permitted operation and maintenance of artificial structures, so all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Richardson Rock State Marine Reserve (San Miguel Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve around Richardson Rock northwest of San Miguel Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(101)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Harris Point State Marine Reserve (San Miguel Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Harris Point on the north shore of San Miguel Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(103)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited except within a small defined exemption corridor in Cuyler Harbor where take is allowed (§632(b)(103)(C)).

  law.cornell.edu
• Gull Island State Marine Reserve (Santa Cruz Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve around Gull Island off the south shore of Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(109)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Scorpion State Marine Reserve (Santa Cruz Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Scorpion Anchorage on northeast Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(110)) — one of the most-visited Channel Islands dive areas. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve on the north side of Anacapa Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(113)) — including the heavily dived Landing Cove area. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Dume State Marine Reserve (Malibu, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Point Dume, Malibu, Los Angeles County (14 CCR §632(b)(118), MLPA network). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Blue Cavern Onshore State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (Santa Catalina Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  Officially designated no-take SMCA on the northeast side of Santa Catalina Island near Two Harbors/USC Wrigley Marine Science Center (14 CCR §632(b)(124); CDFW type 'SMCA (No-Take)'): the only take exceptions are permitted scientific collecting and artificial-structure maintenance, so all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Long Point State Marine Reserve (Santa Catalina Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at Long Point on the north side of Santa Catalina Island (14 CCR §632(b)(126)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve covering most of the Laguna Beach city shoreline, Orange County (14 CCR §632(b)(134), MLPA network). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve (La Jolla, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve over La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores, San Diego (14 CCR §632(b)(142)) — one of the most-dived sites in Southern California; boats may anchor only in designated areas during daylight. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• South La Jolla State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve from Palomar Avenue (La Jolla/Bird Rock) south toward Pacific Beach, San Diego (14 CCR §632(b)(143)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Cabrillo State Marine Reserve (Point Loma, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at the tip of Point Loma adjoining Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego (14 CCR §632(b)(146)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Western Sambo Ecological Reserve (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Ecological Reserve of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Boca Chica Key (Lower Keys). All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Tortugas Ecological Reserve — Tortugas North (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Northern unit of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, a no-take zone of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary adjoining Dry Tortugas National Park. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, is prohibited, and anchoring is additionally banned in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (15 CFR 922.164(d)(1)).

  ecfr.gov
• Tortugas Ecological Reserve — Tortugas South (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Southern unit of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, a no-take zone of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary southwest of the Dry Tortugas. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, is prohibited, and anchoring is additionally banned in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (15 CFR 922.164(d)(1)).

  ecfr.gov
• Carysfort/South Carysfort Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off north Key Largo. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• The Elbow Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Dry Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (Key Largo, Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area (commonly known as Key Largo Dry Rocks, site of the Christ of the Abyss statue) of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1). Official appendix name: 'Dry Rocks'.

  ecfr.gov
• Grecian Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• French Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Molasses Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo, one of the most-dived reefs in the Keys. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Conch Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Tavernier/Plantation Key. All fishing is prohibited except catch-and-release trolling; spearfishing and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Davis Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Islamorada. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Hen and Chickens Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, an inshore patch reef off Islamorada. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Cheeca Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, an inshore patch reef off Islamorada. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Alligator Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at Alligator Reef Light off Islamorada. All fishing is prohibited except catch-and-release trolling; spearfishing and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Coffins Patch Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Marathon (Middle Keys). All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Sombrero Key Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at Sombrero Key Light off Marathon (referred to as Sombrero Reef in 15 CFR 922.164). All fishing is prohibited except catch-and-release trolling; spearfishing and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Newfound Harbor Key Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Big Pine Key (Lower Keys). All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at Looe Key reef off Big Pine Key, within the broader Looe Key Existing Management Area. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Eastern Dry Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Rock Key Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West. All fishing by any means, including spearfishing, and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• Sand Key Sanctuary Preservation Area (Florida Keys)no_take_marine_zone

  Sanctuary Preservation Area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at Sand Key Light off Key West. All fishing is prohibited except catch-and-release trolling; spearfishing and any removal of marine life are prohibited under 15 CFR 922.164(d)(1).

  ecfr.gov
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo, Florida)marine_park

  The first undersea park in the United States (Key Largo); its waters are under the jurisdiction of the Florida DEP Division of Recreation and Parks, where spearfishing and possession of loaded/unstowed spearing equipment are prohibited by Fla. Admin. Code r. 68B-20.003(2)(e). The park also lies inside the Upper Keys no-spearfishing zone (Monroe County north of Long Key). Hook-and-line fishing remains allowed under state rules.

  flrules.elaws.us
• Dry Tortugas National Park Research Natural Area (Florida)no_take_marine_zone

  A 46-square-statute-mile no-take Research Natural Area in the northwest portion of Dry Tortugas National Park (around and west of Loggerhead Key); all fishing is prohibited under 36 CFR 7.27(b)(3)(i). The remainder of the park allows hook-and-line only — taking fish by any speargun, pole spear, Hawaiian sling or powerhead is banned park-wide (36 CFR 7.27(b)(4)(ii)).

  ecfr.gov
• Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Offshore no-take State Marine Reserve west of Reading Rock off the Humboldt County coast (14 CCR §632(b)(7)), seaward of the adjoining Reading Rock SMCA and extending to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. Under §632(a)(1)(A) all take of any living marine resource, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• South Cape Mendocino State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve on the Lost Coast just south of Cape Mendocino, Humboldt County (14 CCR §632(b)(11)), running from the mean high tide line out to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Mattole Canyon State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Offshore no-take State Marine Reserve over Mattole Canyon on the Lost Coast, Humboldt County (14 CCR §632(b)(13)), extending west to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Sea Lion Gulch State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at Sea Lion Gulch on the Lost Coast, Humboldt County (14 CCR §632(b)(14)), from the mean high tide line to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Ten Mile State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve at the Ten Mile River mouth north of Fort Bragg, Mendocino County (14 CCR §632(b)(19)), from the mean high tide line out to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Cabrillo State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Small no-take State Marine Reserve off Point Cabrillo between Mendocino and Fort Bragg (14 CCR §632(b)(23)) — a rocky, kelp-fringed stretch of the Mendocino coast. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Arena State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Point Arena, Mendocino County (14 CCR §632(b)(28)), covering the waters around the point from the mean high tide line seaward. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Small no-take State Marine Reserve at Del Mar Landing on the Sonoma County coast (14 CCR §632(b)(32)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Stewarts Point State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve on the Sonoma County coast at Stewarts Point (14 CCR §632(b)(34)), reaching from the mean high tide line to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary; the adjoining Stewarts Point SMCA described in §632(b)(33)(A) is expressly excluded from the reserve. Inside the reserve all take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Very small no-take State Marine Reserve covering Gerstle Cove inside Salt Point State Park, Sonoma County (14 CCR §632(b)(36)) — a classic north-coast shore-dive cove that lies within the larger Salt Point SMCA. All take, including spearfishing and abalone, is prohibited inside the reserve.

  law.cornell.edu
• Bodega Head State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Bodega Head, Sonoma County (14 CCR §632(b)(39)), incorporating the formerly designated Bodega Marine Life Refuge. All recreational take, including spearfishing, is prohibited; the only take exceptions are scientific — collecting by University of California licensees, officers, employees and students under Fish and Game Code §10661, and persons authorised for scientific study by the Director of the Bodega Marine Life Refuge under Fish and Game Code §10502.7(b) (§§10656, 10903).

  law.cornell.edu
• Point Reyes State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off the Point Reyes headland, Marin County (14 CCR §632(b)(43)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take estuarine State Marine Reserve covering the waters below mean high tide in Estero de Limantour and the southern part of Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County (14 CCR §632(b)(46)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Offshore no-take State Marine Reserve around Southeast Farallon Island, roughly 50 km west of San Francisco (14 CCR §632(b)(53)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited; note that landing on and approaching the island is separately restricted under federal wildlife-refuge rules.

  law.cornell.edu
• Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take estuarine State Marine Reserve covering the waters below mean high tide in the inner part of Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing, Monterey Bay (14 CCR §632(b)(70): east of longitude 121° 46.400' W. and south of latitude 36° 50.500' N.). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take estuarine State Marine Reserve covering the waters of Moro Cojo Slough below mean high tide between the Highway 1 bridge and the Southern Pacific Railroad crossing, near Moss Landing (14 CCR §632(b)(72)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Piedras Blancas on the northern San Luis Obispo County coast (14 CCR §632(b)(87)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Morro Bay State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take estuarine State Marine Reserve covering the back-bay waters of Morro Bay below mean high tide east of longitude 120° 50.340' W. (14 CCR §632(b)(92)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Vandenberg State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  Large no-take State Marine Reserve along the Vandenberg (Space Force Base) coast in Santa Barbara County (14 CCR §632(b)(95)). All recreational take, including spearfishing, is prohibited — the only take exception is activity identified by the base commander as mission-critical to base and commercial space-launch operations — and public entry may additionally be restricted by the department or the base commander.

  law.cornell.edu
• Judith Rock State Marine Reserve (San Miguel Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Judith Rock on the south-west side of San Miguel Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(104)), extending to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Carrington Point State Marine Reserve (Santa Rosa Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve around Carrington Point at the north-east end of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(105)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Skunk Point State Marine Reserve (Santa Rosa Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off Skunk Point on the east end of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(106)). All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• South Point State Marine Reserve (Santa Rosa Island, California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve off South Point on the southern shore of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(107)), reaching out to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Footprint State Marine Reserve (Channel Islands, California)no_take_marine_zone

  Entirely offshore no-take State Marine Reserve with no shoreline component (14 CCR §632(b)(114)), lying in the waters south of Santa Cruz and Anacapa islands and bounded on the south by the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Begg Rock State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve covering all state waters surrounding Begg Rock, an isolated pinnacle north-west of San Nicolas Island (14 CCR §632(b)(115)) — a well-known deep offshore dive mark. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Santa Barbara Island State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve covering the eastern and southern state waters of Santa Barbara Island, Channel Islands (14 CCR §632(b)(116)), out to the three-nautical-mile state-waters boundary. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  law.cornell.edu
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Stetson Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Stetson Bank, a claystone/siltstone bank about 70 nautical miles south of Galveston, Texas. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — West Flower Garden Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on West Flower Garden Bank, one of the two original salt-dome coral-reef banks for which the sanctuary is named. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Horseshoe Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Horseshoe Bank, between the two Flower Garden Banks; it became a sanctuary unit in the January 2021 expansion (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — East Flower Garden Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on East Flower Garden Bank, one of the two original salt-dome coral-reef banks for which the sanctuary is named. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — MacNeil Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on MacNeil Bank, a sanctuary unit added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Rankin Bank and 28 Fathom Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Rankin Bank and 28 Fathom Bank, two adjoining banks enclosed in a single sanctuary polygon (polygon 6 of appendix A), added by the January 2021 expansion rule. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Bright Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Bright Bank, a sanctuary unit added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Geyer Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Geyer Bank, one of the largest sanctuary units, added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Elvers Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Elvers Bank, protected by two sanctuary polygons (9A and 9B) added by the January 2021 expansion rule. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — McGrail Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on McGrail Bank, protected by two sanctuary polygons (10A and 10B) added by the January 2021 expansion rule. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Bouma Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Bouma Bank, a sanctuary unit added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Sonnier Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Sonnier Bank, a shallow pinnacle bank added to the sanctuary by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Rezak Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Rezak Bank, a sanctuary unit added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Sidner Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Sidner Bank, immediately south of Rezak Bank; it became a sanctuary unit in the January 2021 expansion rule. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Parker Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Parker Bank, protected by two sanctuary polygons (15A and 15B) added by the January 2021 expansion rule. Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary — Alderdice Bank (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Spearfishing is prohibited on Alderdice Bank, the easternmost sanctuary unit, added by the January 2021 expansion rule (86 FR 4953). Inside Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) allows fish to be taken only "by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) prohibits possessing or using any other fishing gear in the Sanctuary except while possessing it "while passing without interruption through it". Spearguns, pole spears and Hawaiian slings are therefore illegal to use here, and may only be carried through the Sanctuary in uninterrupted transit.

  ecfr.gov
• Monitor National Marine Sanctuary — USS Monitor wreck site (North Carolina)national marine sanctuary (diving prohibited)

  The whole of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary — a one-mile-diameter water column over the wreck of the USS Monitor, about 16 nautical miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras — is closed to "Diving of any type" under 15 CFR 922.61(c), and vessels may not anchor, stop, remain or drift without power there under 922.61(a). This is a diving and vessel restriction, not a fishing regulation: §922.61 does not prohibit hook-and-line fishing as such. But because spearfishing requires a diver in the water, it cannot lawfully be conducted here without a permit from the ONMS Director.

  ecfr.gov
• Tennessee Reef Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)research-only area (no-take)

  Tennessee Reef, off Long Key, is a Special-use “Research-only area” of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Under 15 CFR 922.164(e)(3) no one may enter it at all except in transit without interruption or under a NOAA research/education permit, and 922.164(e)(5) applies the Ecological Reserve/SPA prohibitions there as well — which expressly forbid “spearing” and “fishing by any means”. This is a stricter regime than the surrounding Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

  ecfr.gov
• Eastern Sambo Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)research-only area (no-take)

  Eastern Sambo reef, south of Boca Chica Key, is a Special-use “Research-only area” of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and is closed to entry except in uninterrupted transit or under a NOAA research permit (15 CFR 922.164(e)(3)(ii)). Section 922.164(e)(5) also imposes the reserve-level prohibitions on “spearing” and “fishing by any means” inside it. It sits immediately east of the separately designated Western Sambo Ecological Reserve.

  ecfr.gov
• Cape Falcon Marine Reserve (Oregon)marine reserve

  A statutory no-take marine reserve off Cape Falcon and Short Sand Beach, Tillamook County; effective 1 January 2016. OAR 635-012-0050(1) prohibits the take — “including fishing or hunting” — of any fish or wildlife species inside the reserve, and OAR 635-012-0050(3)(c) bans deploying any fishing gear in the water there. Spearfishing and spearguns are therefore prohibited; a diver may only transit or anchor with catch already aboard.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cascade Head Marine Reserve (Oregon)marine reserve

  A statutory no-take marine reserve off Cascade Head north of Lincoln City, Lincoln County; effective 1 January 2014. OAR 635-012-0050(1) prohibits the take — “including fishing or hunting” — of any fish or wildlife species inside the reserve, and OAR 635-012-0050(3)(c) bans deploying any fishing gear in the water there. Spearfishing and spearguns are therefore prohibited; a diver may only transit or anchor with catch already aboard.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Otter Rock Marine Reserve (Oregon)marine reserve

  A statutory no-take marine reserve between Cape Foulweather and Beverly Beach, Lincoln County; effective 1 January 2012. OAR 635-012-0050(1) prohibits the take — “including fishing or hunting” — of any fish or wildlife species inside the reserve, and OAR 635-012-0050(3)(c) bans deploying any fishing gear in the water there. Spearfishing and spearguns are therefore prohibited; a diver may only transit or anchor with catch already aboard.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve (Oregon)marine reserve

  A statutory no-take marine reserve off Cape Perpetua south of Yachats, Lincoln County; effective 1 January 2014. OAR 635-012-0050(1) prohibits the take — “including fishing or hunting” — of any fish or wildlife species inside the reserve, and OAR 635-012-0050(3)(c) bans deploying any fishing gear in the water there. Spearfishing and spearguns are therefore prohibited; a diver may only transit or anchor with catch already aboard.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve (Oregon)marine reserve

  A statutory no-take marine reserve off Port Orford, Curry County; effective 1 January 2012. OAR 635-012-0050(1) prohibits the take — “including fishing or hunting” — of any fish or wildlife species inside the reserve, and OAR 635-012-0050(3)(c) bans deploying any fishing gear in the water there. Spearfishing and spearguns are therefore prohibited; a diver may only transit or anchor with catch already aboard.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Brackett's Landing Shoreline Sanctuary Conservation Area — Edmonds Underwater Park (Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  Washington's best-known shore dive, immediately north of the Edmonds ferry terminal, is a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-010.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Keystone Conservation Area (Fort Casey, Whidbey Island, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  The Keystone jetty dive site beside the Coupeville ferry landing in Admiralty Inlet is a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-030.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Octopus Hole Conservation Area (Hood Canal, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  A well-known giant-Pacific-octopus and wolf-eel wall on the west shore of Hood Canal, and a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-040.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Orchard Rocks Conservation Area (Rich Passage, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  A 400-yard-radius closure around the Orchard Rocks day marker in Rich Passage, off Bainbridge Island, and a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-050.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Sund Rock Conservation Area (Hood Canal, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  One of Hood Canal's best-known dive sites, just south of Octopus Hole, and a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-080.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Waketickeh Creek Conservation Area (Hood Canal, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  A closure on the west shore of Hood Canal north-east of Cummings Point, and a statutory Conservation Area. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it "unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, or wildlife taken from any conservation area defined in chapter 220-303 WAC", so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The area itself is defined by WAC 220-303-090. The strip within 100 feet of ordinary high water is expressly excluded from the closed area.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Titlow Beach Marine Preserve (Tacoma Narrows, Washington)marine preserve (no-take)

  Titlow Beach, a heavily used shore dive on the Tacoma Narrows, is a WDFW Marine Preserve. WAC 220-305-080(2)(d) closes it to the recreational harvest of all fish; the single exception is salmon on artificial lures from shore or a non-motorized vessel, and a speargun is neither. Washington separately forbids spearing salmon at all (WAC 220-310-120(1) and 220-310-130), so no lawful spearfishing is possible inside the preserve. The area is defined by WAC 220-302-110.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Z's Reef Marine Preserve (Fox Island, Washington)marine preserve (no-take)

  Z's Reef, a subtidal reef off the north-east side of Fox Island in south Puget Sound, is a WDFW Marine Preserve. WAC 220-305-080(2)(e) closes it to the recreational harvest of all fish; the single exception is salmon on fly-fishing gear, and a speargun is neither. Washington separately forbids spearing salmon at all (WAC 220-310-120(1) and 220-310-130), so no lawful spearfishing is possible inside the preserve. The area is defined by WAC 220-302-120.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Madison and Swanson Sites (Gulf of Mexico, off Florida)federal year-round closed area

  A federal year-round no-fishing box in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ south of Cape San Blas, Florida. 50 CFR 622.34(a)(2) provides that within the Madison and Swanson sites "Fishing is prohibited year-round", and for that paragraph "fish means finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and all other forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine mammals and birds". Spearfishing is therefore illegal there at any time of year. These are offshore federal waters, well beyond ordinary recreational diving depth.

  ecfr.gov
• Steamboat Lumps Marine Reserve (Gulf of Mexico, off Florida)federal year-round closed area

  A federal year-round no-fishing box in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ west of the central Florida coast. Under 50 CFR 622.34(a)(2) "Fishing is prohibited year-round" inside Steamboat Lumps, "fish" being defined for that paragraph as all finfish, mollusks and crustaceans. Spearfishing is prohibited there year-round. These are offshore federal waters, well beyond ordinary recreational diving depth.

  ecfr.gov
• The Edges seasonal closed area (Gulf of Mexico, off Florida)federal seasonal closed area (January-April)

  A federal SEASONAL closure in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ between Steamboat Lumps and the Madison-Swanson area. Under 50 CFR 622.34(a)(3), from January through April each year "all fishing is prohibited" in the Edges and no fish species may be possessed except aboard a vessel in transit with gear stowed. Spearfishing is banned here for those four months only; outside January-April the area is open under the normal Gulf reef-fish rules. These are offshore federal waters, well beyond ordinary recreational diving depth.

  ecfr.gov
• Redfish Rocks Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  The offshore marine protected area adjoining the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve off Port Orford, Curry County. OAR 635-012-0060(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species" inside it, and the only allowances in section (2) are commercial or recreational salmon trolling and crabbing. Spearfishing is not among them, so a speargun may not lawfully be used here; OAR 635-012-0070(1)(b) separately forbids deploying any fishing gear in the water inside a marine protected area except as those allowances permit.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cape Perpetua North Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  The marine protected area immediately north of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, off Yachats, Lincoln County. OAR 635-012-0080(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species"; section (2) allows only salmon trolling, crabbing, and recreational hook-and-line fishing from the bank. A speargun is none of those, so spearfishing is prohibited throughout the area.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cascade Head North Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  The marine protected area north of the Cascade Head Marine Reserve, off Neskowin and Cascade Head, Lincoln County. OAR 635-012-0110(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species"; the only allowances are salmon trolling, crabbing, and recreational groundfish angling with hook-and-line from private non-chartered boats. Spearfishing is therefore prohibited.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cascade Head West Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  A narrow offshore strip (about 5 km long and 650 m wide) lying immediately seaward of the Cascade Head Marine Reserve, Lincoln County. OAR 635-012-0130(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species" inside it and section (2) allows only salmon trolling and crabbing, so a speargun may not be used. Together with the reserve inshore of it, the closure runs from the shoreline out to 124°5' W.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cape Falcon West Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  The offshore marine protected area west of the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, Tillamook County. OAR 635-012-0140(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species"; the only allowances are commercial or recreational salmon trolling and crabbing (with a voluntary gravel-bed avoidance scheme for crab pots). Spearfishing is prohibited.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Cape Falcon Shoreside Marine Protected Area (Oregon)marine protected area (finfish take prohibited)

  A narrow shoreside strip (about 2.2 km long and only ~220 m wide) along the coast north of Cape Falcon, Tillamook County, bounded landward by the extreme low water line. OAR 635-012-0150(1) prohibits the "Take of any fish species"; the single allowance in section (2) is recreational hook-and-line fishing from the bank. A diver in the water may not take fish here by any means, so spearfishing is prohibited.

  secure.sos.state.or.us
• Admiralty Head Marine Preserve (Whidbey Island, Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  A 0.6-nautical-mile stretch of the west shore of Whidbey Island off Fort Casey, extending 400 yards offshore in Admiralty Inlet. WAC 220-305-080(2)(a) closes it to the taking of fish and wildlife outright — only sea cucumbers and sea urchins may be taken — so this is a full finfish closure and spearfishing is prohibited. The boundary is defined by WAC 220-302-010.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Colvos Passage Marine Preserve (Puget Sound, Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  A small closure on the west (Kitsap Peninsula) shore of Colvos Passage, about 300 feet by 500 feet, defined by WAC 220-302-030. WAC 220-305-080(2)(b) closes it to all commercial harvest of fish and to recreational harvest of fish except salmon taken by trolling. A speargun is not trolling gear, and WAC 220-310-130 permits underwater spearfishing for saltwater food fish "except salmon and sturgeon", so no fish may lawfully be speared inside the preserve.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Saltwater State Park Marine Preserve (Des Moines, Washington)marine preserve (no-take)

  The waters, bedlands and tidelands off Saltwater State Park on central Puget Sound, one of the busiest shore dives in the state. WAC 220-305-080(2)(g) closes the preserve to all recreational harvest — there is no species or gear exception at all — so spearfishing is prohibited. The boundary is given as a vertex list in WAC 220-302-090.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• False Bay unit, San Juan Islands Marine Preserve (San Juan Island, Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  The tidelands and bedlands of False Bay on the south-west side of San Juan Island, a University of Washington research area and one of the five units listed in WAC 220-302-100. WAC 220-305-080(2)(c) closes the San Juan Islands Marine Preserve to the taking of food fish other than salmon (herring excepted), and WAC 220-310-130 makes it unlawful to take salmon with underwater spearfishing gear anywhere in Washington, so nothing a spearfisher targets may lawfully be speared here.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Friday Harbor and Point Caution unit, San Juan Islands Marine Preserve (Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  A 500-yard band of tidelands and bedlands along San Juan Island from west of Point Caution round to the Port of Friday Harbor breakwater, one of the five units of the preserve defined in WAC 220-302-100. Under WAC 220-305-080(2)(c) all food fish other than salmon are closed here (herring excepted), and salmon may not be speared anywhere in Washington under WAC 220-310-130, so spearfishing is effectively prohibited.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Shaw Island (Parks Bay to Hicks Bay) unit, San Juan Islands Marine Preserve (Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  A 500-yard band of tidelands and bedlands along the north-west side of Shaw Island between Hicks Bay and Parks Bay, including all of Parks Bay south of the boundary line, defined by WAC 220-302-100(5). WAC 220-305-080(2)(c) closes all food fish other than salmon (crab may still be taken from Parks Bay), and Washington forbids spearing salmon under WAC 220-310-130, so — herring aside, which the rule leaves open — no fish a spearfisher can target may lawfully be taken here.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Yellow and Low Islands unit, San Juan Islands Marine Preserve (Wasp Passage, Washington)marine preserve (no-take of food fish)

  All tidelands and bedlands within 300 yards of Yellow Island and of Low Island in the Wasp Islands, defined by WAC 220-302-100(4). This unit is the strictest of the five: WAC 220-305-080(2)(c) states that the "Yellow and Low Island Preserve is closed to the taking of food fish" with no salmon carve-out, so every marine finfish is closed and spearfishing is prohibited.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Argyle Lagoon unit, San Juan Islands Marine Preserve (San Juan Island, Washington)marine preserve (finfish closure)

  The University of Washington tidelands and all bedlands enclosed by the inner spit of Argyle Lagoon on San Juan Island, defined by WAC 220-302-100(3). WAC 220-305-080(2)(c) closes the preserve to the taking of food fish other than salmon (herring excepted), and salmon may not be speared anywhere in Washington (WAC 220-310-130), so no fish a spearfisher can target may lawfully be taken here. The lagoon is a shallow tidal basin that largely drains at low water and is of limited practical interest to divers.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Golden Gardens Park Marine Preserve (Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  The city-owned tidelands off Golden Gardens Park in Ballard, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW, defined by WAC 220-302-060. WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) closes the Seattle city park marine preserves to the removal of organisms from the intertidal areas, allowing finfish to be taken only with hook and line gear — a speargun is not hook and line, so spearing a fish here is unlawful. Note the closure reaches only to 4.5 feet below MLLW; deeper water off the park is not covered by this rule.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Carkeek Park Marine Preserve (Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  Two sections of city-owned tidelands off Carkeek Park on Puget Sound, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW (WAC 220-302-020). Under WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) organisms may not be removed from the intertidal areas and finfish may be taken only with hook and line gear, so spearfishing is prohibited inside the preserve.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Discovery Park Marine Preserve (Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  Two sections of city-owned tidelands either side of West Point at Discovery Park, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW (WAC 220-302-040). WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) bars removal of organisms from the intertidal areas and permits finfish to be taken only with hook and line gear, so a speargun may not be used.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Emma Schmitz Memorial Marine Preserve (West Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  The city-owned tidelands off Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive SW, West Seattle, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW (WAC 220-302-050). Under WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) finfish may be taken from the intertidal areas only with hook and line gear, so spearfishing is prohibited inside the preserve.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Lincoln Park Marine Preserve (West Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  The city-owned tidelands off Lincoln Park in West Seattle, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW (WAC 220-302-070). WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) closes the intertidal areas to removal of organisms except finfish taken with hook and line gear, so spearfishing is prohibited inside the preserve.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Richey Viewpoint Marine Preserve (West Seattle, Washington)marine preserve (intertidal, hook-and-line only)

  The city-owned tidelands off Richey Viewpoint (Me-Kwa-Mooks / Beach Drive SW), West Seattle, plus the water column above them down to 4.5 feet below MLLW (WAC 220-302-080). WAC 220-305-080(2)(f) permits finfish to be taken from the intertidal areas only with hook and line gear, so a speargun may not be used inside the preserve.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• City of Des Moines Park Conservation Area (Puget Sound, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  The tidelands owned by the City of Des Moines at City of Des Moines Park and the water column above them, a statutory Conservation Area defined by WAC 220-303-020. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it unlawful to fish for or possess fish, shellfish or wildlife taken from any conservation area, so all finfish are closed and spearfishing is prohibited. The footprint is tidelands only — there is no subtidal component — so in practice this affects shore and shallow-water activity.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• South 239th Street Park Conservation Area (Des Moines, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  The tidelands owned by the City of Des Moines at South 239th Street Park and the water column above them, a statutory Conservation Area defined by WAC 220-303-070. Under WAC 220-305-080(1) it is unlawful to fish for or possess any fish taken from a conservation area, so spearfishing is prohibited. This is a very small tideland strip (under 0.001 km2) with no subtidal footprint.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Saltar's Point Beach Conservation Area (Steilacoom, Washington)conservation area (no-take)

  The tidelands owned by the Town of Steilacoom at Saltar's Point Beach between Montgomery Street and Martin Street, and the water column above them, a statutory Conservation Area defined by WAC 220-303-060. WAC 220-305-080(1) makes it unlawful to fish for or possess any fish taken from a conservation area, so spearfishing is prohibited. The footprint is tidelands only.

  app.leg.wa.gov
• Lake James (Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina)freshwater speargun exclusion

  A 2,480-hectare Catawba River reservoir in the North Carolina foothills. Spear guns are a "special device" that may be used only in the counties and waters listed in 15A NCAC 10C .0407; both counties that contain Lake James — Burke (11)(b) and McDowell (53)(b) — authorise spear guns in all their public waters EXCEPT designated public mountain trout waters and Lake James by name. Spearfishing is therefore prohibited across the whole lake even though it is lawful in the surrounding county waters. This is a freshwater gear restriction, not a no-take reserve: angling continues normally.

  reports.oah.state.nc.us
• Texas Community Fishing Lakes and state-park waters (pole-and-line only)freshwater gear restriction (categorical)

  Texas allows a spear or speargun to take nongame fish in fresh water, but 31 TAC 57.973(b) restricts a whole class of small public waters to pole and line, which excludes a speargun. The class is: every Community Fishing Lake (defined by TPWD as "All public impoundments 75 acres or smaller located totally within an incorporated city limits or a municipal, city, county, or state park"); sections of rivers lying totally within a state park; any dock, pier, jetty or other manmade structure within a state park; the named lakes Abilene, Cleburne, Elm, Fort Parker, Mineral Wells, Pilant, Purtis Creek, Raven, Sheldon, Tucker and Deputy Darren Goforth Park Lake; Brushy Creek below the Brushy Creek Reservoir dam to the Williamson/Milam county line; Canyon Lake Project #6 (Lubbock County); Lake Pflugerville; the North Concho River from O.C. Fisher Dam to Bell Street Dam; the South Concho River from Lone Wolf Dam to Bell Street Dam; and Wheeler Branch (Somervell County). This is a gear restriction over an open-ended class of hundreds of small waters, not a discrete no-take area, so it is carried without a map pin.

  tpwd.texas.gov
• North Carolina inland waters outside the twelve speargun countiesfreshwater gear restriction (categorical)

  In North Carolina a spear gun is a "special device": 15A NCAC 10C .0401(a) allows nongame fish to be taken from inland fishing waters only by hook and line, grabbling or a special device, .0401(c) confines special devices to the counties and waters with an open season designated in 15A NCAC 10C .0407, and .0402(b)(9) makes a spear gun lawful only where .0407 authorises it. .0407 lists just twelve counties — Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Rutherford and Wilkes — and inside several of them the authorisation is narrower still. Everywhere else in North Carolina's inland fishing waters a spear gun is unlawful. Named carve-outs within the permitted counties: designated public mountain trout waters (Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford, Wilkes), Lake James (Burke and McDowell), and Freedom Park Pond and Hornet's Nest Ponds in Mecklenburg County. Where a spear gun is lawful it may take nongame fish only; game fish must be returned unharmed (.0402(d)).

  reports.oah.state.nc.us
• Georgia Public Fishing Areas (pole-and-line only)freshwater gear restriction (categorical)

  Every Public Fishing Area operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is restricted to pole and line. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 391-4-3-.09(5) provides that persons may not fish with any gear other than pole and line, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 27-1-2(51), at any public fishing area, and may not fish with more than two poles and lines. A speargun is not a pole and line, so spearfishing is prohibited on all of Georgia's PFAs. This is a gear restriction across a class of state-managed freshwater impoundments, not a no-take reserve; ordinary angling continues.

  rules.sos.ga.gov
• Pyramid Point State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Del Norte County SMCA at the Oregon border off Pyramid Point and the Smith River mouth (13.99 sq mi). Under 14 CCR §632(a)(1)(C) all recreational and commercial take is unlawful here except one carve-out: true smelt by dip net or Hawaiian type throw net. No form of spearfishing is permitted, so a diver may not take fish here.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Point St. George Reef Offshore State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Offshore reef SMCA west of Crescent City, Del Norte County (9.52 sq mi), around the St. George Reef complex. The only permitted take is salmon by trolling and Dungeness crab by trap (recreational and commercial). Spearfishing is not among the exceptions, and 14 CCR §28.90 independently bars taking salmon by spear, so no fish may be speared here.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Reading Rock State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Humboldt County SMCA surrounding the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve off the Redwood National Park coast (11.96 sq mi). This is NOT a no-take area, and it should not be read as one: 14 CCR §632(b)(6)(B) permits the take of salmon by trolling, true smelt by dip net or Hawaiian type throw net, and Dungeness crab by trap, hoop net or hand, so lawful fishing does happen here. Every one of those exceptions is gear-limited to a method a person in the water cannot use, and 14 CCR §28.90 forbids taking salmon by spear anywhere in California, so the SMCA is closed to spearfishing while remaining open to those other fisheries.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Samoa State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  SMCA off the Samoa Peninsula and the Humboldt Bay entrance, Humboldt County (13.06 sq mi). Take is limited to salmon by trolling, true smelt by dip net or Hawaiian type throw net, and Dungeness crab by trap, hoop net or hand. None of these methods is spearfishing, so taking fish by spear inside the SMCA is unlawful.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• South Humboldt Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area (California)state marine recreational management area (no-take)

  The southern arm of Humboldt Bay, Humboldt County (0.81 sq mi). Unusually for a recreational management area, 14 CCR §632(b)(9)(C) closes it entirely: take of all living, geological, or cultural marine resources is prohibited (waterfowl hunting under the general waterfowl regulations is the only exception, plus a Wiyot Tribe exemption). Spearfishing is therefore prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Big Flat State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Lost Coast SMCA off Big Flat in the King Range, Humboldt County (11.59 sq mi). Permitted take is confined to salmon by trolling and Dungeness crab by trap, hoop net or hand. Spearfishing is not permitted, and salmon may not be taken by spear anywhere in California under 14 CCR §28.90.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Double Cone Rock State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Large Lost Coast SMCA off Double Cone Rock on the Mendocino County shore (18.49 sq mi). The only authorised take is salmon by trolling and Dungeness crab by trap, hoop net or hand, so no fish may be taken by spear within the area.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Ten Mile Beach State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Nearshore SMCA along Ten Mile Beach north of Fort Bragg, Mendocino County (3.54 sq mi), adjoining the Ten Mile State Marine Reserve. Only Dungeness crab may be taken (recreationally by trap, hoop net or hand; commercially by trap). Every finfish is protected from all methods, spearfishing included.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Ten Mile Estuary State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (no finfish take)

  The Ten Mile River estuary behind the beach north of Fort Bragg, Mendocino County (0.18 sq mi), bounded at the mean high tide line. 14 CCR §632(b)(21)(B) lists no take exception at all beyond a tribal exemption and maintenance of artificial structures; waterfowl hunting is separately allowed. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Big River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore hook-and-line only)

  The Big River estuary at Mendocino, Mendocino County (0.13 sq mi). The only recreational take permitted is surfperch by hook and line from shore only, plus Dungeness crab by hoop net or hand. Because spearfishing under 14 CCR §1.76 is take by a person in the water, the shore-only hook-and-line carve-out cannot be used by a diver: spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Navarro River Estuary State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  The Navarro River estuary at Navarro-by-the-Sea, Mendocino County (0.09 sq mi). The sole take exception is the recreational take of salmonids by hook and line under the Section 7.50 salmonid regulations. Spearfishing is not permitted, and 14 CCR §28.90 separately forbids taking salmon or trout by spear anywhere in the state.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  SMCA off Point Arena, Mendocino County (6.74 sq mi), adjoining the Point Arena State Marine Reserve. Only salmon may be taken, and only by trolling (recreational) or troll fishing gear (commercial). No form of spearfishing is authorised.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Kelp-forest SMCA over Saunders Reef off Anchor Bay, Mendocino County (9.36 sq mi). Recreational take is limited to salmon by trolling; commercially, salmon by troll gear and sea urchin. Spearfishing is not an authorised method, so divers may not take fish here.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore-only take)

  Sonoma County SMCA adjoining the Stewarts Point State Marine Reserve (1.21 sq mi). This is NOT a no-take area: 14 CCR §632(b)(33)(B) permits recreational take from shore only — marine aquatic plants other than sea palm, marine invertebrates, finfish by hook and line, surf smelt by beach net, and Section 28.80 species by hand-held dip net — so shore anglers may lawfully fish here. But 14 CCR §28.90 allows spear gear only to “Persons who are floating or swimming in the water”, which puts every one of those shore-only carve-outs out of reach of a diver: the area is closed to spearfishing without being closed to fishing.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Russian River State Marine Recreational Management Area (California)state marine recreational management area (no-take)

  The lower Russian River estuary at Jenner, Sonoma County (0.36 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(37)(C) prohibits take of all living, geological, or cultural marine resources, with waterfowl hunting the only exception. Spearfishing is prohibited throughout.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Russian River State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Ocean SMCA off the Russian River mouth at Jenner, Sonoma County (0.84 sq mi), seaward of the Russian River SMRMA. Only Dungeness crab (by trap, and recreationally also hand-held dip net or beach net for true smelt) may be taken. No finfish may be speared.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (trolling only)

  SMCA off Bodega Head, Sonoma County (12.31 sq mi), around the Bodega Head State Marine Reserve. Recreational take is limited to pelagic finfish by trolling, Dungeness crab by trap, and market squid by hand-held dip net. Because the pelagic-finfish carve-out is restricted to trolling, spearfishing is prohibited here — unlike several southern-California SMCAs where the speargun is expressly allowed.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Estero Americano State Marine Recreational Management Area (California)state marine recreational management area (no-take)

  The Estero Americano tidal inlet on the Sonoma-Marin county line, west of longitude 122°59.250' W (0.13 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(41)(C) prohibits take of all living, geological, or cultural marine resources; only waterfowl hunting is excepted. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Estero de San Antonio State Marine Recreational Management Area (California)state marine recreational management area (no-take)

  The Estero de San Antonio (Stemple Creek) tidal inlet on the Sonoma-Marin county line, west of longitude 122°57.400' W (0.07 sq mi). Take of all living, geological, or cultural marine resources is prohibited under 14 CCR §632(b)(42)(C), waterfowl excepted, so spearfishing is not permitted.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Point Reyes State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Offshore SMCA west of Point Reyes and the Point Reyes State Marine Reserve, Marin County (12.27 sq mi). Only salmon (recreationally by trolling, commercially by troll gear) and Dungeness crab by trap may be taken. Spearfishing is not authorised, and salmon may not be speared in California in any event.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Drakes Estero State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (clams only)

  Drakes Estero inside Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County (2.50 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(47)(B) allows one thing only — the recreational take of clams. All finfish are protected from every method, so spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (spearfishing prohibited)

  Offshore SMCA surrounding the Southeast Farallon Island State Marine Reserve, 44 km west of San Francisco (12.95 sq mi). The only permitted take is salmon — recreationally by trolling, commercially by troll fishing gear. Spearfishing is not authorised, and 14 CCR §28.90 excludes salmon from spearfishing statewide.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Robert W. Crown State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  A narrow San Francisco Bay strip off Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach, Alameda (0.01 sq mi), running from the mean high tide line to 150 feet seaward of mean lower low water. Recreational take is permitted only by hook and line, so recreational spearfishing is prohibited (the separate commercial finfish and kelp carve-out does not authorise recreational diving take).

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (trolling only)

  SMCA off Pillar Point and Mavericks, San Mateo County (6.70 sq mi). Recreational take is limited to pelagic finfish by trolling, Dungeness crab by trap, and market squid by hand-held dip net. The trolling restriction on the finfish carve-out means spearfishing is prohibited inside the SMCA.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore hook-and-line only)

  SMCA off Greyhound Rock and Scott Creek, northern Santa Cruz County (12.00 sq mi). Permitted recreational take: giant kelp by hand harvest only, market squid, salmon, and other finfish by hook-and-line from shore only. Salmon may not be taken by spear anywhere in California (14 CCR §28.90) and every other finfish is shore-hook-and-line only, so no fish may be speared here.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  Elkhorn Slough east of the Highway 1 bridge and west of longitude 121°46.400' W, Monterey County (0.22 sq mi), adjoining the Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve. The only permitted take is finfish by hook-and-line only, plus clams on the north shore beside the Moss Landing State Wildlife Area. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  The Cannery Row / San Carlos Beach dive area in Monterey, Monterey County (0.23 sq mi) — one of the busiest shore-diving sites in the state. Recreational take is permitted only by hook-and-line; commercial hand harvest of giant and bull kelp is separately capped at 12 tons a month from Administrative Kelp Bed 220. Spearfishing is prohibited, so this is a look-only site for divers.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (no recreational take)

  SMCA off White Rock, Cambria, San Luis Obispo County (2.91 sq mi). The single exception in 14 CCR §632(b)(90)(B) is a licensed commercial hand harvest of giant and bull kelp from Administrative Kelp Bed 208 (125 tons per calendar month maximum). No recreational take of any kind is permitted, so spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area — south of 35°19.700' N (California)state marine recreational management area (partial no-take)

  The Morro Bay estuary east of the entrance breakwater and west of longitude 120°50.340' W, San Luis Obispo County (3.07 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(91)(C) prohibits take of all living, geological, or cultural marine resources except in the part north of latitude 35°19.700' N, where the recreational take of finfish is allowed. South of that line — the lower bay and harbour entrance area — no take is permitted, so spearfishing is prohibited there. North of the line finfish may be taken and spearfishing is not excluded.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Goleta Slough State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take, diving prohibited)

  Goleta Slough behind Santa Barbara Airport, Santa Barbara County (0.16 sq mi). A no-take SMCA: 14 CCR §632(b)(100)(B) permits only routine maintenance and restoration activities, and §632(b)(100)(C) additionally prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving in the waters below mean high tide inside the Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve. Spearfishing is prohibited twice over.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Point Vicente State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take)

  Large no-take SMCA along the Palos Verdes Peninsula off Point Vicente, Los Angeles County (15.04 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(119)(B) lists no take exception at all — only EPA-directed remediation of the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site is allowed. All take, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (diving prohibited)

  The Bolsa Chica wetlands tidal bay at Huntington Beach, Orange County (0.07 sq mi). Take is limited to finfish by hook and line from shore in designated areas only, and 14 CCR §632(b)(121)(C) separately prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving inside the conservation area. Spearfishing is prohibited on both grounds; entry is also barred between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take, diving prohibited)

  The Bolsa Chica full tidal basin at Huntington Beach, Orange County (0.70 sq mi). A no-take SMCA with no fishing exception whatever, and 14 CCR §632(b)(122)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving within the area. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Casino Point State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take)

  The Casino Point / Avalon Underwater Park at Avalon, Santa Catalina Island (0.01 sq mi) — California's best-known shore dive. It is a no-take SMCA: 14 CCR §632(b)(127)(B) authorises only maintenance of artificial structures, and feeding fish for marine life viewing. Spearfishing is prohibited; the park is for sightseeing only.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Lover's Cove State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (pier hook-and-line only)

  Lover's Cove immediately east of Avalon Harbor, Santa Catalina Island (0.06 sq mi). The only take permitted is recreational hook and line from the Cabrillo Mole. Fishing or spearing from in the water is not authorised, so spearfishing is prohibited; feeding fish for marine life viewing is expressly allowed.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Upper Newport Bay State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore hook-and-line only)

  Upper Newport Bay and its ecological reserve, Orange County (1.24 sq mi). The only take exception is finfish by hook and line from shore only; inside the reserve above the Shellmaker Island line, swimming is confined to the area between North Star Beach and mid-channel. A diver in the water has no permitted take, so spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Laguna Beach State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take)

  No-take SMCA along the Laguna Beach coast, Orange County (3.09 sq mi), adjoining the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. 14 CCR §632(b)(135)(B) allows no take whatever apart from authorised maintenance activities, so all fishing including spearfishing is prohibited across the whole area.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Batiquitos Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take, diving prohibited)

  Batiquitos Lagoon east of the Interstate 5 bridge, Carlsbad, San Diego County (0.51 sq mi). A no-take SMCA with no fishing exception, and 14 CCR §632(b)(137)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving inside the conservation area. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• San Elijo Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take, diving prohibited)

  San Elijo Lagoon between Solana Beach and Encinitas, San Diego County (0.50 sq mi). A no-take SMCA: no take is permitted beyond restoration and maintenance work, and 14 CCR §632(b)(139)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving within the area. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• San Dieguito Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore hook-and-line only, diving prohibited)

  The San Dieguito Lagoon Ecological Reserve at Del Mar, San Diego County (0.11 sq mi). The only take permitted is finfish by hook and line from shore, and 14 CCR §632(b)(140)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving inside the conservation area. Spearfishing is prohibited; the California least tern nesting island is also closed to entry.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  The Scripps / La Jolla Shores stretch fronting Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego County (1.46 sq mi), including the head of Scripps Canyon — heavy recreational dive traffic. The only take permitted is coastal pelagic species other than market squid, by hook and line only. Spearfishing is prohibited.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• South La Jolla State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (hook-and-line only)

  SMCA seaward of the South La Jolla State Marine Reserve, San Diego County (2.46 sq mi). 14 CCR §632(b)(144)(B) permits only the recreational take of pelagic finfish by hook and line. Because the carve-out is gear-limited, spearfishing is prohibited here even for the pelagic species that may be speared in neighbouring SMCAs.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Famosa Slough State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take) (California)state marine conservation area (no-take)

  Famosa Slough estuary south of the San Diego River channel, San Diego (0.03 sq mi). A no-take SMCA: 14 CCR §632(b)(145)(B) permits only habitat restoration, maintenance dredging and maintenance of artificial structures. No fishing of any kind, including spearfishing, is allowed.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Tijuana River Mouth State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (dip-net only)

  SMCA at the Tijuana River mouth and Border Field, San Diego County (3.02 sq mi), the southernmost MPA on the California coast. Recreational take is limited to coastal pelagic species other than market squid, by hand-held dip net only; the commercial carve-out is a round haul net. No finfish may be taken by spear.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area (California)state marine conservation area (shore-take only)

  The Duxbury Reef shale platform off Bolinas, Marin County (0.69 sq mi), bounded by the mean high tide line and 1000 feet seaward of mean lower low water — the largest intertidal reef in California. 14 CCR §632(b)(50)(B) permits only "the recreational take of finfish from shore and abalone". Because 14 CCR §1.76 defines spearfishing as taking fish by a person who is IN THE WATER, the shore-only carve-out is not available to a diver, so spearfishing is prohibited throughout the SMCA. 14 CCR §28.90 permits spear gear only to “Persons who are floating or swimming in the water”, and 14 CCR §632(a)(1)(C) makes all take unlawful except as specified in §632(b) — where ten other subparagraphs name “spearfishing [Section 1.76]” expressly when they permit it. Duxbury Reef does not.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Mexico)national marine sanctuary

  Sanctuary-wide umbrella for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northwestern Gulf — approximately 121 square nautical miles (160.35 sq mi) of offshore reefs and banks on the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf edge, comprised of 19 separate polygons after the 2021 expansion. Spearfishing is prohibited throughout: 15 CFR 922.122(a)(8) bans taking any fish "by use of longlines, traps, nets, bottom trawls or any other gear, device, equipment or means except by use of conventional hook and line gear", and 922.122(a)(10) bans even POSSESSING any fishing gear other than conventional hook and line gear anywhere in the Sanctuary (except while passing through without interruption). "Conventional hook and line gear" is defined at 15 CFR 922.11 as a single line with sinkers and hooks or lures spooled on a reel, which a speargun is not. The 16 individually mapped banks (East and West Flower Garden, Stetson, Horseshoe, MacNeil, Rankin/28 Fathom, Bright, Geyer, Elvers, McGrail, Bouma, Sonnier, Rezak, Sidner, Parker, Alderdice) are named dive/fishing targets inside this single legal area, not separate regimes. The marker is placed on East Flower Garden Bank, inside the sanctuary boundary; the sanctuary is not a single block but 19 separate polygons spread across roughly 229 km of shelf edge, so check the NOAA sanctuary chart for the bank you intend to dive.

  ecfr.gov
• Conch Reef Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)research-only area (no-take)

  Conch Reef, off Tavernier/Plantation Key, is one of the four Special-use “Research-only areas” listed in appendix VI to 15 CFR part 922 subpart P. Under 15 CFR 922.164(e)(3) nobody may enter it at all except in passage without interruption, for law enforcement, or under a NOAA National Marine Sanctuary General or Historical Resources permit, and 922.164(e)(5) applies the reserve-level prohibitions on “spearing” and “fishing by any means” inside it. It lies immediately east (seaward) of the Conch Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area and shares part of that area's eastern boundary — there is no gap between them — but it is a stricter regime: the catch-and-release trolling exception in 922.164(d)(1)(iii) is granted to the Conch Reef SPA only and does not reach the research-only area.

  ecfr.gov
• Looe Key Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)research-only area (no-take)

  One of the four Special-use “Research-only areas” of appendix VI to 15 CFR part 922 subpart P, on the reef north-east of Looe Key off Big Pine Key. 15 CFR 922.164(e)(3) closes it to entry except in passage without interruption, for law enforcement, or under a NOAA National Marine Sanctuary General or Historical Resources permit, and 922.164(e)(5) applies the reserve-level prohibitions on “spearing” and “fishing by any means” there as well. Do not confuse it with the Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area: the two do not overlap in latitude or longitude and this area lies about 2.7 km north-east of the SPA pin, its closest vertices 1.3 km apart.

  ecfr.gov
• Southwest Seal Rock Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry special closure around Southwest Seal Rock, an isolated Steller sea lion rookery about 8 km west-north-west of Crescent City (Del Norte County). 14 CCR 632(b)(3) closes the water band running from the mean high tide line out to 300 feet beyond the mean lower low tide line of any shoreline of the rock: no vessel may be operated or anchored there and, under subsection (C), no person at all may enter that band without department permission. Because the closure bars entry to the water itself - not merely to the rock - spearfishing inside the 300-foot band is unlawful at any time of year. CDFW: "People are not allowed in the special closure, to protect the sea lions that use Southwest Seal Rock as a rookery."

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Castle Rock Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure in the waters around Castle Rock, the 14-acre island about half a mile off Crescent City that CDFW describes as a breeding and resting site for migratory seabirds and marine mammals. Under 14 CCR 632(b)(4) the band from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide is closed to vessels, and subsection (C) forbids any person from entering that band without department permission - a swimming or diving spearfisher is inside the prohibition, so no spearfishing is possible here at any time.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• False Klamath Rock Special Closure (California) - closed 1 March to 31 Augustspecial closure (entry prohibited)

  Seasonal no-entry closure at False Klamath Rock, off False Klamath Cove north of the Klamath River mouth (Del Norte County). 14 CCR 632(b)(5) closes the band from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide ONLY during the period 1 March to 31 August; within that window no vessel may operate or anchor and no person may enter the band without department permission, so spearfishing inside the band is unlawful for those six months. Outside 1 March - 31 August the special closure does not apply, but the surrounding area may still be inside another MPA - check the CDFW map before diving.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Sugarloaf Island Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure around Sugarloaf Island, the sea stack off Cape Mendocino on the Lost Coast (Humboldt County), immediately north of the Steamboat Rock closure and adjoining South Cape Mendocino SMR. 14 CCR 632(b)(10) closes the water from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide to vessels at any time, and subsection (C) bars any person from entering that band without department permission - which reaches a diver in the water, so spearfishing there is prohibited year-round.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Steamboat Rock Special Closure (California) - closed 1 March to 31 Augustspecial closure (entry prohibited)

  Seasonal no-entry closure at Steamboat Rock on the Lost Coast south of Cape Mendocino (Humboldt County). Unlike its neighbour Sugarloaf Island, this closure runs only from 1 March to 31 August: during that period 14 CCR 632(b)(12) shuts the band from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide to vessels, and subsection (C) forbids any person from entering it without department permission, so spearfishing inside the band is unlawful in those months.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Vizcaino Rock Special Closure (California) - closed 1 March to 31 Augustspecial closure (entry prohibited)

  Seasonal no-entry closure at Vizcaino Rock, the sea stack off Cape Vizcaino between Rockport and Hardy on the Mendocino coast. 14 CCR 632(b)(18) closes only the part of the rock's 300-foot water band lying WEST of 123° 49.887' W longitude, and only from 1 March to 31 August; in that window no vessel may operate or anchor and no person may enter the band without department permission, so spearfishing there is unlawful for those six months. The seaward limit runs from the mean high tide line to 300 feet beyond mean lower low tide.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Point Reyes Headlands Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure along the south face of the Point Reyes Headlands (Marin County), the largest of California's special closures at 0.67 sq mi. 14 CCR 632(b)(45) designates the band from the mean high tide line out to 1,000 feet seaward of mean lower low tide between due-south lines drawn from 37° 59.650' N 123° 01.000' W and 37° 59.390' N 122° 57.800' W, and subsection (B) states that no person may enter this area at any time except listed agency staff on duty or with department permission. The prohibition is on entry, so a spearfisher in the water is caught by it: no spearfishing anywhere in the band.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Point Resistance Rock Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure around Point Resistance Rock, a seabird nesting stack on the Point Reyes National Seashore coast (Marin County) and California's smallest special closure at 0.015 sq mi. 14 CCR 632(b)(48) designates the water from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide, and subsection (B) provides that no person may enter this area at any time other than listed agency staff on duty or with department permission. CDFW states plainly that "Boating and access are restricted" here; entry by a swimmer or diver is prohibited, so no spearfishing.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Double Point / Stormy Stack Rock Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure around Stormy Stack Rock at Double Point, south of Point Reyes (Marin County). 14 CCR 632(b)(49) designates the band from the mean high tide line to 300 feet seaward of mean lower low tide around the rock, and subsection (B) bars any person from entering the area at any time without department permission or listed on-duty agency status. Because it is an entry prohibition rather than a take rule, it applies to a spearfisher swimming in the band as much as to a boat.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• North Farallon Islands Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure at the four islets of the North Farallon Islands, 48 km west of the Golden Gate. 14 CCR 632(b)(52) closes the water from the mean high tide line out to 1,000 feet seaward of mean lower low tide around North Farallon Island itself and 300 feet around the three southern islets including the Island of St. James; subsection (C) then forbids any person from entering that band without department permission. The islets are Steller sea lion haul-outs and hold roughly 72,000 nesting seabirds, and CDFW confirms that "No person ... shall enter the area." The same waters also lie inside the North Farallon Islands SMR, where all take is separately prohibited.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Southeast Farallon Island Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  No-entry closure in the 300-foot water band around Southeast Farallon Island and its islets. Under 14 CCR 632(b)(55) the band is closed year-round except two stretches - north of Fisherman's Bay and at East Landing - and two further stretches (Fisherman's Bay to East Landing, and south-west of East Landing including the south-east side of Saddle/Seal Rock) are closed only from 1 December to 14 September. Subsection (D) forbids any person from entering the areas defined in (B) or (C) during the closure period, so spearfishing in the band is unlawful whenever the relevant stretch is closed. The pin sits on the west side of the island, in the part closed all year; the whole island is also inside the Southeast Farallon Island SMR/SMCA.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Egg (Devil's Slide) Rock to Devil's Slide Special Closure (California)special closure (entry prohibited)

  Year-round no-entry closure at Egg Rock and the adjoining Devil's Slide shoreline in San Mateo County, a cormorant and brown pelican colony. 14 CCR 632(b)(64) designates the 300-foot band around each of the three rocks that make up Egg Rock plus a polygon of nearshore water defined by four listed points, prohibits transit between the rock and the mainland at any time, and in subsection (C) bars any person from entering the area without department permission. Entry - not just take - is prohibited, so a spearfisher may not be in this water.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Anacapa Island Special Closure - brown pelican fledgling area (California), closed 1 January to 31 Octoberspecial closure (entry prohibited)

  Seasonal no-entry area on the north side of West Anacapa Island (Channel Islands). 14 CCR 632(b)(111)(B) designates a brown pelican fledgling area from the mean high tide mark seaward to a water depth of 20 fathoms (120 feet), between due-north lines off Portuguese Rock and the western edge of Frenchy's Cove — a distance the regulation itself gives as “approximately 4,000 feet” of shoreline, the two due-north lines being 1,015 m apart measured east-west — and provides that no person except CDFW or National Park Service staff on duty may enter it from 1 January to 31 October. For ten months of the year, therefore, spearfishing anywhere in that band is unlawful; the closure sits inside the wider Anacapa Island Special Closure, whose other limb (632(b)(111)(A)) bans only nets and traps in water less than 20 feet deep and does not by itself restrict spearfishing. Anacapa Island SMR/SMCA rules apply in addition.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve (California)no_take_marine_zone

  No-take State Marine Reserve of about 18 sq mi around the North Farallon Islands, 48 km west of the Golden Gate - the one California SMR that was missing from this record. Under 14 CCR 632(b)(51)(B) the reserve carries the full 632(a)(1)(A) restriction: it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource, so spearfishing is prohibited throughout. The 300-foot/1,000-foot no-entry special closure at the islets themselves (632(b)(52)) lies inside this reserve.

  wildlife.ca.gov
• Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park (California)state marine park (swimming, wading and diving prohibited)

  State Marine Park over the waters below the mean high tide line inside the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve, on the Marin County shore of San Francisco Bay east of Corte Madera. Spearfishing is prohibited on two independent grounds: 14 CCR 632(b)(58)(B) allows only 'the recreational hook and line take of species other than marine aquatic plants from shore only', and 632(b)(58)(D) prohibits swimming, wading and diving anywhere in the park - and under 14 CCR 28.90 a spearfisher is by definition a person floating or swimming in the water. Only lightweight hand-carried boats may be launched or operated here.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Marin Islands State Marine Park (California)state marine park (swimming, wading and diving prohibited)

  State Marine Park over the waters below the mean high tide line inside the Marin Islands Ecological Reserve - the waters around East and West Marin Island in San Rafael Bay. 14 CCR 632(b)(59)(B) allows only 'the recreational hook and line take of species other than marine aquatic plants from shore only', and 632(b)(59)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving anywhere in the park. A spearfisher must be in the water (14 CCR 28.90), so spearfishing here is prohibited outright, and one cannot even reach the islands by boat.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Albany Mudflats State Marine Park (California)state marine park (swimming, wading and diving prohibited)

  State Marine Park over the waters below the mean high tide line inside the Albany Mudflats Ecological Reserve, on the East Bay shore of San Francisco Bay between Albany and Berkeley. 14 CCR 632(b)(60)(B) permits only 'the recreational hook and line take of species other than marine aquatic plants from shore only' and 632(b)(60)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving within the park; since spearfishing requires being in the water, it is prohibited here. The park is intertidal mudflat, so in practice there is no diveable water at all.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Bair Island State Marine Park (California)state marine park (swimming, wading and diving prohibited)

  State Marine Park over the waters below the mean high tide line inside the Bair Island Ecological Reserve, the restored tidal marsh between Redwood City and the Bay. Spearfishing is prohibited: 14 CCR 632(b)(63)(B) allows only 'the recreational hook and line take of species other than kelp from shore only', and 632(b)(63)(C) prohibits boating, swimming, wading and diving within the park. On top of that, 632(b)(63)(D) closes the park to all entry from 15 February to 20 May each year, and only waterfowl hunting under the general waterfowl regulations is separately allowed. Note that in practice there is no diveable water inside the park: it is restored tidal marsh plain reading roughly +1.0 to +1.3 m, and the navigable sloughs lie outside the park boundary. This entry records a legal restriction, not a dive site.

  nrm.dfg.ca.gov
• Stream mouths in California ocean waters north of Ventura County - 100-yard spear closurestatutory gear closure (categorical, not point-mappable)

  A statewide, place-class closure that no map pin can carry: under 14 CCR 28.90(a) no person may possess or use a spear within 100 yards of the mouth of ANY stream in any ocean waters north of Ventura County. It applies to every creek, river and estuary outlet on roughly 1,100 miles of coast from the Ventura county line to the Oregon border, independently of any MPA, and it bites on mere possession - carrying a loaded or unloaded speargun through the 100-yard circle is the offence, not just shooting. 14 CCR 28.95 imposes the same 100-yard stream-mouth rule on spears, harpoons and bow-and-arrow fishing tackle used for skates, rays and sharks.

  wildlife.ca.gov