California Duck Season 2026-27: Waterfowl Zone Dates

Q: When is duck season in California for 2026-27?

October 3, 2026 to January 31, 2027, split across 5 zones (Northeastern Zone, Balance of State Zone, Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone, Southern California Zone, Colorado River Zone). The full table on this page was read from California Department of Fish and Wildlife's own published page, linked beside it; confirm there before you hunt.

Q: What about goose season in California?

The goose table on this page lists the seasons as California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes them, by species group and zone. Special management area rules apply in parts of the state; the agency's regulations booklet carries them.

Q: Which duck zone am I in?

California's zones (Northeastern Zone, Balance of State Zone, Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone, Southern California Zone, Colorado River Zone) are drawn by the agency along highways, rivers and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

Q: Where are the bag limits, shooting hours and stamp requirements?

At California Department of Fish and Wildlife, linked on this page, along with the federal duck stamp and HIP registration rules from USFWS. Those change annually and are legally binding. This page carries the season window, sourced and dated.

Q: Can these dates change?

Yes. This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026, says so in the copy, and links the exact agency page it read. Agencies amend and correct their own tables; treat the agency page as the final word on the morning you hunt.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 2, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.

October 3, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Duck season

published

5 zones

Zones

as the agency draws it

Pacific

Flyway

federal framework

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Source

read 2026-09-02

The main event

Duck season in California, zone by zone

Ducks, 2026-27

publishedPacific Flyway

Duck season is OPEN now in the Northeastern Zone, through January 13, 2027.

California duck seasons 2026-27, as published by California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Zone	Season segments
Northeastern Zone	October 3, 2026 to January 13, 2027
Balance of State Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Southern California Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Colorado River Zone	October 23, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Dates read from Waterfowl Hunting, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, accessed 2026-09-02.

The Colorado River Zone opener aligns with Arizona's under the shared river framework. Youth days are Sep 19 to 20, 2026 (Northeastern) and Feb 13 to 14, 2027 (other zones); veterans and active military days are Jan 16 to 17, 2027 (Northeastern Zone, ducks only) and Feb 6 to 7, 2027 (Balance of State ducks only, plus the Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California zones).

Waterfowl hunter setting goose decoys on a tidal flat with a retriever watching — Setting decoys with help. Photo: Rebecca Fabbri/USFWS. “Waterfowl hunter and dog” — Rebecca Fabbri / USFWS Alaska Region — Public domain

Geese

Goose seasons in California

Geese, 2026-27

published

Goose season	Dates
Canada geese, Northeastern Zone	October 3, 2026 to January 10, 2027
White and white-fronted geese, Northeastern Zone	October 3, 2026 to November 29, 2026January 1, 2027 to January 13, 2027February 5, 2027 to March 10, 2027
Geese, Balance of State Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Large Canada geese early season, Balance of State Zone	October 3, 2026 to October 5, 2026
Canada geese late season, Balance of State Zone	February 20, 2027 to February 21, 2027
White-fronted and white geese late season, Balance of State Zone	February 20, 2027 to February 24, 2027
Geese, Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Geese, Southern California Zone	October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Geese, Colorado River Zone	October 23, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Dates read from Waterfowl Hunting, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, accessed 2026-09-02.

Special management area rules apply in parts of the state; the agency's regulations booklet carries them.

Canada geese dropping into a refuge wetland with wings set — Canada geese dropping into a refuge marsh. Photo: Jennifer Jewett/USFWS. “Canada Geese” by Jennifer Jewett / USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0

The structure over the state

How California’s dates get set: the Pacific Flyway

Waterfowl seasons are the most federal of all hunting seasons. Migratory birds cross every border, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes annual frameworks for each of the four administrative flyways, setting the earliest openers, latest closers and maximum season lengths, and each state then selects its own dates and zones inside its framework.

California selects its dates inside the Pacific Flyway framework. The western corridor from Alaska down the coast states and Great Basin.

Large mixed flock of ducks and geese over water at sunset — A mixed flock of ducks and geese at sunset. Photo: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS. “A mixed flock of ducks and geese fly from a wetland area” — Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Public domain

Rules

California waterfowl hunting regulations

Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by, including the federal duck stamp and HIP registration every waterfowl hunter needs, is set by California Department of Fish and Wildlifeand USFWS, and the regulations page is linked below.

Current California regulations

Bag limits and species restrictions, shooting hours, duck stamp and HIP requirements, license rules, and youth or veteran season details for California are set by California Department of Fish and Wildlife, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife: current regulations

Father and daughter in waders with a retriever in a duckweed marsh — Father and daughter on Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Photo: Tim Miller/USFWS. “Waterfowl Hunting (Upper Mississippi River NWFR)” — Tim Miller / USFWS Midwest Region — Public domain

California waterfowl season questions

When is duck season in California for 2026-27?

What about goose season in California?

What is a flyway, and which one is California in?

Waterfowl seasons are set in two steps: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes annual federal frameworks for each of the four administrative flyways (Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, Pacific), setting the outside limits, and each state selects its season dates and zones inside its flyway's framework. California selects its dates inside the Pacific Flyway framework. The western corridor from Alaska down the coast states and Great Basin.

Which duck zone am I in?

Where are the bag limits, shooting hours and stamp requirements?

Can these dates change?

Wetland at sunset with a fallen snag and mountains on the horizon — Wood River Wetland, Oregon. The habitat the flyways run on. Photo: Greg Shine/BLM. “Wood River Wetland” — Greg Shine / Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington — Public domain

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026. Every season window is republished from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife page linked beside it, read on the date shown; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Bag limits, legal methods, shooting hours, stamp and license rules are set by California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose pages are the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national waterfowl season guide.

California Duck & Goose Season 2026-27