California wetlands also support an important sport fishing industry. The majority of the fishing activity occurred in fresh water lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds, whose health is integrally related to the wetland systems supporting them. Saltwater sport fishing was also popular, accounting for about a quarter of the state's recreational fishing activity. The San Francisco Estuary supports the largest sport fishery on the west coast. Some of the more commonly caught estuarine-dependent recreational species include white croaker and surf smelt.
Pacific salmon are an integral part of the culture, heritage and economy of the Pacific northwest.
Salmon are anadromous fish, i.e., fish that move between fresh water and saltwater and thus are dependent on both coastal and riverine wetlands for the successful completion of their life cycle. Logging, mining, and industrial urban development can often degrade salmon habitat. As a result of habitat losses, some salmon runs in Idaho and California have already been listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Several other salmonid species are currently being reviewed for listing. Declines in California salmon runs have resulted in the loss of more than 30,000 salmon fishing industry jobs since 1978.