Effective April 8, 2005 • Info from the states
marine
information page.
Laws and regulations are frequently amended by the
Legislature or DEC. You should check with the Marine Fisheries office
to ensure that the requirements set forth in this notice remain in effect.
More information from this division on the NYS
DEC site: Marine
Resources • Saltwater
Fishing
Regulations on Saltwater Fishing Limits: Marine
Recreational Fishing Regulations • Shark
Regulations
PDF
version of this page on recreational saltwater fishing limits (14KB
pdf) • Other Links of Interest
Marine
Recreational Fishing Regulations
| Species |
Size Limits
(Total Length in Inches) |
Daily Possession Limits
(Number of Fish) |
Open Seasons |
| Summer flounder (fluke)* |
17.5 |
5 |
April 29 - Oct 31 |
| Winter flounder |
11 |
15 |
All state waters: 3rd Sat. in Mar. - Jun. 30 and
Sep. 15 - Nov. 30 |
| Tautog (blackfish) |
14 |
10 |
Oct. 1 - May 31 |
| Bluefish (including "snappers") |
No minimum size for first 10 fish
12 TL for the next 5 |
15
No more than 10 of which shall be less then 12" TL |
All year |
| Weakfish |
16
10 filleted
12 dressed |
6 |
All year |
| Atlantic cod |
23 |
No limit |
All year |
| Pollock |
19 |
No limit |
All year |
| Haddock |
21 |
No limit |
All year |
Striped bass; marine waters**
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats |
28 |
2*** |
Apr. 15 - Dec. 15 |
Striped bass; marine waters**
All other anglers |
28 - 40
40 |
1
1 |
Apr. 15 - Dec. 15 |
| Striped bass; north of George Washington Bridge |
18 |
1 |
Mar. 16 - Nov. 30 |
| Red drum |
No minimum size |
No limit for fish less then 27" TL.
Fish greater than 27" shall not be possessed. |
All year |
| Spanish mackerel |
14 |
15 |
All year |
| King mackerel |
23 |
3 |
All year |
| Cobia |
37 |
2 |
All year |
| Atlantic sturgeon |
Moratorium |
Moratorium |
Moratorium |
| Black Sea Bass |
12 |
25 |
Jan 1 - Nov 30 |
Scup (Porgy)
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats |
10.5 |
25
26 - 60*** |
July 1 - Aug 31
Sept 1 - Oct. 31 |
Scup (Porgy)
All other anglers |
10.5 |
25 |
July 1 - Oct 31 |
| American eel |
6 |
50 |
All year |
| Monkfish (goose fish) |
21
14 tail length |
Any number |
All year |
| American Shad |
No size limit |
5 |
All year |
| Hickory Shad |
No size limit |
5 |
All year |
| Yellowtail flounder |
13 |
No limit |
All year |
| Crabs ++ |
No size limit |
50 |
All year |
American lobster ++
(Rec. permit required) |
3 1/4" carapace length |
6 |
All year |
| Horseshoe crabs |
No size limit |
5 |
All year |
* Summer flounder may not have heads or tails removed or be otherwise
cleaned, cut, filleted, or skinned until brought to shore, with the
following exception: the white side fillet or white skin only of a legal
size fluke may be removed to use as bait. The carcass of the fluke with
dark side completely intact must be retained for inspection of size
limit and counts against the possession limit.
** Marine waters -- South of George Washington Bridge
*** The customer of any party/charter boat who takes more than 25 scup
from Sept 1 - Oct 31 or takes two striped bass from Apr 15 - Dec 15
must possess an original dated receipt from the licensed vessel.
++ Lobsters and crabs in spawn (eggs visible thereon) may not be taken
or possessed.
Check this web site periodically for changes in saltwater fishing regulations.
Recreational
Fishing Regulations for Sharks
| Category |
Species |
Minimum Size Limit |
Daily Possession Limit |
| Large and Small Coastal Sharks and Pelagic Sharks |
Sandbar, Silky, Tiger, Blacktip, Bull, Great Hammerhead,
Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped Hammerhead, Smooth Hammerhead, Spinner,
Blacknose, Bonnethead, Finetooth, Blue, Shortfin mako, Oceanic whitetip,
Thresher, Poreagle |
54 inches fork length* |
One shark per vessel per trip |
| Large and Small Coastal Sharks and Pelagic Sharks
(cont.) |
Atlantic sharpnose |
No size limit |
One Atlantic sharpnose per person per trip |
| Prohibited Sharks |
Atlantic angel, Galapagos, Basking, Longfin mako,
Bigeye Sand Tiger, Narrowtooth, Bigeye Sixgill, Night, Bigeye Thresher,
Sand tiger, Bignose, Sevengill, Carribean Reef, Sixgill, Carribean
sharpnose, Smalltail, Dusky, Whale, and White+ |
No possession allowed |
No possession allowed |
For further information call National Marine Fisheries Service
Fisheries Information Line at (978) 281-9278
* Fork length means the straightline measurement of a fish from the
tip of the snout to the fork of the tail. The measurement is not made
along the curve of the body.
+ A person may fish for white sharks with rod and reel,
provided the person releases such fish immediately with a minimum of
injury and that such fish may not be removed from the water.
Other provisions
- All landed sharks must have head, tails and fins attached.
- No sale allowed.
- No finning.
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