Marine Regulations Fishing Limits

Saltwater Fishing Regulations

These regulations are effective May 5, 2008.

Laws and regulations are frequently amended by the Legislature or DEC. You should check with the Bureau of Marine Resources to ensure that the requirements set forth in this notice remain in effect. Links to the actual text of the marine finfish regulations (Part 40) are in the Related Links column to the right. The actual text for the lobster and crabs regulations (Part 44) are available there, too. A link to the print version of these regulations is also available in the column to the right.
Marine Recreational Fishing LimitsSpeciesSize Limits
(Total Length in Inches)Daily Possession Limits
(Number of Fish)Open SeasonsSummer flounder (fluke) 20.54May 15 - Sept 1Winter flounder 1210April 1 - May 30Tautog (blackfish) 144Oct 1 - Dec 20 Jan 17 - Apr 30
Bluefish (including "snappers")No minimum size for first 10 fish
12 TL for the next 515
No more than 10 of which shall be less then 12" TLAll year
Weakfish
16
10 filleted
12 dressed6
All yearAtlantic cod 22No limitAll yearPollock19No limitAll yearHaddock 19No limitAll yearStriped bass; marine waters**
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats282***Apr 15 - Dec 15Striped bass; marine waters**
All other anglers28 - 40
>401
1Apr 15 - Dec 15Striped bass; north of George Washington Bridge181Mar 16 - Nov 30Red drumNo minimum sizeNo limit for fish less then 27" TL.
Fish greater than 27" shall not be possessed.All yearSpanish mackerel1415All yearKing mackerel233All yearCobia372All yearAtlantic sturgeonMoratoriumMoratoriumMoratoriumBlack Sea Bass1225All yearScup (Porgy)
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats1110
45***June 12 - Aug 31
Sept 1 - Oct 15***Scup (Porgy)
All other anglers10.510May 24 - Sept 26American eel650All yearMonkfish (goose fish)17
11 tail lengthAny numberAll yearAmerican ShadNo size limit5All yearHickory ShadNo size limit5All yearYellowtail flounder13No limitAll yearOyster toadfish103July 16 - May 14Horseshoe crabsNo size limit5All yearBlue Crab+
Hard Shell
Soft Shell
Peeler/Shedder++4 1/2"
3 1/2"
3"50All yearAll Other Crabs+No size limit50All yearAmerican lobster+
LMA 6 (Long Island Sound, Rec. permit required)3 5/16" carapace length6All yearAmerican lobster+
LMA 4 (Atlantic Ocean, Rec. permit required)3 3/8" carapace length6All year
** 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.
++ Peeler or shedder crabs are hard blue crabs which have a fully formed soft shell beneath the hard outer shell and the impending shedding process is evidenced by the white sign along the outer rim of the paddle-like appendages on the crab's fifth pair of legs.
Recreational Fishing Regulations for SharksCategorySpeciesMinimum Size LimitDaily Possession LimitLarge and Small Coastal Sharks and Pelagic SharksSandbar, Silky, Tiger, Blacktip, Bull, Great Hammerhead, Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped Hammerhead, Smooth Hammerhead, Spinner, Blacknose, Bonnethead, Finetooth, Blue, Shortfin mako, Oceanic whitetip, Thresher, Poreagle54 inches fork length*One shark per vessel per tripLarge and Small Coastal Sharks and Pelagic Sharks (cont.)Atlantic sharpnoseNo size limitOne Atlantic sharpnose per person per tripProhibited SharksAtlantic 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 allowedNo possession allowed
* 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.
For further information call National Marine Fisheries Service Fisheries Information Line at (978) 281-9278.