Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations
Anglers fishing for tuna and shark must also apply for a Highly Migratory Species (Link leaves DEC website) permit.
(Note: the registry is not required for harvesting crabs or lobsters. A separate permit is required for lobsters).
This summary is provided for your convenience, the official written regulations published by the Department of State are the official source for NYSDEC regulations. To read the actual regulations, please follow the links to the right: marine fish (6 NYCRR Part 40) or lobster and crabs (6 NYCRR Part 44).
For printable versions of these regulations please select from the options below:
- Recreational Saltwater Fishing Limits (PDF, 52 KB)
- Recreational Shark Fishing Limits (PDF, 42 KB)
- Recreational Crab, Lobster, and Whelk Limits (PDF, 39 KB)
See Tidal Hudson River Regulations (leaving DEC website to official Fishing Regulations Guide vendor website) for additional information on fishing in the Hudson River and its tributaries.
See Shellfish Harvest Limits for additional information on recreational shellfishing.
Report Your Catch Online
Help DEC by Sharing Your Fishing Trip Data! Consider contributing your fishing trip information to an Online Angler eLogbook, which is used to assess catch levels and measure saltwater fishing efforts in New York State.
Do You Fishing For Striped Bass? Visit Striped Bass Cooperative Anglers Program to find out about both our Marine District and Hudson River Striped Bass Cooperative Anglers Programs.
Effective Date: June 20, 2018
| Species | Size Limits (1) (Total Length in Inches) |
Possession Limits (Number of Fish) |
Open Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Flounder | 12 | 2 | April 1 - May 30 |
| Striped Bass: Hudson River (north of George Washington Bridge) |
18 - 28 or >40 | 1 | April 1 - Nov 30 |
| Striped Bass: marine waters (south of George Washington Bridge) |
28 | 1 | April 15 - Dec 15 |
| Scup (Porgy) | 9 | 30 | May 1 - Dec 31 |
| Scup (Porgy) (2) Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats |
9 9 9 |
30 45 30 |
May 1 - Aug 31 Sept 1 - Oct 31 Nov 1 - Dec 31 |
| Summer flounder (fluke) (3) | 19 | 4 | May 4 - Sept 30 |
| Black Sea Bass | 15 | 3 7 |
June 23 - Aug 31 Sept 1 - Dec 31 |
| Oyster Toadfish | 10 | 3 | July 16 - May 14 |
| Tautog (blackfish): Long Island Sound Region Marine and coastal district waters lying east of the Throgs Neck Bridge and west of a line that runs from Orient Point, NY to Watch Hill, RI |
16 | 2 3 |
April 1 - April 30 Oct 11 - Dec 9 |
| Tautog (blackfish): NY Bight Region Marine and coastal district waters lying outside of the Long Island Sound Region |
16 | 2 4 |
April 1 - April 30 Oct 15 - Dec 22 |
| American Eel | 9 | 25 for individuals 50 for anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats |
All year |
| American Eel (New York City: Harlem and East Rivers, Hudson River north to Troy Dam) |
9 - 14 for use as bait only, otherwise possession prohibited |
25 for use as bait only, otherwise possession prohibited |
All year |
| Atlantic cod (4) | 22 | 10 | All year |
| Atlantic menhaden | No size limit | 100 | All year |
| Bluefish (including "snappers") | No size limit for first 10 fish, 12" TL for the next 5 |
15 No more than 10 of which shall be less than 12" TL |
All year |
| Cobia | 37 | 2 | All year |
| Haddock | 18 | No limit | All year |
| Hickory Shad | No size limit | 5 | All year |
| King mackerel | 23 | 3 | All year |
| Monkfish (goosefish) | 17 or 11" tail length |
No limit | All year |
| Pollock | 19 | No limit | All year |
| Red drum | No size limit | No limit for fish less than 27" TL Fish greater than 27" TL shall not be possessed |
All year |
| Spanish mackerel | 14 | 15 | All year |
| Weakfish | 16 10" filleted (5) 12" dressed (6) |
1 | All year |
| Yellowtail flounder | 13 | No limit | All year |
| Anadromous river herring (alewife and blueback herring) (north of George Washington Bridge)(7) See Tidal Hudson River Regulations (leaving DEC website to official Fishing Regulations Guide vendor website) |
No size limit | 10 per angler or 50 per boat |
March 15 - June 15 |
| Anadromous river herring (alewife and blueback herring) (south of George Washington Bridge) |
No possession | No possession allowed | No possession allowed |
| American shad | No possession | No possession allowed | No possession allowed |
| Atlantic sturgeon | Moratorium | No possession allowed | No possession allowed |
(1) Total length is the longest straight line measurement from the tip of the snout, with the mouth closed, to the longest lobe of the tail, with the lobes squeezed together, and the fish laid flat on the measuring device. Exception: Black sea bass are measured from the tip of the snout (or jaw), with the mouth closed, to the farthest extremity of the tail, not including the tail filament.
(2) A party/charter boat customer who lands and possesses more than 30 scup during September 1 - October 31 must obtain a dated original fare receipt from the licensed vessel.
(3) 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.
(4) Anglers aboard federally permitted party or charter vessels may possess any number of Atlantic cod, consistent with federal rules.
(5) The fillet length is the longest straight line measurement from end to end of any fleshy side portion of the fish cut lengthwise away from the backbone, which must have the skin intact, laid flat on the measuring device.
(6) Dressed length is the longest straight line measurement from the most anterior portion of the fish, with the head removed, to the longest lobe of the caudal fin(tail), with the caudal fin intact and with the lobes squeezed together, laid flat on the measuring device.
(7) Anadromous river herring is defined in 6 NYCRR Part 10 (except the Hudson River and its tributaries and embayments north of the George Washington Bridge at river mile 11).
| Category | Species | Minimum Size Limit | Daily Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allowed Sharks | Tiger, Blacktip, Bull, Lemon, Nurse, Spinner, Blue, Shortfin mako, Oceanic whitetip, Porbeagle, Common Thresher, Blacknose |
54 inches fork length (8) *federal limit for shortfin mako is 83 inches fork length(link leaves DEC's website) |
One shark per vessel per trip, except that one additional Atlantic Sharpnose and one additional Bonnethead may be taken and possessed per angler per trip. |
| Great hammerhead, Scalloped hammerhead, Smooth hammerhead | 78 inches fork length (8) | ||
| Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead, Finetooth, Blacknose | No size limit | ||
| Smooth Dogfish, Spiny Dogfish | No size limit | Any number | |
| Prohibited Sharks | Atlantic angel, Galapagos, Basking, Longfin mako, Bigeye sand tiger, Narrowtooth, Bigeye Sixgill, Night, Bigeye thresher, Sand tiger, Bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, Smalltail, Dusky, Whale, White (9), Silky and Sandbar, Sharpnose sevengill, Bluntnose sixgill. | No possession allowed | No possession allowed |
(8) Fork length means the straight-line 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.
(9) 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. Sharks, excluding spiny dogfish, shall not be taken for commercial or recreational purposes by baited hooking except with the use of non-stainless steel non-offset circle hooks. No person shall conduct, sponsor or participate in any shark tournament unless said tournament's rules and regulations require the exclusive use of non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks.
For additional information on sharks in New York, visit Coastal Sharks.
| Species | Minimum Size (Inches) |
Daily Possession Limit | Open Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American lobster (10) Recreational permit required |
3 3/8" minimum carapace length 5 1/4" maximum carapace length |
6 | LMA 4: closed April 30 - May 31 LMA 6: closed Sept 8 - Nov 28 All other LMAs: open all year Descriptions & locations of lobster management areas (LMAs) are available in Part 44: Lobster and Crab Regulations (link leaves DEC website) |
| Blue crab (10) Hard shell Soft shell Peeler/Shedder (11) |
4 1/2" 3 1/2" 3" |
50 | All year |
| Crabs (except blue or blue-claw crabs) |
No size limit | 50 | All year |
| Horseshoe crabs | No size limit | 5 | All year |
| Whelk | No size limit | 24 | All year |
(10) Lobsters and crabs with eggs may not be taken or possessed.
(11) Peeler/shredder is when the crab is about to molt or shed its hard outer shell. At this stage, the crab has a fully formed soft shell beneath the hard outer shell. The impending shedding process is evident by the white coloration along the outer rim of the paddle-like appendages on the crab's fifth pair of legs.
Other provisions: Terrapin Excluder Devices (TEDs) must be used on all non-collapsible crab pots or traps that are fished in creeks, coves, rivers, tributaries, and near-shore harbors of the Marine and Coastal District. TEDs shall be securely fastened inside each funnel entrance of the crab pot to effectively reduce the size of the funnel opening to no larger than 4-3/4 inch by 1-3/4 inch. An interactive map (link leaves DEC's website) is available for reference.
For additional information on crab regulations, visit Crabbing in NY.
