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NY Saltwater Regulations

NY Saltwater Regulations

2010 New York Marine Recreational Fishing Limits

Species Size Limits
(Total Length in Inches)
Daily Possession Limits
(Number of Fish)
Open Seasons
Summer flounder (fluke) 21 2 May 15 - Sept 6
Winter flounder 12 2 April 1 - May 30
Tautog (blackfish) 14 4 Oct 1 - Dec 20 Jan 17 - Apr 30
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 than 12" TL
All year
Weakfish 16
10 filleted
12 dressed
1 All year
Atlantic cod* 22 10* All year
Pollock 19 No limit All year
Haddock 18 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: Hudson River north of George Washington Bridge 18 1 Mar 16 - Nov 30
Red drum No minimum size No limit for fish less than 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 12.5 25 May 22 - Oct 11 Nov 1 - Dec 31
Scup (Porgy)
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats
11 10
40***
June 8 - Sept 6 Sept 7 - Oct 11***
Scup (Porgy)
All other anglers
10.5 10 May 24 - Sept 26
American eel 6 50 All year
Monkfish (goose fish) 17
11 tail length
Any number All year
American Shad Possession Prohibited Possession Prohibited Possession Prohibited
Hickory Shad No size limit 5 All year
Yellowtail flounder 13 No limit All year
Oyster toadfish 10 3 July 16 - May 14
Horseshoe crabs No size limit 5 All year
Blue Crab+
Hard Shell
Soft Shell
Peeler/Shedder++
4 1/2"
3 1/2"
3"
50 All year
All Other Crabs+ No size limit 50 All year
American lobster+ (Recreational permit required) 3 3/8" minimum carapace length 51/4" maximum carapace length 6 All year

*Anglers on board federally permitted party or charter vessels may possess any number of Atlantic cod, consistent with federal rules.

** Marine waters -- South of George Washington Bridge

*** The customer of any party/charter boat who takes more than 10 scup from Sept 7 - Oct 11 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 Sharks
Category Species Minimun Size Limit Daily Possession Limit
Allowed Sharks Tiger, Blacktip, Bull, Great hammerhead, Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped hammerhead, Smooth hammerhead, Spinner, Blue, Shortfin mako, Oceanic whitetip, Porbeagle, Common Thresher 54 inches fork length* 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.
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, Carribean reef, Carribean sharpnose, Smalltail, Dusky, Whale, White+, Silky and Sandbar, Sharpnose sevengill, Bluntnose sixgill. No possession allowed No 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.