LIBBA
Long Island Beach Buggy Association
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Saltwater Fishing Regulations - Recreational

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html

Important News

  • The 2011 recreational fishing season for summer flounder (fluke) will open May 1, 2011. The new limits are a 20.5-inch minimum size limit and a 3-fish possession limit. The fishing season is from May 1 through September 30.
  • The daily possession limit for weakfish is reduced to 1 (one) fish.

Laws and regulations are frequently amended by the Legislature or DEC. Please check with the Bureau of Marine Resources to ensure that the fishing limits below are in effect (contact information can be found in the column to the right). Links to the actual text of the Marine Fish Regulations (Part 40) and Lobster and Crab Regulations (Part 44) are in the Related Links column to the right. Additionally, a printable PDF copy of the following regulations can be found in the column to the right.

Effective Date for Regulations: April 29, 2011.

Marine Recreational Fishing Limits
SpeciesSize Limits
(Total Length in Inches)
Daily Possession Limits
(Number of Fish)
Open Seasons
Summer flounder (fluke)20.53May 1 - Sept 30
Winter flounder122April 1 - May 30
Tautog (blackfish)144Oct 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
Weakfish16
10 filleted
12 dressed
1All year
Atlantic cod*2210*All year
Pollock19No limitAll year
Haddock18No limitAll year
Striped bass: marine waters**
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats
282***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 Bridge181Mar 16 - Nov 30
Red drumNo minimum sizeNo limit for fish less than 27" TL.
Fish greater than 27" shall not be possessed.
All year
Spanish mackerel1415All year
King mackerel233All year
Cobia372All year
Atlantic sturgeonMoratoriumMoratoriumMoratorium
Black Sea Bass12.525May 22 - Oct 11 Nov 1 - Dec 31
Scup (Porgy)
Anglers aboard licensed party/charter boats
1110
40***
June 8 - Sept 6 Sept 7 - Oct 11***
Scup (Porgy)
All other anglers
10.510May 24 - Sept 26
American eel650All year
Monkfish (goose fish)17
11 tail length
Any numberAll year
American ShadPossession ProhibitedPossession ProhibitedPossession Prohibited
Hickory ShadNo size limit5All year
Yellowtail flounder13No limitAll year
Oyster toadfish103July 16 - May 14
Horseshoe crabsNo size limit5All year
Blue Crab+
Hard Shell
Soft Shell
Peeler/Shedder++
4 1/2"
3 1/2"
3"
50All year
All Other Crabs+No size limit50All year
American lobster+ (Recreational permit required)3 3/8" minimum carapace length 51/4" maximum carapace length6All 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
CategorySpeciesMinimun Size LimitDaily Possession Limit
Allowed SharksTiger, Blacktip, Bull, Great hammerhead, Lemon, Nurse, Scalloped hammerhead, Smooth hammerhead, Spinner, Blue, Shortfin mako, Oceanic whitetip, Porbeagle, Common Thresher54 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, BlacknoseNo size limit
Smooth Dogfish, Spiny DogfishNo size limitAny number
Prohibited SharksAtlantic 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 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.