2013 Seasons, Size and Creel Limits

Largemouth bass

All year

12 inches; except 15 inches in Becks Pond

6; except 2 from Becks Pond

Smallmouth bass

All year

None between 12 – 17 inches

6 (no more than 1 > 17 inches)

Striped bass hybrid (Only occur in Lums Pond)

All year

15 inches

2

Panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, redear, crappie, yellow & white perch)

All year

None

50 (no more than 25 of one species)

Trout
(special rules apply, see Freshwater Trout Fishing)

Streams open 1st Sat. in April

Ponds open 1st Sat. in March

None

6 (4 in fly-fishing only waters)

American eel

All year

6 inches

50

American & hickory shad

Closed Nanticoke R. & its tribs.; Open all year elsewhere

None

10 in any combination

Atlantic croaker

All year

8 inches

None

Atlantic sturgeon

Closed – no harvest permitted (see
Be On The Lookout section below)

Black drum

All year

16 inches (DE River & Bay)

3 (DE River & Bay)

Black sea bass

Jan. 1 – Feb. 28

12.5 inches

15

May 19 – Oct. 14

25

Nov. 1 – Dec. 31

25

Bluefish

All year

None

10

Catfish (any species)

All year

None

None

Red drum

All year

20 – 27 inches may be retained

5

River herring
(alewife & blueback)

Closed – no harvest permitted

Scup

All year

8 inches

50

Spanish mackerel

All year

14 inches

15

Spotted seatrout

All year

12 inches

None

Striped bass

All year

28 inches, except only 20 – 26 inch fish may be retained from
July 1 – Aug. 31 in DE River, DE Bay & their tribs (DE waters only).

2, except catch & release only on spawning grounds April 1 – May 31

Summer flounder

All year

17 inches

4

Tautog

Jan. 1 – Mar. 31

15 inches

5

April 1 – May 11

3

July 17 – Aug. 31

5

Sept. 29 – Dec. 31

5

Weakfish

All year

13 inches

1

White perch

All year

8 inches

None

Winter flounder

Feb. 11 – Apr. 10

12 inches

2

Note: A general fishing license is now required to fish for blue crabs and clams.

Blue crab

Pots: Mar. 1 – Nov. 30; other gears year around

Peeler – 3 inches

1 bushel

Soft-shell – 3.5 inches

Hard-shell – 5 inches

Hard clams

All year

1.5 inches

100/resident

50/non-resident

Lobster

All year

3 3/8 – 5 1/4 inches (slot)

2; V-notched prohibited

Spiny & smooth dogfish

All year

None

None

Blacktip shark, bull shark, great hammerhead, lemon shark, nurse shark, scalloped hammerhead, silky shark, smooth hammerhead, spinner shark, tiger shark

Jan. 1 -May 14

54 -inches FORK LENGTH

Boat anglers- only 1 shark of any species per vessel, except 1 additional bonnethead and 1 additional Atlantic sharpnose per angler onboard vessel. Shore anglers – only 1 shark of any species per angler, except 1 additional bonnethead and one additional Atlantic sharpnose per shore angler.

July 16 – Dec. 31

Blue shark, oceanic white-tip shark, porbeagle, shortfin mako, thresher shark

All year

54 -inches FORK LENGTH

Atlantic sharpnose shark, blacknose shark, bonnethead, finetooth shark

All year

None

Prohibited Species

Sandbar shark, sand tiger, Atlantic angel shark, basking shark, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill shark, bigeye thresher, bignose shark, Caribbean reef shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, dusky shark, Galapagos shark, longfin mako, narrowtooth shark, night shark, sevengill shark, sixgill shark, smalltail shark, whale shark, white shark

The sandbar & sand tiger are toothed sharks commonly taken in the nearshore waters of the state and are prohibited. Like all prohibited species, they must be immediately released to ensure the maximum probability of survival.

Special Restrictions for Shark

It is unlawful to fillet a shark prior to landing. A shark may be eviscerated prior to landing, but head, tail and fins must remain attached to the carcass.

It is unlawful to release a shark in a manner that will not ensure the sharks maximum probability of survival (i.e. no gaffs, no clubbing, careful hook removal, etc.).

It is unlawful to possess the fins from any shark prior to landing unless they are naturally attached to the body of the shark.

Atlantic tunas, swordfish and billfish

*Special permit required – All private vessel owners/operators recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) for personal use in the Atlantic Ocean must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling Permit. Further limits and restrictions apply. Consult www.hmspermits.gov or call toll free (888) 872-8862 for specific information and permits.