Connecticut

Fishing

Connecticut › Fishing › Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations

Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Species Regulations

Marine Recreational Fisheries Regulations for 2025

Applicability of Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations

Marine recreational fishing regulations apply “while on the waters of this state or on any parcel of land, structure, or portion of a roadway abutting tidal waters of this state.” Consistent with this regulation, regardless where you caught your fish, (federal waters, another states’ waters) any fish in your possession must meet Connecticut regulations (size, season, possession limits) when you are in Connecticut waters or on the Connecticut shore. Any fish taken contrary to the minimum length, creel limit or open season regulations must, without avoidable injury, be returned immediately to the water from which taken.

Tri-Lingual Marine Fishing Regulations

Enhanced Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations Sign

Marine Recreational Fishing: Regulatory Terms and Additional Restrictions

Illustration of a striped bass with silver scales and horizontal black stripes along its body, displayed on a white background. — Striped Bass – A popular sport fish recognized by its silver body and bold horizontal stripes, found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats.

Striped Bass
Minimum length: No person shall possess any striped bass less than 28 inches or greater than or equal to 31 inches measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Any striped bass less than 28 inches or greater than or equal to 31 inches shall, without avoidable injury, be returned immediately to the water from which taken.
Daily creel limit: 1 fish per angler
Open Season: Open Year Round
Inline circle hook required when fishing with bait (does not apply to artificial lures).

Illustration of a summer flounder (fluke), a flat, brownish fish with both eyes on the left side and dark spots across its body. — Summer Flounder (Fluke) – A bottom-dwelling flatfish known for its distinctive left-sided eyes and spotted, camouflaged body, commonly found in coastal waters.

Summer Flounder (Fluke)
Open Season:May 4 - August 1; 19 inchminimum length
Open Season: August 2 - October 15; 19.5 inch minimum length
Daily creel limit: 3 fish per angler
Enhanced Opportunity Shore Fishing Sites the Minimum Length is 17 inches

Illustration of a tautog (blackfish), a stout-bodied fish with dark mottled patterns and thick lips, commonly found along rocky Atlantic coastal habitats. — Tautog (blackfish) – a popular saltwater species known for its tough fighting ability and preference for rocky reefs and structures in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tautog (Blackfish)
Minimum length: 16 inches
Open Season: April 1 - April 30, 2 fish per angler
Open Season: July 1 - August 31, 2 fish per angler
Open Season: October 10 - November 28, 3 fish per angler

Illustration of a scup (porgy), a silvery-blue saltwater fish with a deep, flat body and sharp dorsal spines, common along the Atlantic coast. — Scup (porgy) – a popular saltwater catch known for its flat body, silver-blue coloring, and schooling behavior in coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Scup (Porgy)
Minimum length: 11 inches for boat anglers / 9.5 inches for shore anglers (including Enhanced Opportunity Fishing Sites)
Daily creel limit: 30 fish per angler
Open Season: May 1 - December 31

Party/Charter Vessel Bonus Season:
For paying passengers only: 30 fish per angler from May 1 - August 31 and November 1 - December 31;40 fish per angler from September 1 - October 31

Illustration of a bluefish, a sleek-bodied marine fish with a bluish-green back and forked tail, commonly found in coastal and offshore waters. — Bluefish – a fast, aggressive predator with a greenish-blue back and sharp teeth, often found in schools along the Atlantic coast.

Bluefish
Minimum length: None
Daily creel limit: 3 fish per angler (including "snappers")
Open Season: Open Year Round
Party/Charter Vessel: for paying passengers only - daily creel limit, 5 fish per angler

Illustration of a Black Sea Bass, a dark-colored fish with a stout body, spiny dorsal fin, and iridescent blue highlights, common to the Atlantic coast. — Black Sea Bass – a popular saltwater fish known for its spiny dorsal fin and bluish-black coloring, often caught along the Atlantic coast.

Black Sea Bass -- Regulation Changes for 2025 in bold
Minimum length:16 inches**
Daily creel limit: 5 fish per angler
Open Season: May 17 - June 23; July 8 - November 25; season closed June 24 - July 7
**Excluding tail fin filament (tendril)

Party/Charter Vessels:
Open Season: May 17 - December 31
Bag Limit (for paying passengers only): 5 fish per angler from May 17 - August 31; 7 fish per angler from September 1 - December 31.
Daily logbook reporting required by Party/Charter Vessel operator for trips taking Black Sea Bass

Illustration of a Weakfish, also known as Sea Trout, showing a slender, silver body with speckled dark spots and yellow-tinged fins. — Weakfish (Sea Trout) – a sleek, speckled saltwater fish commonly found along the Atlantic coast, known for its soft mouth and sportfishing appeal.

Weakfish (Sea Trout)
Minimum length: 16 inches
Daily creel limit: 1 fish per angler
Open Season: Open Year Round

Illustration of a Winter Flounder with a rounded, flat body, mottled brown coloring, and both eyes on the right side of its body. — Winter Flounder – a flatfish found in cold Atlantic waters, recognized by its right-side eyes and camouflaged brown body, prized by coastal anglers.

Winter Flounder Minimum length: 12 inches
Daily creel limit: 2 fish per angler
Open Season: Open April 1 - December 31

Illustration of a Hickory Shad with a silver body, greenish back, and dark spots along the upper side—commonly found in coastal rivers and estuaries. — Hickory Shad – a silvery, migratory fish known for its fight on the line, often spotted in spring runs along Atlantic coast rivers.

Hickory Shad
Minimum length: None
Daily creel limit: 6 fish per angler (American and Hickory Shad in aggregate)
Open Season: Open Year Round

Illustration of an American Shad, a large silver fish with a greenish-blue back and deeply forked tail, native to Atlantic coastal rivers. — American Shad – a silvery migratory fish prized for its historic runs in East Coast rivers and its importance to both anglers and ecosystems.

American Shad***
Minimum length: None
Daily creel limit: 6 fish per angler (American and Hickory Shad in aggregate)
Open Season: Open Year Round
***American Shad: all state waters closed, except the Connecticut River System

Illustration of a river herring, showing a small, silver fish with a bluish-green back—commonly an alewife or blueback herring. — River Herring – includes alewife and blueback herring, key forage fish that migrate from ocean to freshwater to spawn, vital to aquatic food webs.

Illustration of a blueback herring, a slender silver fish with a bluish back and forked tail, native to East Coast rivers and estuaries. — Blueback Herring – an important migratory forage fish in Atlantic coastal ecosystems, traveling upstream to spawn each spring.

River Herring: Alewife / Blueback Herring
The taking of anadromous alewife and blueback herring is prohibited from all Connecticut waters, including Long Island Sound.

Illustration of a white perch, a silvery freshwater fish with a slightly greenish back, spiny dorsal fin, and forked tail. — White Perch – a common sport fish found in lakes, rivers, and estuaries along the East Coast, valued for its mild flavor and active bite.

White Perch
Minimum length: 7 inches
Daily creel limit: 30 fish per angler
Open Season: Open Year Round

Illustration of an American eel with an elongated, snake-like body, smooth olive-brown skin, and small pectoral fins near the head. — American Eel – a long, slender fish found in freshwater and coastal habitats, known for its catadromous life cycle and importance to aquatic ecosystems.

American Eel
Minimum length: 9 inches
Daily creel limit: 25 fish per angler
Open Season: Open Year Round

Illustration of an Atlantic Menhaden, a silver fish with a deep body, a greenish back, and a distinctive dark shoulder spot followed by a series of smaller spots. — Atlantic Menhaden (Bunker) – an important forage fish in the Atlantic ecosystem, recognized for its silvery body and role in supporting larger predators like striped bass and ospreys.

Atlantic Menhaden (Bunker)
Minimum length: None
Daily creel limit: 50 fish per angler or 5 gallons (whichever is the greater amount)
Open Season: Open Year Round

Illustration of an Atlantic Cod, a speckled brown fish with three dorsal fins and a prominent chin barbel. — Atlantic Cod – a cold-water species known for its mild flavor and flaky white meat, easily identified by its speckled body and chin barbel.

Atlantic Cod: Updated federal regulations

Illustration of a haddock, a silvery fish with a dark lateral line and a distinctive black "thumbprint" mark above the pectoral fin. — Haddock – a popular North Atlantic fish recognized by its dark lateral line and black shoulder spot, often used in fish and chips.

Haddock: Updated federal regulations

Illustration of a pollock, a streamlined fish with a greenish-brown back, silver sides, and a distinct white lateral line. — Pollock – a fast-swimming North Atlantic fish known for its mild flavor and use in dishes like fish sticks and imitation crab.

Pollock: Updated federal regulations

Illustration of a blue crab with raised blue-tinted claws and a broad, flat, olive-colored shell, commonly found in Atlantic coastal waters. — Blue Crab – a prized crustacean of the Atlantic coast, known for its distinctive blue claws and sweet, tender meat.

Blue Crab No License Required
Minimum shell width (spike tip to spike tip)
5 inches - Hard shell
3 1/2 inches - Soft shell
Daily creel limit: None
Open Season: May 1 - November 30
Prohibition on egg-bearing females

Illustration of a Jonah crab with a wide, reddish-brown shell and large, robust claws tipped in black, typical of North Atlantic coastal waters. — Jonah Crab – a cold-water species found in the Northwest Atlantic, known for its strong claws and delicious, flaky meat.

Jonah Crab No License Required
Daily creel limit: 50 Crabs per Day
Prohibition on egg-bearing females

Illustration of a squid with a torpedo-shaped body, long tentacles, and broad triangular fins, showing typical marine coloration. — Squid – a fast-swimming marine cephalopod found in Atlantic waters, recognized for its tentacles, streamlined body, and unique propulsion system.

Squid No License Required

Illustration of a smooth dogfish shark with a slender gray body, long tail, and two dorsal fins, commonly found in coastal Atlantic waters. — Smooth Dogfish – a small, bottom-dwelling shark species often seen in nearshore Atlantic habitats, known for its smooth skin and lack of prominent teeth.

Illustration of a spiny dogfish shark with a slender grayish-brown body, white underside, and distinctive white spots along its back. — Spiny Dogfish – a small shark species recognized by its white spots and dorsal spines, commonly found in Atlantic coastal waters.

Smooth and Spiny DogfishMinimum length: None
Daily creel limit: None
Open Season: Open Year

Coastal Shark Species

An Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit is required to take, possess, or land any shark species, other than smooth or spiny dogfish, in this state in either the sport or commercial fisheries. Obtain an HMS permit, or call NMFS Customer Service Center at 1-888-872-8862.

Illustration of a red drum fish, also known as redfish, showing its bronze body and distinctive black spot near the tail. — Red drum (redfish) – a popular game fish identified by its reddish hue and tail spot, commonly found in coastal and estuarine waters.

Red Drum (Redfish)
Maximum length: 27 inches
Daily creel limit: 1 fish per angler
Open Season: Open Year Round

Tunas, billfish, and swordfish are managed by NOAA's Highly Migratory Species Office. Please consult NOAA Fisheries for permitting requirements and regulations.