Finfish Seasons, Limits, Sizes

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Seasons, Limits, Sizes

All limits per person unless specified. FL = fork length, TL = total length
(see “How to Measure a Fish” below)

Species	Open Season	Daily Limit and Possession Limit	Minimum Size (inches)
Amberjack*	All year	1	28 FL
American Eel	All year	25	9 TL
Atlantic croaker	All year	25
Atlantic sturgeon	No Harvest
Billfish (Blue marlin, White marlin, Sailfish)*	Billfish may be landed in Georgia, provided the angler complies with all federal regulations. Visit CoastalGaDNR.org/HMS for federal regulations.
Black drum	All year	15	14 TL
Black sea bass*	All year	15	12 TL
Bluefish	All year	15	12 FL
Cobia	Mar. 1 - Oct. 31	1 per angler, max 6 per boat.	36 FL
Dolphin*	All year	10 (not to exceed 54 per boat, except headboats, which are allowed 10 per paying customer	20 FL
Flounder	All year	15	12 TL
Gag grouper*	All year	2	24 TL
King mackerel*	All year	3	24 FL
Red drum (Channel bass, Spottail bass, Redfish)**	All year	5	14 TL (23 TL maximum)
Red porgy*	All year	3	14 TL
Red snapper*	All year	2	20 TL
Sharks
Small shark composite (SSC)^A (Atlantic sharpnose, Bonnethead, Spiny dogfish)	All Year	1 per angler	30 FL
Sharks (other than Hammerheads, SSC and Prohibited Sharks)^A		1 per angler or boat, whichever is less	54 FL
Hammerhead Sharks (Great, Scalloped, and Smooth)^A			78 FL
Shortfin Mako Shark	When Federal Quota is Available.		83 FL
Prohibited Sharks (NO HARVEST)^A	Sand tiger, Sandbar, Silky, Bigeye sand tiger, Whale, Basking, White, Dusky, Bignose, Galapagos, Night, Reef, Narrowtooth, Caribbean sharpnose, Smalltail, Atlantic angel, Longfin mako, Bigeye thresher, Sharpnose sevengill, Bluntnose sixgill, Oceanic Whitetip, and Bigeye sixgill
Sheepshead	All year	15	10 FL
Spanish mackerel*	All year	15	12 FL
Spot	All year	25
Spotted seatrout	All year	15	14 TL
Striped bass (Saltwater)	All year	2	22 TL
Striped bass (Savannah River)	All year	2	27 TL
Tarpon	All year	1	68 FL
Tripletail	All year	2	18 TL
Weakfish	All year	1	13 TL
* These species are also federally managed from 3 to 200 miles offshore. Go to www.safmc.net for federal regulations. Red Drum are a gamefish in Georgia [O.C.G.A. 27-1-2 (36)(I)]. As gamefish, Red Drum may only be fished for with pole and line (rod/reel) [O.C.G.A. 27-4-5]. A These species are also federally managed. Go to www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-minimum-sizes-and-bag-limits** for federal regulations.

Tagged Fish

Coastal Resources Division (CRD) biologists are conducting long-term studies on the growth, migration and fishing exploitation rates of red drum, black drum, sheepshead, and tripletail. If you catch a tagged fish, please record and report the following information: 1) your name, address, and phone number, 2) fish species, 3) date caught, 4) tag number, 5) total length and location, and 6) whether the fish was kept or released. To report a tagged fish, visit CoastalGaDNR.org/FishTag or call 912-264-7218. If released, please do not remove the tag.

If kept, please return the tag to GADNR/CRD, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520. If the tag number is not legible lightly scrape the tag with your fingernail or similar flat object.

If you are an angler who practices catch and release and would like to become a cooperative angler please contact the Cooperative Angler Tagging Program at 912-264-7218 or visit CoastalGaDNR.org/CooperativeTagging.

How To Measure a Fish

Freshwater fish are measured as Total Length (TL). Minimum sizes for saltwater finfish are measured in two ways: Total Length (TL) and Fork Length (FL). Methods for measuring fish are indicated below: