Skip to main content
Georgia

Fishing

Fishing

Finfish Seasons, Limits, Sizes

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)*

Catch and Release Only

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 60 per boat, except for 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 (other than Hammerheads, SSC and Prohibited Sharks)A

All Year

1 per angler or boat, whichever is less

54 FL

83 FL (Shortfin Mako)

Sharks: Hammerheads (Great, Scalloped, and Smooth)A

All Year

1 per angler or boat, whichever is less

78 FL

Small shark composite (SSC)A
(Atlantic sharpnose, Bonnethead, Spiny dogfish)

All Year

1 per angler

30 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

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:

Proper way to measure the Fork Length of a fish.
Proper way to measure the Total Length of a fish.

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, tarpon, 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 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 www.CoastalGaDNR.org/FishTag.