Size, Season & Possession Limits

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Size, Season and Possession Limits
Species	Minimum Size	Open Season	Possession Limit
American Eel	9"	Open year round	25 eels/person/day or 50 eels/vsl/day for licensed party/charter vessels
Black Sea Bass (shore & private)	16.5"	May 22 - Aug. 26	2 fish/person/day
Black Sea Bass (shore & private)	16.5"	Aug. 27 - Dec. 31	3 fish/person/day
Black Sea Bass (party and charter)	16"	June 18 - Aug. 31	2 fish/person/day
Black Sea Bass (party and charter)	16"	Sept. 1 - Dec. 31	6 fish/person/day
Bluefish (shore and private / rental boat)	No minimum	Open year round	3 fish/person/day
Bluefish (party and charter)	No minimum	Open year round	5 fish/person/day
River Herring (alewives and blueback herring) & American Shad	Prohibited Species
Scup (private / rental boat)	11"	May 1 - Dec. 31	30 fish/person/day
Scup (shore)	9.5"	May 1 - Dec. 31	30 fish/person/day
Scup (party and charter)	11"	May 1 - Aug. 31	30 fish/person/day
		Sept. 1 - Oct. 31	40 fish/person/day
		Nov. 1 - Dec. 31	30 fish/person/day
Striped Bass *	Slot Limit: Minimum Size 28" Maximum Size <31"	Open year round	1 fish/person/day within the slot limit
Summer Flounder (general)	19"	April 1 - Dec. 31	6 fish/person/day
Summer Flounder (special shore)**	17" (See Possession Limit)	April 1 - Dec. 31	2 fish @ 17" person/day
Tautog (Blackfish) Max of 10 fish/ves/day during all periods, except licensed party / charter boats	16" Max 1 fish >21"	Apr. 1 - May 31	3 fish/person/day
		June 1 - July 31	CLOSED
		Aug. 1 - Oct. 14	3 fish/person/day
		Oct. 15 - Dec. 31	5 fish/person/day
Weakfish (Squeteague)	16"	Open year round	1 fish/person/day
Winter Flounder *** (Blackback)	12"	Mar. 1 - Dec. 31	2 fish/person/day
* See the Striped Bass page for more comprehensive striped bass information, including fillet and circle hook regulations. Special Shore Areas: While fishing from shore in the following areas, above special shore possession limits apply: India Point Park in Providence, Conimicut Park in Warwick, Stone Bridge in Tiverton, East and West walls in Narragansett, Rocky Point in Warwick, Fort Adams in Newport, and Fort Wetherill in Jamestown. * The harvesting or possession of winter flounder is prohibited in Narragansett Bay north of the COLREGS line, as well as in the Harbor of Refuge, Point Judith and Potter Pond.

How to Properly Measure a Fish

Total length: is the maximum length of the fish, from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail. The best way to obtain this length is to push the fish’s snout up against a vertical surface with the mouth closed and the fish laying along or on top of a tape measure.

Measure to the tip of the tail to determine the total length. Do NOT use a flexible tape measure along the curve of the fish. When measuring black sea bass, do NOT include the tendril on the caudal fin.

The Correct Way to Determine Total Length Measurement