SlotGaugeCheck a catchBowfin regulations in Delaware
Additional Freshwater Species · Freshwater · 2026 season
Bowfin size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| State waters | Open year-round | No size limit | No daily limit |
Exact DNREC wording
- Season
- Open Year-Round
- Size
- No Size Limit
- Limit
- No Limit
Source: DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife, captured 2026-09-20 (2026 season).
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About the bowfin
Species of ray-finned fish
The ruddy bowfin is a ray-finned fish native to North America. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique. It is regarded as a relict, being one of only two surviving species of the Halecomorphi, a group of fish that first appeared during the Early Triassic, around 250 million years ago. The bowfin is often considered a "living fossil" because it has retained some morphological characteristics of its early ancestors. It is one of two species in the genus Amia, along with Amia ocellicauda, the eyespot bowfin. The closest living relatives of bowfins are gars, with the two groups being united in the clade Holostei.
Read more about Bowfin on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife, not Wikipedia.
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Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Bowfin in Delaware?
No size limit in Delaware state waters.
How many Bowfin can you keep per day in Delaware?
No daily limit.
When is Bowfin season in Delaware?
Open year-round.
Is my Bowfin a keeper today?
Bowfin has no size limit today, with no daily limit.