Delaware saltwater size limits and seasons

142 species, 2026 rules for state waters. Tap a species for every zone, the exact DNREC wording and a keeper check. Updated 2026-09-20. All 196 Delaware species A–Z →

Species	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
African Pompano	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Albacore Tuna	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Alewife	Closed	—	—
Almaco Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
American Eel	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	25 per person per day
American Shad	Open year-round	No size limit	10 in any combination with Hickory Shad
Atlantic Angel Shark	Closed	—	—
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna	Open year-round	27 inch minimum	Retention limits change during the season. Check hmspermits.noaa.gov or (888) 872-8862 before departure.
Atlantic Bonito	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Chub Mackerel	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Cod	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Croaker	Open year-round	8 inch minimum	50 per person per day
Atlantic Cutlassfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Mackerel	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Needlefish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark	Open year-round	No size limit	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Atlantic Spadefish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Sturgeon	Closed	—	—
Atlantic Torpedo Ray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Atlantic Tripletail	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Banded Rudderfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Bar Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Barndoor Skate	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Bigeye Tuna	Open year-round	27 inch minimum	No daily limit
Black Drum	Open year-round	16 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Black Sea Bass	May 1 – December 31	12.5 inch minimum	15 per person per day
Blacknose Shark	Open year-round	No size limit	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Blacktip Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Blue Marlin	Open year-round	99 inch minimum	No daily limit
Blue Runner	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Blue Shark	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Blueback Herring	Closed	—	—
Bluefish	Open year-round	No size limit	5 shore/private boat; 7 on for-hire vessels
Blueline Tilefish	May 1 – October 31	No size limit	3 private vessel; 5 USCG uninspected for-hire; 7 USCG inspected for-hire
Bluntnose Stingray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Bonnethead Shark	Open year-round	No size limit	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Bull Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Bullnose Ray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Butterfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Cero Mackerel	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Clearnose Skate	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Cobia	Open year-round	43 inch minimum	2 per angler or 2 per vessel
Cownose Ray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Crevalle Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Cubera snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Cunner (Bergall)	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Dog snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Dolphinfish	Open year-round	No size limit	Private vessel: 10 per person, max 60 per trip. Headboat: 10 per paying person.
Dusky Shark	Closed	—	—
Escolar	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
False Albacore	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Florida Pompano	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Four-Spot Flounder	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Gafftopsail Catfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Golden Tilefish	Open year-round	No size limit	8 per person per day
Goosefish (Monkfish)	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Gray Snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Gray Triggerfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Great Barracuda	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Great Hammerhead Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	78 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Greater Amberjack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Hickory Shad	Open year-round	No size limit	10 in any combination with American Shad
Horse-Eye Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Inshore Lizardfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
King Mackerel	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Ladyfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Leatherjack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Lemon Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Lesser Amberjack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Little Skate	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Longbill Spearfish	Closed	—	—
Lookdown	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Northern Kingfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Northern Puffer	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Northern Searobin	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Northern Stargazer	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Nurse Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Ocean Triggerfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Oceanic Whitetip Shark	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Oyster Toadfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Palometa	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Permit	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Pigfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Pinfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Pollock	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Rainbow Runner	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Red Drum	Open year-round	20–27 inch slot	5 per person per day
Red Hake (Ling)	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Red Porgy	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Remora	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Rock Hind	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Roundscale Spearfish	Open year-round	66 inch minimum	No daily limit
Sailfish	Open year-round	63 inch minimum	No daily limit
Sand Tiger Shark	Closed	—	—
Sandbar Shark	Closed	—	—
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	78 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Scup	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	30 per person per day
Sea Bream	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Sea Raven	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Sheepshead	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Shortfin mako Shark	Closed	—	—
Silky Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Silver Hake	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Silver Perch	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Skipjack Tuna	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Smooth Butterfly Ray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Smooth Hammerhead Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	78 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Smooth Puffer	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Smoothhound (Smooth Dogfish)	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Snowy Grouper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Southern Kingfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Southern Stingray	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Spanish Mackerel	Open year-round	14 inch minimum	15 per person per day
Spinner Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Spiny Dogfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Spot	Open year-round	No size limit	50 per person per day
Spottail Pinfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Spotted Hake	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Spotted Seatrout	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	No daily limit
Striped Bass	Open year-round	28–31 inch slot	1 per person per day
Striped Searobin	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Summer Flounder	Open year-round	16 inch minimum (January 1 – May 31); 17.5 inch minimum (June 1 – December 31)	4 per person per day
Swordfish	Open year-round	47 inch minimum	Private vessel: 1 per person, max 4 per trip. Charter: 1 per paying person, max 6. Headboat: max 15.
Tarpon	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Tautog	January 1 – May 15, July 1 – December 31	16 inch minimum	4 per person per day
Thresher Shark	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Tiger Shark	January 1 – May 14, July 16 – December 31	54 inch minimum	Boat: 1 shark of any species per vessel (+1 Bonnethead and +1 Atlantic Sharpnose per angler). Shore: 1 shark per angler (+1 Bonnethead, +1 Sharpnose).
Wahoo	Open year-round	No size limit	2 per person per day
Warsaw Grouper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Weakfish	Open year-round	13 inch minimum	1 per person per day
White Grunt	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
White Marlin	Open year-round	66 inch minimum	No daily limit
White Perch	Open year-round	8 inch minimum	50 panfish total per day (all panfish species combined), no more than 25 of this species.
White Shark	Closed	—	—
Windowpane Flounder	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Winter Flounder	February 11 – April 10	12 inch minimum	2 per person per day
Witch Flounder	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Wreckfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Yellow Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Yellowfin Tuna	Open year-round	27 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Yellowtail Flounder	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit
Yellowtail snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	No daily limit

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