Sharks (coastal species) regulations in New York

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Open year-round; size Allowed sharks (tiger, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, blue, porbeagle, common thresher) 54 inches fork length; hammerheads 78 inches FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth no size limit; limit One shark per vessel per trip, plus one additional Atlantic sharpnose and one bonnethead per angler per trip; dogfish any number. Read the exact wording below.

Sharks (coastal species) size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
statewide	Open year-round	Allowed sharks (tiger, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, blue, porbeagle, common thresher) 54 inches fork length; hammerheads 78 inches FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth no size limit	One shark per vessel per trip, plus one additional Atlantic sharpnose and one bonnethead per angler per trip; dogfish any number

Notes

Not yet reviewed: shown exactly as the state prints it. Read the wording before keeping the fish.

Exact NYSDEC wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: Allowed sharks (tiger, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, blue, porbeagle, common thresher) 54 inches fork length; hammerheads 78 inches FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth no size limit
Limit: One shark per vessel per trip, plus one additional Atlantic sharpnose and one bonnethead per angler per trip; dogfish any number
statewide — as printed: “Allowed Sharks … 54 inches fork length … One shark per vessel per trip, except that one additional Atlantic Sharpnose and one additional Bonnethead may be taken and possessed per angler per trip. Prohibited Sharks … Possession Prohibited”

Source: NYSDEC, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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About the sharks

Predatory cartilaginous fishes

Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fishes characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the division Selachii and are the sister group to the Batomorphi. Some sources extend the term "shark" as an informal category including extinct members of Chondrichthyes with a shark-like morphology, such as hybodonts. Shark-like chondrichthyans such as Cladoselache and Doliodus first appeared in the Devonian Period, though some fossilized chondrichthyan-like scales are as old as the Late Ordovician. The earliest confirmed modern sharks (Selachii) are known from the Early Jurassic around 200 million years ago, with the oldest known member being Agaleus, though records of true sharks may extend back as far as the Permian.

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Sharks (coastal species) in New York?

Allowed sharks (tiger, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, blue, porbeagle, common thresher) 54 inches fork length; hammerheads 78 inches FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth no size limit in New York state waters.

How many Sharks (coastal species) can you keep per day in New York?

One shark per vessel per trip, plus one additional Atlantic sharpnose and one bonnethead per angler per trip; dogfish any number.

When is Sharks (coastal species) season in New York?

Open year-round.

Is my Sharks (coastal species) a keeper today?

Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Open year-round; size Allowed sharks (tiger, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, blue, porbeagle, common thresher) 54 inches fork length; hammerheads 78 inches FL; Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth no size limit; limit One shark per vessel per trip, plus one additional Atlantic sharpnose and one bonnethead per angler per trip; dogfish any number. Read the exact wording below.