Bluefish regulations in North Carolina

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Bluefish has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.

Bluefish size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
NC coastal and joint waters (to 3 mi)	Open year-round	No size limit	5 per person per day (7 on for-hire vessels)

Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: None
Limit: 5/Day
statewide — as printed: “Bluefish (M) | None | 5/Day”

Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).

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About the bluefish

Species of marine pelagic fish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'')

The bluefish is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as tailor in Australia and New Zealand, elf and shad in South Africa. It is a popular gamefish and food fish.

Read more about Bluefish on Wikipedia →

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.

All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Bluefish in North Carolina?

No size limit in North Carolina state waters.

How many Bluefish can you keep per day in North Carolina?

5 per person per day (7 on for-hire vessels).

When is Bluefish season in North Carolina?

Open year-round.

Is my Bluefish a keeper today?

Bluefish has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.