Regulations
Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits
Before heading out on your fishing adventure, it’s important to know the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries regulations for minimum sizes and possession limits. These rules help protect fish populations and ensure sustainable fishing for future generations. We strictly follow all state and federal guidelines, so you can enjoy a responsible and rewarding day on the water.
Whether you’re targeting Striped Bass, Bluefish, Cod, Flounder, or Blackfish, our experienced captain will guide you on the latest regulations to keep your catch legal. For the most up-to-date limits, visit the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) website or ask us before your trip!
| Species | Minimum Size | Season | Possession Limit | |||
| American Eel | 9″ | Closed 9/1 – 12/31 | No limit | |||
| American Plaice (dab) | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit | |||
| American Shad | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters | |||
| Atlantic Salmon | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters | |||
| Atlantic Sturgeon | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters | |||
Black Sea Bass
| 11″ | Sub-Periods | Closed | |||
| Bluefish | 18″ | 1/1 – 4/30 | 10,000 lbs/wk | |||
| Cod | 19″ | 5/1 – 4/30 | 1,000 lbs/day | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Smoothhound | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Sharks Group – Atlantic sharpnose, finetooth, and bonnethead | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Blacknose | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Aggregated Large Coastal Sharks Group – Silky, tiger, blacktip, spinner, bull, lemon, nurse | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 55 sharks/vsl/day | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Hammerhead Group – Scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead, smooth hammerhead | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 55 sharks/vsl/day | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Pelagic Shark Group – Shortfin Mako | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Pelagic Shark Group – Oceanic Whitetip | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Pelagic Group – Porbeagle, common thresher, blue | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Prohibited Shark Group – sand tiger, bigeye, sandtiger, whale, basking, bignose, galapagos, night reed, narrowtooth, caribbean sharpnose, smalltail, atlantic angel, longfin mako, bigeye thresher, sharpnose sevengill, bluntnose sixgill, blacknose, bigeye sixgill | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited | |||
| Coastal Sharks- Research Shark Group – Sandbar | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited | |||
| Spiny Dogfish | No Minimum | 5/1 – 4/30 | 7,500 lbs/day | |||
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) | with Exemption Certificate 14″ | Sub-Periods | Closed | |||
without Exemption Certificate 14″ | Sub-Periods | Closed | ||||
| Horseshoe Crab Bait Fishery | 7″ | 1/1 – 4/30 | 60 crabs/person/day | |||
| Horseshoe Crab Biomedical Fishery | 7″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited | |||
| Menhaden inside Management Area | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed | |||
| Menhaden outside Management Area | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 120,000 lbs/day | |||
| Monkfish | 17″ whole/ | 5/1 – 4/30 | 4,900 lbs/wk tails or | |||
| Haddock | 16″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit | |||
| Pollock | 19″ | 1/1 – 12-31 | No limit | |||
Scup | General Category | Sub-Periods | 16,500 lbs/day | |||
Floating traps | Sub-Periods | 16,500 lbs/day | ||||
| Striped bass | General Category | Sub-Periods | 5 fish/day | |||
Floating traps | 4/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited | ||||
| Skate | Wing Fishery | 1/1 – 12/31 | 35,000 lbs/wk wings or | |||
Bait Fishery | Sub Periods | 25,000 lbs/day | ||||
| Tautog | 16″ | Sub-Periods | Closed | |||
| Weakfish (Squeteague) | 16″ | Open Season All other times call RIDFW for details | 100 lbs/day | |||
| Winter Flounder | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 50 lbs/day | |||
| The harvesting or possession of winter flounder is PROHIBITED in Narragansett Bay north of the Colregs Line of Demarcation as well as in Potter Pond, Point Judith Pond,and the Harbor of Refuge | ||||||
| Yellowtail Flounder | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit | |||
| Atlantic Herring | No | 1/1 – 12/31 | Area 2: Unlimited Area 3: 2,000 lbs/vsl/day | |||
| River Herring | NA | 1/1- 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters | |||
Species | Minimum Size | Season | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
American eel | 9″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 25 eels/person/day 50 eels/vsl/day for licensed party/charter vessels |
American plaice (dab) | 14″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
Black Sea Bass | 16.5″ | 5/22 – 8/26 | 2 fish/person/day |
8/27 – 12/31 | 3 fish/person/day | ||
Black Sea Bass | 16″ | 6/18 – 8/31 | 2 fish/person/day |
9/1 – 12/31 | 6 fish/person/day | ||
Bluefish | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
Bluefish | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
Cod | 23″ | 1/1 – 5/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
6/1 – 8-31 | Closed | ||
9/1 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day | ||
Summer Flounder (Fluke) | 19″ | 4/1 – 12/31 | 6 fish/person/day |
| Special Area Provisions: While fishing from shore at India Point Park in Providence; Conimicut Park in Warwick; Rocky Point, Warwick; Stone Bridge in Tiverton; East and West Walls (Harbor of Refuge), Narragansett; Fort Wetherill, Jamestown; and Fort Adams, Newport; anglers may possess up to 2 summer flounder 17 inches or greater in length as part of their fish possession limit. The remaining fish must be 19 inches or larger. | |||
Monkfish | 17″ whole | 1/1 – 12/31 | 50 lbs tails/day or |
Haddock | 18″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
Pollock | 19″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
Scup | 9.5″ | 5/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
Scup | 11″ | 5/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
Scup | 11″ | 5/1 – 8/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
9/1 – 10/31 | 40 fish/person/day | ||
11/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day | ||
Skate | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 10 fish/person/day |
Striped Bass | 28″-<31″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 1 fish/person/day |
Striped Bass Circle Hook Provision: Required when fishing recreationally for striped bass with bait. | |||
Tautog | 16″ Max of 10 fish/vsl during all periods | 4/1 – 5/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
6/1 – 7/31 | CLOSED | ||
8/1 – 10/14 | 3 fish/person/day | ||
10/15 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day | ||
Tautog | 16″ | 4/1 – 5/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
6/1 – 7/31 | CLOSED | ||
8/1 – 10/14 | 3 fish/person/day | ||
10/15 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day | ||
Weakfish (Squeteague) | 16″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 1 fish/person/day |
Winter Flounder (Blackback) | 12″ | 3/1 – 12/31 | 2 fish/person/day |
The harvesting or possession of winter flounder is PROHIBITED in Narragansett Bay north of the Colregs Line of Demarcation as well as in Potter Pond, Point Judith Pond, and the Harbor of Refuge | |||
Witch Flounder | 14″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
Yellowtail Flounder | 13″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Species | Minimum Size | Season | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Eel | 9″ | Closed 9/1 – 12/31 for any gear other than baited pots or spears | No limit |
| American Plaice (dab) | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| American Shad | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters |
| Atlantic Salmon | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters |
| Atlantic Sturgeon | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters |
| Black Sea Bass | 11″ | Sub-Periods: 1/1 – 4/30, 5/1 – 6/30, 7/1 – 8/15, 8/16 – 9/15, 9/16 – 10/15, 10/16 – 12/31 | Closed 500/week (1/1/2025) |
| Bluefish | 18″ | 1/1 – 4/30, 5/1 – 11/15, 11/16 – 12/31 | 10,000 lbs/wk, 1,000/bi-week (1/1/2025) |
| Cod | 19″ | 5/1 – 4/30 | 1,000 lbs/day |
| Coastal Sharks – Smoothhound | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited |
| Coastal Sharks – Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Sharks Group – Atlantic sharpnose, finetooth, and bonnethead | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited |
| Coastal Sharks – Blacknose | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed |
| Coastal Sharks – Aggregated Large Coastal Sharks Group – Silky, tiger, blacktip, spinner, bull, lemon, nurse | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 55 sharks/vsl/day |
| Coastal Sharks – Hammerhead Group – Scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead, smooth hammerhead | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 55 sharks/vsl/day |
| Coastal Sharks – Pelagic Shark Group – Shortfin Mako | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed |
| Coastal Sharks – Pelagic Shark Group – Oceanic Whitetip | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited |
| Coastal Sharks – Pelagic Group – Porbeagle, common thresher, blue | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited |
| Coastal Sharks – Prohibited Shark Group – sand tiger, bigeye, sandtiger, whale, basking, bignose, galapagos, night reed, narrowtooth, caribbean sharpnose, smalltail, atlantic angel, longfin mako, bigeye thresher, sharpnose sevengill, bluntnose sixgill, blacknose, bigeye sixgill | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited |
| Coastal Sharks – Research Shark Group – Sandbar | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited |
| Spiny Dogfish | No Minimum | 5/1 – 4/30 | 7,500 lbs/day |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) with Exemption Certificate | 14″ | Sub-Periods: 1/1 – 4/30, 5/1 – 9/15, 9/16 – 12/31 | Closed 100/day (1/1/2025) |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) without Exemption Certificate | 14″ | Sub-Periods: 1/1 – 4/30, 5/1 – 9/15, 9/16 – 12/31 | Closed 100/day (1/1/2025) |
| Horseshoe Crab Bait Fishery | 7″ | 1/1 – 4/30, 6/1 – 12/31 | 60 crabs/person/day |
| Horseshoe Crab Biomedical Fishery | 7″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited |
| Menhaden inside Management Area | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | Closed |
| Menhaden outside Management Area | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 120,000 lbs/day |
| Monkfish | 17″ whole/11″ tail | 5/1 – 4/30 | 4,900 lbs/wk tails or 14,259 lbs/week whole fish |
| Haddock | 16″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Pollock | 19″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Scup (General Category) | 9″ | Sub-Periods: 1/1 – 4/30 (fed quota), 5/1 – 9/30, 10/1 – 12/31 (fed quota) | 16,500 lbs/day |
| Scup (Floating Traps) | 9″ | Sub-Periods: 1/1 – 4/30 (fed quota), 5/1 – 9/30, 10/1 – 12/31 (fed quota) | 16,500 lbs/day |
| Striped Bass (General Category) | 34″ | Sub-Periods: 6/11 – 6/20, 7/9 – 12/31, CLOSED Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun thru-out | 5 fish/day, Closed Thur-Sun, Closed until further notice (1/1/2025) |
| Striped Bass (Floating Traps) | 26″ | 4/1 – 12/31 | Unlimited, Closed until further notice (1/1/2025) |
| Skate (Wing Fishery) | No Minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 35,000 lbs/wk wings or 79,450 lbs/vsl/wk whole skate |
| Skate (Bait Fishery) | Max Size 23″ | Sub-Periods: 5/1 – 7/31, 8/1 – 10/31, 11/1 – 4/30 | 25,000 lbs/day |
| Tautog | 16″ | Sub-Periods: 4/1 – 5/31, 8/1 – 9/15, 10/15 – 12/31 | Closed |
| Weakfish (Squeteague) | 16″ | Open Season: 6/1 – 6/30, 8/7 – 11/8, All other times call RIDFW for details | 100 lbs/day |
| Winter Flounder | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 50 lbs/day |
| Yellowtail Flounder | 12″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Atlantic Herring | No minimum size | 1/1 – 12/31 | Area 2: Unlimited, Area 3: 2,000 lbs/vsl/day |
| River Herring | NA | 1/1 – 12/31 | Prohibited in state waters, Call DFW for federal bycatch allowance |
Species | Minimum Size | Season | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| American eel | 9″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 25 eels/person/day 50 eels/vsl/day for licensed party/charter vessels |
| American plaice (dab) | 14″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Black Sea Bass General Recreational | 16.5″ | 5/22 – 8/26 | 2 fish/person/day |
| Black Sea Bass General Recreational | 16.5″ | 8/27 – 12/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
| Black Sea Bass Party and Charter | 16″ | 6/18 – 8/31 | 2 fish/person/day |
| Black Sea Bass Party and Charter | 16″ | 9/1 – 12/31 | 6 fish/person/day |
| Bluefish | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
| Bluefish Party and Charter | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
| Cod | 23″ | 1/1 – 5/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
| Cod | 23″ | 6/1 – 8/31 | Closed |
| Cod | 23″ | 9/1 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke) | 19″ | 4/1 – 12/31 | 6 fish/person/day |
| Special Area Provisions (Summer Flounder) | 17″ | Fishing from shore | Up to 2 summer flounder 17 inches or greater in length; remaining fish must be 19 inches or larger |
| Monkfish (Goosefish) | 17″ whole, 11″ tail | 1/1 – 12/31 | 50 lbs tails/day or 166 lbs whole/day |
| Haddock | 18″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Pollock | 19″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Scup Shore | 9.5″ | 5/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
| Scup Private and Rental | 11″ | 5/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
| Scup Party and Charter | 11″ | 5/1 – 8/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
| Scup Party and Charter | 11″ | 9/1 – 10/31 | 40 fish/person/day |
| Scup Party and Charter | 11″ | 11/1 – 12/31 | 30 fish/person/day |
| Skate | No minimum | 1/1 – 12/31 | 10 fish/person/day |
| Striped Bass | 28″-<31″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 1 fish/person/day |
| Striped Bass Circle Hook Provision | Required when fishing recreationally with bait | For striped bass | Circle hooks required |
| Tautog | 16″ Only one fish may be greater than 21″ Max of 10 fish/vsl during all periods | 4/1 – 5/31 | 3 fish/person/day |
| Tautog | 16″ Only one fish may be greater than 21″ Max of 10 fish/vsl during all periods | 6/1 – 7/31 | Closed |
| Tautog | 16″ Only one fish may be greater than 21″ Max of 10 fish/vsl during all periods | 8/1 – 10/14 | 3 fish/person/day |
| Tautog | 16″ Only one fish may be greater than 21″ Max of 10 fish/vsl during all periods | 10/15 – 12/31 | 5 fish/person/day |
| Weakfish (Squeteague) | 16″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | 1 fish/person/day |
| Winter Flounder (Blackback) | 12″ | 3/1 – 12/31 | 2 fish/person/day |
| Winter Flounder (Blackback) | 12″ | Special Areas | Harvesting prohibited north of Colregs Line of Demarcation and in Potter Pond, Point Judith Pond, and Harbor of Refuge |
| Witch Flounder (Gray Sole) | 14″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |
| Yellowtail Flounder | 13″ | 1/1 – 12/31 | No limit |