Outdoors · Marine rules
Saltwater fishing rules in New York
New York's coastal limits can change during the year, so check the live DEC table on the day you fish.
Saltwater fishing uses a different front door from freshwater. Most anglers age 16 and older enroll in the free Marine Fishing Registry instead of buying a freshwater license.
Then use the current marine table. The fish, date, size, shore or vessel, party-boat status, and exact part of the Hudson or coast can all change what you may keep.
The useful details
The rules that matter
These examples come from DEC's table last changed May 12, 2026. Use them to understand the rule, then reopen the live table before keeping fish.
- Registry
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Most marine anglers age 16 and older need the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry.
The registry covers fishing in the Marine and Coastal District and fishing for migratory fish of the sea. Customers on an appropriately licensed party or charter boat do not enroll for that trip. Connecticut and Rhode Island residents with a valid home-state marine license are also exempt, while New Jersey residents still need New York's registry. Crabs, lobster, whelk, and shellfish use separate rules and permits.
DEC Marine Fishing Registry -> - Striped bass
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Marine striped bass are 28 to 31 inches, 1 fish, from April 15 through December 15.
That marine row begins south of the George Washington Bridge. North of the bridge, the Hudson row is 23 to 28 inches, 1 fish, from April 1 through November 30. Special Hudson rules still matter.
DEC live marine limits -> - Scup or porgy
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The 2026 table uses 9.5 inches from shore, 11 inches from a vessel, and 30 fish.
The ordinary season is May 1 through December 31. On a licensed party or charter boat, the minimum is 11 inches and the limit is 30 through August, 40 in September and October, then 30 in November and December. A customer keeping more than 30 during September or October needs the dated original fare receipt.
DEC live marine limits -> - Summer flounder
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Fluke are 3 fish; 19 inches through August 1, then 19.5 inches through October 15.
The 2026 season opens May 4. DEC generally requires the head, tail, and dark side to stay intact until shore so the fish can be measured and counted.
DEC live marine limits -> - Sea bass and bluefish
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Black sea bass are 16 inches; bluefish have no minimum length in the 2026 table.
Black sea bass are 3 fish from May 16 through August 31 and 6 from September 1 through December 31. Bluefish are 5 for an individual or 7 aboard a licensed party or charter boat, all year.
DEC live marine limits -> - Tautog or blackfish
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Tautog are 16 inches, but the fall limit and dates change at the Throgs Neck Bridge region line.
In the Long Island Sound region, the limit is 2 from April 1 through 30 and 3 from October 11 through December 9. In the New York Bight region, it is 2 from April 1 through 30 and 4 from October 15 through December 22.
DEC live marine limits -> - Circle hooks
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Use a non-offset inline circle hook when fishing for striped bass with bait.
The rule covers live or dead bait. An artificial lure is exempt even when it is tipped with bait. Measure the fish by DEC's method before deciding it fits the slot.
DEC striped-bass hook rule -> - Sharks and shellfish
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Sharks, tuna, crabs, lobster, whelk, and shellfish do not all use the ordinary registry-and-fish-table route.
A private vessel used to fish recreationally for Atlantic tuna, sharks, swordfish, or billfish generally needs an annual federal HMS Angling vessel permit; shark fishing also needs the shark endorsement. New York residents need a recreational lobster permit. Shellfish waters and crustacean limits use separate official pages.
NOAA Atlantic HMS Angling permit ->
Ordinary example
An August fluke trip from Long Island
A 40-year-old angler enrolls in the free Marine Registry and fishes from a private boat on August 8, 2026. The live table says summer flounder are at least 19.5 inches and no more than 3 fish on that date. The angler measures each fish before putting it in the cooler and keeps the carcass intact for inspection until shore.
What changes the answer
Facts that change the answer
- The date
- Marine limits can change during the year, and several species change size or possession limits midseason.
- The water
- The George Washington Bridge, Long Island Sound region, New York Bight, tidal Hudson, and coastal district boundaries can change the row.
- The trip
- Shore, private vessel, and licensed party or charter trips can use different sizes or possession limits.
Do this next
Next steps
- Get the free registry Enroll before the trip if the marine rule covers the angler and fish.
- Open the live table Check the fish, date, size, possession limit, and water on the day of the trip.
- Check the access point Use DEC's map for public ramps and shore access, then confirm local hours and parking.
Five facts make the saltwater answer
Name the species, fishing date, exact water, shore or vessel, and private or licensed party or charter trip. Then read the size, possession limit, and open season from the same live row.
The table can divide one species into several rows. Do not stop when the fish name first appears. Keep reading until the water and kind of trip match yours.
- •Species and date
- •Exact coastal, Sound, Bight, or Hudson water
- •Shore, private vessel, or licensed party or charter boat
- •Minimum or slot size and possession limit
- •Live update date on the DEC page
Official source — DEC recreational saltwater rules →
Use the measurement named in the table
Most marine rows use total length: a straight line from the snout, with the mouth closed, to the longest tail lobe with the lobes squeezed together. Sharks use fork length, and a few cleaned-fish rules use fillet or dressed length.
A slot limit has both a floor and a ceiling. A marine striped bass below 28 inches or above 31 inches does not fit the 2026 marine slot, even though one side of the measurement may look legal.
Official source — DEC marine measuring notes →
Crabbing, lobster, shellfish, sharks, and tuna need another page
The free Marine Registry is not a blanket permit for every coastal harvest. Lobster has its own resident recreational permit, while shellfish harvest depends on open certified waters and may also involve town rules. Sharks have prohibited species and tackle rules, and tuna and some shark fishing also run through the federal permit system.
Start at DEC's live marine page and follow the link for the exact activity. This is one of those places where the right species name matters more than the word fishing.
Official source — DEC saltwater fishing directory →
Quick reference
Most marine anglers age 16 and older use the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, not the freshwater license
Customers on an appropriately licensed party or charter boat and qualifying Connecticut or Rhode Island residents are common exceptions. Crabs, lobster, whelk, shellfish, sharks, and tuna can add separate rules or permits.
South of the George Washington Bridge, the 2026 marine row is one striped bass from 28 through 31 inches, open April 15 through December 15
North of the bridge, use the separate tidal-Hudson row.
The 2026 summer-flounder limit is 3 fish
The minimum is 19 inches from May 4 through August 1, then 19. 5 inches from August 2 through October 15. Recheck the live DEC table before the trip.
DEC says the marine table can change at any time
Yes. Use the live page on the day you fish instead of relying only on a saved guide or old handout.
Official sources
Use the agency page when dates, fees, closures, permits, or safety rules matter. Reviewed July 2026.
- DEC - Recreational saltwater fishing regulations Live fish, shark, crab, lobster, and whelk limits and measurement notes.
- DEC - Recreational Marine Fishing Registry Who enrolls, exceptions, and how to register.
- DEC - Saltwater fishing Marine access, species, shellfish, sharks, and current coastal programs.
- NOAA - Highly Migratory Species permits Federal Atlantic HMS vessel permits and the shark endorsement.
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