Delaware Regulations

American eel

All year

9 inches

25

American &
hickory shad

Closed Nanticoke R. & its tribs.; Open all year elsewhere

No Size Limit

2 American shad

10 Hickory shad

Atlantic croaker

All year

8 inches

No Daily Limit

Atlantic sturgeon

Endangered – no harvest permitted (see Sport Fishing Tournament)

Black drum

All year

16 inches

3

Black sea bass

May 15 - Sep. 30

13 inches

15

Oct. 10 - Dec. 31

Bluefish

All year

No Size Limit

3 – fishing from
a private vessel or shore

5 – fishing from
a charter boat or headboat

Catfish (any species)

All year

No Size Limit

No Daily Limit

Cobia

All year

37 inches

1 per angler or 1 per vessel

Red drum

All year

20 - 27 inches may be retained

5

River herring
(alewife & blueback)

Closed - no harvest permitted

Scup

All year

9 inches

30

Spanish mackerel

All year

14 inches

15

Spot

TBD (Refer to the electronic version of Delaware’s fishing guide at www.fw.delaware.gov, for updated regulatory changes as they occur)

Spotted seatrout

All year

12 inches

No Daily Limit

Striped bass

TBD (Refer to the electronic version of Delaware’s fishing guide at www.fw.delaware.gov, for updated regulatory changes as they occur)

Summer flounder

All year

January 1 - May 31: 16 inches
June 1 - December 31: 17.5 inches

4

Tautog

Jan. 1 - May 15

16 inches

4

July 1 - Dec. 31

4

Tilefish (Blueline)

May 1 - Oct. 31

No Size Limit

3 - person from private vessel
5 - person from US Coast Guard uninspected for-hire vessel
7 - person from US Coast Guard inspected for-hire vessel

Tilefish (Golden)

All year

No Size Limit

8

Weakfish

All year

13 inches

1

White perch

All year

8 inches

No Daily Limit

Winter flounder

Feb. 11 - Apr. 10

12 inches

2

Blue crab - See Blue Crabs, Clams, Conchs & Oysters for more details

Pots: Mar. 1 - Nov. 30; other gears year around

Peeler - 3 inches

1 bushel

Soft-shell - 3.5 inches

Hard-shell - 5 inches

Jonah crab

All year

4 3/4 inches

50

Hard clams

All year

1.5 inches

100/resident

50/non-resident

Lobster

All year

3 3/8 - 5 1/4 inches (slot)

2; V-notched prohibited

Conch
See Blue Crabs, Clams, Conchs & Oysters for details

Knobbed whelk

All year

5 inches / 3 inch whorl

5 bushels

Channeled whelk

All year

6 inches / 3.125 inch whorl

5 bushels

Sharks and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) - Special permit required for federal waters

Smoothhound and spiny dogfish

All year

No Size Limit

No Daily Limit

Blacktip shark, bull shark, lemon shark, nurse shark, silky shark, spinner shark, tiger shark

Jan. 1 - May 14

July 16 - Dec. 31

54 inches FORK LENGTH

Boat anglers - only 1 shark of any species per vessel, except 1 additional bonnethead and 1 additional Atlantic sharpnose per angler onboard vessel. Shore anglers - only 1 shark of any species per angler, except 1 additional bonnethead and one additional Atlantic sharpnose per shore angler.

Great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead

Jan. 1 - May 14
July 16 - Dec. 31

78 inches FORK LENGTH

Blue shark, oceanic white-tip shark, porbeagle, thresher shark

All year

54 inches FORK LENGTH

Atlantic sharpnose shark, blacknose shark, bonnethead, finetooth shark

All year

No Size Limit

Sandbar shark, sand tiger, Atlantic angel shark, basking shark, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill shark, bigeye thresher, bignose shark, Caribbean reef shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, dusky shark, Galapagos shark, longfin mako, narrowtooth shark, night shark, sevengill shark, shortfin mako, sixgill shark, smalltail shark, whale shark, white shark

The sandbar & sand tiger are toothed sharks commonly taken in the nearshore waters of the state and are prohibited species. Like all prohibited species, they must be immediately released to ensure the maximum probability of survival.

It is unlawful to fillet a shark prior to landing. A shark may be eviscerated prior to landing, but head, tail and fins must remain attached to the carcass.

It is unlawful to release a shark in a manner that will not ensure the sharks maximum probability of survival (i.e. no gaffs, no clubbing, careful hook removal, etc.).
A non-offset, corrodible, non-stainless steel circle hook must be used when fishing for shark, except when fishing with flies or artificial lures.

It is unlawful to possess the fins from any shark prior to landing unless they are naturally attached to the body of the shark.

Tunas and HMS - Special permit required

Atlantic tunas, swordfish and billfish

*Special permit required - All private vessel owners/operators recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) for personal use in the Atlantic Ocean must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling Permit. Further limits and restrictions apply. Consult hmspermits.noaa.gov or call toll free (888) 872-8862 for specific information and permits.