NOAA manages five Atlantic tunas: yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, skipjack and bluefin. This guide covers the federal Atlantic tuna rules for recreational anglers, species by species. Yellowfin and bigeye must be at least 27 inches curved fork length, yellowfin are limited to 3 per person per day, albacore and skipjack have no size or bag limit, and bluefin follow size classes and limits that NOAA adjusts during the year.
Treat this guide as the standing reference and use NOAA for anything that changes in-season. Bluefin limits move during the year, so check the current limit before you leave the dock. Below you will find what you can keep, at what size, how many, and where to check the bluefin number.
How the Federal Rules Work for Recreational Anglers
NOAA Fisheries’ Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division writes the federal tuna rules, and the legal text is 50 CFR part 635. NOAA’s compliance guide summarizes the rules, but if the guide and the regulations differ, the regulations govern.
Five points frame everything below:
- "Atlantic" in the rules includes the Gulf (Gulf of America) and the Caribbean. The same HMS rules apply on the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf.
- The rules apply in federal waters. They also follow a federal HMS permit holder into state waters, unless the state rule is stricter.
- Federal and state retention limits do not stack.
- A federal tuna permit is required in coastal state waters, except in Connecticut and Mississippi.
- Blackfin tuna is not HMS-managed. The state sets its size, bag and gear rules.
To fish for any of these tunas, the vessel needs an HMS Angling permit or an HMS Charter/Headboat permit. For the permit types and how to file, see HMS permits and reporting.
The U.S. bluefin quota comes from ICCAT, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and NOAA divides it into categories.
Quick Reference: Size and Bag Limits by Species
The table gives the federal baseline for each species. Details follow in the sections below.
| Species | Minimum size (CFL) | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowfin | 27 in | 3 per person per day | Open all year |
| Bigeye | 27 in | No bag limit | No season stated in federal rules |
| Albacore | No minimum | No bag limit | No season stated in federal rules |
| Skipjack | No minimum | No bag limit | No season stated in federal rules |
| Bluefin | 27 in | Set by NOAA by size class and vessel type; see the bluefin section below | Closes when quota is met |
CFL is curved fork length, measured along the body. The bluefin section explains how.
Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin must be at least 27 inches curved fork length, and the limit is 3 per person per day. However long the trip, no more than 3 yellowfin per person may be aboard.
Who the limit covers:
- HMS Angling vessel: everyone fishing.
- Charter/Headboat vessel: everyone aboard, including captain and crew, but only on a for-hire trip.
- Atlantic Tunas vessel permit: the limit does not apply.
Two handling details matter at the dock. A headless fish must measure at least 27 inches from the forward edge of the cut to the fork of the tail. A shark-damaged fish may be kept only if the remainder is at least 27 inches, and you may not trim or alter the damaged area.
Legal gear is rod and reel (downriggers allowed), handline, or speargun on free-swimming fish. Bandit gear and greenstick are allowed only under a Charter/Headboat permit. The season is open all year.
Bigeye Tuna
Bigeye must be at least 27 inches curved fork length, and there is no bag limit. Gear is the same as for yellowfin: rod and reel, handline, or speargun on free-swimming fish.
| Bigeye rule | Federal requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum size | 27 in CFL |
| Bag limit | None |
| Headless fish | 27 in, cut edge to tail fork |
| Shark-damaged fish | Remainder at least 27 in, with no trimming of the damaged area |
Albacore and Skipjack
Albacore and skipjack have no federal minimum size and no bag limit. Gear is the same as for yellowfin and bigeye.
Three rules still apply to these two species:
- The permit requirement.
- The landing form rules.
- The release rules, covered in the gear section below.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin rules are built on size classes measured in curved fork length. NOAA sets the daily limit for each class and can change it during the year.
Curved Fork Length and Bluefin Size Classes
Curved fork length is measured along the curve of the body, from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail, on the whole fish.
| Size class | Curved fork length | Management grouping |
|---|---|---|
| School | 27 to less than 47 in | 27 to under 73 in |
| Large school | 47 to less than 59 in | 47 to under 73 in (with small medium) |
| Small medium | 59 to less than 73 in | 47 to under 73 in (with large school) |
| Large medium | 73 to less than 81 in | Trophy (73 in or greater) |
| Giant | 81 in or greater | Trophy (73 in or greater) |
Two groupings matter. Fish from 27 to under 73 inches are managed under the daily limit, and fish at 73 inches and up are the trophy class.
The minimum size is 27 inches CFL. A headless bluefin must be at least 20 inches pectoral fin curved fork length (PFCFL). CFL equals PFCFL × 1.35.
Retention Limits
Outside the Gulf, the default limit is 1 school, large school or small medium bluefin (27 to under 73 inches) per vessel per day. No more than 1 day’s catch may be aboard, regardless of trip length.
NOAA can change that default by:
- Raising or lowering the limit for any size class.
- Switching between per-vessel and per-angler limits.
- Setting different limits for private boats, charter boats and headboats.
Check the limit in effect before you leave the dock, either on NOAA’s bluefin fishery status page or by calling (888) 872-8862 or (978) 281-9260.
Trophy Bluefin
Outside the Gulf, a vessel may keep 1 trophy bluefin (73 inches CFL or greater) per year. Once you keep a trophy, no one aboard may keep fishing, and the vessel returns to port. Trophy subquotas are tracked by area and close when filled, so check the status page above before you target one.
Bluefin in the Gulf
Gulf: you may not target bluefin at any time. No school, large school or small medium bluefin may be kept. One trophy bluefin per vessel per year may be landed only if caught incidentally while fishing for other species.
A state rule may be stricter. See the state section below.
Seasons and Closures
The recreational bluefin fishery closes when the quota is met, so confirm it is open before fishing. NOAA posts limit changes and closures on the HMS permit site news page and in its landings updates.
Quota Categories: Angling, General and Harpoon
Angling is the recreational category, and bluefin kept under it may not be sold. General and Harpoon are commercial categories. Atlantic Tunas General category vessels may not keep bluefin under 73 inches CFL, which people often confuse with the recreational limits.
Atlantic HMS caught, possessed, retained or landed under recreational limits may not be sold or transferred to anyone for a commercial purpose.
Charter/Headboat Differences
If you run for-hire trips, these differences apply:
- A Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial sale endorsement may fish under General category limits, but only when that category is open and not on a restricted fishing day.
- The size of the first bluefin kept sets the category for the day.
- Charter/Headboat permits add bandit gear and greenstick to rod and reel and handline.
- Captain and crew count toward the yellowfin limit on for-hire trips.
- NOAA can set different bluefin limits for charter boats and headboats. Check the status page for the figures.
Reporting Bluefin
Report every retained or dead-discarded bluefin within 24 hours, by phone at (888) 872-8862, online, or through the HMS Catch Reporting App. For the steps, see how to file a catch report.
Gear, Landing and Release
Every Atlantic tuna you keep must be landed in a set form, and every tuna you release stays in the water.
Gear by permit type:
- HMS Angling: rod and reel (downriggers allowed) and handline. Speargun on free-swimming yellowfin, bigeye, albacore and skipjack only, never bluefin.
- HMS Charter/Headboat: the above, plus bandit gear and greenstick.
Landing form:
- Land the fish round, or eviscerated with the head removed.
- Keep the tail and at least 1 pectoral fin attached.
- Other fins may be removed.
- The tail lobes may be cut for storage if the fork stays intact.
Release rules:
- Release untaken tunas immediately, without removing them from the water.
- Gaff only at boatside, on fish already caught on rod and reel or handline. Never gaff free-swimming or undersized fish.
- Catch-and-release and tag-and-release of bluefin are allowed on rod and reel or handline. Report tag information to NMFS and return the fish quickly with minimum injury.
Hammerhead aboard: no tunas, billfish or swordfish may be retained. For the other half of the rulebook, see Atlantic billfish and swordfish rules.
When State Rules Differ
Permit holders follow federal rules in state waters unless the state rule is stricter, in which case the stricter rule wins. A federal tuna permit is required in coastal state waters, except in Connecticut and Mississippi.
Mississippi is one example. Bluefin may be taken or possessed only as incidental catch by a recreational angler. The limit is 1 fish per boat per week, and each fish must be reported to MDMR. See Mississippi DMR catch limits.
| Question | Federal rule | State check |
|---|---|---|
| Permit in state waters | Required, except Connecticut and Mississippi | Your state agency |
| Which limit applies | Stricter of federal and state | Your state agency |
| Do limits stack | No | Your state agency |
Check your own state’s marine fisheries regulations page before you fish state waters or land there.
Where to Look Next
For more on targeting tuna, see our tuna fishing guides. The OBS SST and Chlorophyll layers in Breakpoint help you decide where to look, and you can download Breakpoint from the App Store or Google Play to check the water before your next run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to fish for tuna?
Yes. The vessel needs an HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit for any Atlantic HMS tuna. A federal tuna permit is required in coastal state waters too, except in Connecticut and Mississippi. The permits and reporting guide above covers the types and how to file.
How many yellowfin can I keep?
The limit is 3 per person per day, at least 27 inches CFL. On multi-day trips, no more than 3 per person may be aboard. On for-hire trips, the captain and crew count toward the limit.
Is the bluefin trophy category open?
Trophy subquotas close by area when filled, so the answer changes. Check NOAA’s bluefin fishery status page or call (888) 872-8862. The rule itself is 1 trophy per vessel per year, and the vessel returns to port after you keep one.
How many bluefin can I keep per day?
The default is 1 fish of 27 to under 73 inches per vessel per day outside the Gulf. NOAA changes this by size class and vessel type. Check the limit in effect before you leave the dock.
Do albacore have a size limit?
No. Albacore and skipjack have no federal minimum size and no bag limit. The permit and landing form rules still apply.
What if I catch a bluefin in the Gulf?
You may not target bluefin there, and no fish under 73 inches may be kept. One incidental trophy per vessel per year is allowed. Report it within 24 hours. A stricter state rule, such as Mississippi’s 1 per boat per week reported to MDMR, can apply.
Can I sell recreationally caught tuna?
No. Fish kept under recreational limits may not be sold or transferred for a commercial purpose. Only commercial categories, or a Charter/Headboat vessel with a sale endorsement fishing commercially, can sell.
Do federal or state rules apply?
Federal rules apply in federal waters. Permit holders carry them into state waters, and the stricter rule wins. Limits do not stack. Check your state agency before you fish or land.
Do these rules apply to tuna off the West Coast?
No. Pacific tunas fall under a different federal framework, 50 CFR 660 subpart K, managed with the Pacific Fishery Management Council. See Pacific HMS federal rules.