Federal waters, the EEZ, run from 3 to 200 nautical miles offshore. Where state and federal rules both apply, the vessel follows the more restrictive one.
This guide covers the Mid-Atlantic and New England federal recreational rules for the bottom fish and groundfish that Northeast anglers target past the 3-mile line. It explains who sets each rule, what changes at the 3-mile line, the federal figures species by species, and where to check when a state or an in-season notice sets the number. For the water itself, from the Gulf of Maine to the Mid-Atlantic canyons, see our Northeast offshore fishing guide. The guide includes one summary table, a short list for each species, for-hire permit and reporting rules, and state agency contacts.
How Mid-Atlantic and New England Federal Recreational Rules Work
State waters run 0 to 3 nautical miles; federal waters run 3 to 200. Federal rules for Northeast fisheries are in 50 CFR part 648, and striped bass rules are in 50 CFR part 697.
If you cross the 3-mile line with fish aboard, both rule sets apply to you, so follow the more restrictive one. The NOAA Fish Rules app can help you check federal and state rules on the water.
Who manages what
Four bodies share the work:
- GARFO (NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office) implements federal rules, issues permits and runs reporting.
- MAFMC (Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council) covers summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, Atlantic mackerel and tilefish. See the Mid-Atlantic Council regulations page.
- NEFMC (New England Fishery Management Council) covers cod, haddock, pollock, halibut and the flounders under the Northeast Multispecies groundfish plan.
- ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) coordinates interstate rules, co-manages the Mid-Atlantic species with MAFMC and manages striped bass.
Under conservation equivalency, states set the numbers, and you follow the rules of the state where you land.
To decide whether Mid-Atlantic recreational measures stay the same, loosen or tighten, the Council and Commission use the Percent Change Approach, a harvest control rule. This is why the specifications change each cycle.
Summary table
| Species | Managing bodies | Federal rule | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| black sea bass / summer flounder | MAFMC, ASMFC, GARFO | Federal measures waived, follow the state of landing | State of landing agency |
| scup | MAFMC, ASMFC, GARFO | 10 in, 40 fish, open all year | NOAA Fisheries |
| bluefish | MAFMC, ASMFC, GARFO | 5 private, 7 for-hire, open all year | NOAA Fisheries |
| striped bass | ASMFC, NOAA | No fishing or possession in EEZ | State of fishing (state waters) |
| cod | NEFMC, GARFO | 23 in, 1 fish, private September 1 to October 31 | NOAA groundfish page |
| haddock (Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area) | NEFMC, GARFO | 17 in, 15 fish, closed March 1 to 31 | NOAA groundfish page |
| haddock (outside it) | NEFMC, GARFO | 18 in, no limit | NOAA groundfish page |
| pollock | NEFMC, GARFO | 19 in, no limit | NOAA groundfish page |
| Atlantic halibut | NEFMC, GARFO | 41 in, 1 per vessel per trip | NOAA groundfish page |
| Atlantic mackerel | MAFMC, GARFO | 25 private, 50/25 for-hire | NOAA Fisheries |
| golden / blueline tilefish | MAFMC, GARFO | Permit required, see species section | NOAA Fisheries |
Federal Rules by Species
Each species below lists size, bag, season and gear or permit rules as the agency documents state them.
Black sea bass and summer flounder
Federal coastwide recreational measures are waived. Federally permitted party and charter vessels, and all recreational vessels fishing in federal waters, follow the measures of the state where they land. The rule comes from the Federal Register waiver notice.
- Size, bag, season: Set by the state of landing.
- Reporting: For-hire permit holders submit eVTRs within 48 hours of the trip.
For where these fish hold and how to fish them, see our black sea bass fishing guide.
Check the agency page before fishing.
Scup
Scup rules apply in federal waters and to federally permitted for-hire vessels.
- Size: 10 inches minimum
- Bag: 40 per person
- Season: January 1 through December 31
- Gear and permits: None specific beyond the for-hire permit rules below
Check the agency page before fishing.
Bluefish
The federal bluefish bag limit differs by sector.
- Size: No federal minimum
- Bag: 5 per person per day for private anglers; 7 per person per day on party/charter-permitted vessels
- Season: Open all year
- Gear and permits: None specific beyond the for-hire permit rules below
Check the agency page before fishing.
Striped bass
Fishing for, harvesting or possessing Atlantic striped bass in the EEZ is prohibited under 50 CFR 697.7. Striped bass may be kept only in state waters, under that state’s rule. For state-water fishing, see our striped bass fishing guide.
- Federal waters: Closed to fishing and possession
- State waters: The state sets the rule
Check the agency page before fishing.
Atlantic cod
Cod rules apply in the Eastern Gulf of Maine, Western Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stock areas. The for-hire season and in-season changes are set and posted on the NOAA recreational groundfish page, and the Amendment 25 bulletin carries in-season changes.
- Size: 23 inches total length
- Bag: 1 per person per day
- Private season: September 1 to October 31; closed May 1 to August 31 and November 1 to April 30
- Southern New England stock area: No retention
- Charter/party season: Set on the NOAA groundfish page
- Multi-day trips: On a trip over 15 hours that covers 2 calendar days, 2 days of limit apply
Check the agency page before fishing.
Haddock
Haddock rules split at the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area line.
- Inside the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area: 17 inches, 15 per person per day. Open May 1 to the end of February and April 1 to 30; closed March 1 to 31. This applies to private and charter/party vessels.
- Outside the Mesh Area, including Georges Bank: 18 inches, no possession limit, open all year.
- Vessel compliance: Count the fish aboard divided by the people aboard.
Check the agency page before fishing.
Pollock
Pollock has the loosest rules of the groundfish.
- Size: 19 inches total length
- Bag: No possession limit
- Season: Open all year
Check the agency page before fishing.
Atlantic halibut, other groundfish and the no-retention list
Halibut is limited by vessel, not by person. A halibut landed in Maine gets a Maine DMR landing tag.
- Halibut: 41 inches. No more than 1 aboard per vessel per trip. No closed federal season.
- Minimum sizes for other groundfish: redfish 9 inches, winter flounder 12, yellowtail flounder 13, American plaice 14, witch flounder 14.
- Hakes: White hake and offshore, red and silver hake have no minimum size.
- Limits and season: No possession limit and open all year for these.
No retention: Atlantic wolffish, windowpane flounder and ocean pout.
Check the agency page before fishing.
Atlantic mackerel and tilefish
Mackerel rules are in 50 CFR 648.26. Tilefish rules are in 50 CFR 648.296 and apply from the Virginia/North Carolina border north.
- Mackerel size and season: No minimum size. Open all year.
- Mackerel bag: 25 per person per trip for private anglers. Vessels with a squid/mackerel/butterfish charter/party permit: 50 per person per trip, captain and crew included, when carrying passengers for hire; 25 when not.
- Golden tilefish: No minimum size, 8 per angler per trip, all year. Rod and reel only, with a maximum of 5 hooks per rod.
- Blueline tilefish: No minimum size. 3 per person per trip on a private vessel, 5 on an uninspected for-hire vessel, 7 on a Coast Guard-inspected for-hire vessel. Open May 15 to November 14.
- Permits and reporting: A private recreational tilefish permit, or a charter/party tilefish permit, is required. Report any trip that targets or retains tilefish by eVTR within 24 hours.
Check the agency page before fishing.
Groundfish Gear, Fillet, Transit and Area Rules
These details most often catch private boats on groundfish trips. The legal text is in the federal groundfish rules at 50 CFR 648.89.
- Gear: One line per angler, any number of hooks. All other gear stowed.
- Sale: No sale, barter or trade of recreational groundfish.
- Fillets: At least 2 square inches of contiguous skin stays on. Fillets from legal-size fish may be kept. 2 fillets count as 1 fish.
- Storage: Store cod and haddock so they are ready for inspection.
- Transit: A vessel may carry legal cod and haddock through another stock area if bait and hooks are off the rods and the fish are gutted and stored.
- Protection areas: Recreational vessels remain subject to the Whaleback Cod Spawning Protection Area.
Permits and Reporting for For-Hire Boats
Carrying paying anglers in federal waters brings permit and reporting duties that private boats don’t have.
- Charter/party permit: A Greater Atlantic Region vessel charter/party permit is required to carry paying anglers in federal waters for the listed species.
- Operator permit: The operator also needs a Federal Vessel Operator Permit.
- Groundfish: An open-access groundfish charter/party permit (Category I) is needed unless the vessel holds a limited access groundfish permit. eVTRs are required on every trip.
- Reporting deadlines: eVTR within 48 hours for federal for-hire permit holders; within 24 hours for tilefish trips.
- Mackerel: The Category 2 squid/mackerel/butterfish charter/party permit is required to fish for, possess or land mackerel in federal waters, including mackerel used as bait. The 50/25 rule applies.
- State licensing: Every state in the region has its own saltwater license or registry.
Tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish need a federal HMS vessel permit. See Atlantic HMS permits and reporting.
State-by-State Differences
For black sea bass and summer flounder, and for striped bass in state waters, the state sets the numbers. Go to the agency for the state where you land or fish.
- Maine: Department of Marine Resources. See the Maine DMR recreational rules.
- New Hampshire: Fish and Game Department.
- Massachusetts: Division of Marine Fisheries.
- Rhode Island: Department of Environmental Management.
- Connecticut: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
- New York: Department of Environmental Conservation.
- New Jersey: Division of Fish and Wildlife. New Jersey also runs a Saltwater Registry.
- Delaware: Division of Fish and Wildlife.
- Maryland: Department of Natural Resources. In-season changes post on the Maryland DNR public notices page.
- Virginia: Marine Resources Commission.
- North Carolina: Division of Marine Fisheries.
Species Outside This Guide
Tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks are federal HMS species under 50 CFR part 635, with their own permits and limits. Start with our guides to Atlantic tuna federal rules and billfish and swordfish federal rules.
Planning Around Structure
Breakpoint layers such as Chart Contours help you plan around structure and protection area boundaries before you leave the dock. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep striped bass in federal waters?
No. Fishing for or possessing striped bass in federal waters is prohibited under 50 CFR 697.7. They may be kept only in state waters under the state rule.
Which rules apply when I cross the 3-mile line?
Federal rules apply from 3 to 200 nautical miles. Where state and federal rules both apply, follow the more restrictive one.
What are the black sea bass limits in federal waters?
Federal measures are waived. Follow the state where you land, and check that state’s agency page for the size, bag and season.
Can I keep cod in federal waters off New England?
Private anglers can keep 1 cod of at least 23 inches per day from September 1 to October 31 in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stock areas. Southern New England is no retention. For-hire seasons are on the NOAA groundfish page.
What are the haddock rules in the Gulf of Maine?
Inside the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area, haddock must be at least 17 inches, with 15 per person per day, and the fishery is closed March 1 to 31. Outside it, the minimum is 18 inches with no possession limit.
Which groundfish can’t I keep?
Atlantic wolffish, windowpane flounder and ocean pout.
Do charter boats need a federal permit?
Yes. A charter/party permit and a Federal Vessel Operator Permit are required. File an eVTR within 48 hours of the trip, or within 24 hours for tilefish trips.