Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits Minimum sizes are measured for Total Length (TL) [TL is from tip of snout to tip of tail] Rev. 12/5/2024 Commercial Fisheries "Restricted finfish" indicated in red font. Possession limits and open fisheries are subject to change. To participate in commercial fisheries a Rhode Island commercial fishing license and appropriate endorsements are required. For current COMMERCIAL POSSESSION LIMITS call 423-1920 SPECIES MINIMUM SIZE SEASON CURRENT COMMERCIAL POSSESSION LIMIT American Eel 9" Closed 9/1 - 12/31for any gear other thanbaited 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 50 lbs/day Bluefish 18" 1/1 - 4/30 5/1 - 11/15 11/16 - 12/31 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 1/1 - 4/30 5/1 - 9/15 9/16 -12/31 Closed without Exemption Certificate 14" Sub-Periods 1/1 - 4/30 5/1 - 9/15 9/16 -12/31 Closed Horseshoe Crab Bait Fishery 7" 1/1 - 4/306/1 - 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 or14,259 lbs/week whole fish Haddock 16" 1/1 - 12/31 No limit Pollock 19" 1/1 - 12-31 No limit Scup General Category9" Sub-Periods 1/1 - 4/30 (fed quota) 5/1 - 9/30 10/1 - 12/31 (fed quota) 16,500 lbs/day 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 Category34" Sub-Periods 6/11 - 6/20 7/9 - 12/31 CLOSED Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun thru-out 5 fish/dayClosed Thur-Sun Floating traps 26" 4/1 - 12/31 Unlimited Skate Wing Fishery No Minimun 1/1 - 12/31 35,000 lbs/wk wings or 79,450 lbs/vsl/wk whole 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 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 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 Recreational Marine Fisheries Species Minimum Size Season Possession Limit American eel 9" 1/1 - 12/31 25 eels/person/day50 eels/vsl/day for licensed party/charter vessels American plaice (dab) 14" 1/1 - 12/31 No limit Black Sea BassGeneral Recreational 16.5" 5/22 - 8/26 2 fish/person/day 8/27 - 12/31 3 fish/person/day Black Sea BassParty and Charter 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 Party and Charter 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 (Goosefish) 17" whole11" 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 ScupShore 9.5" 5/1 - 12/31 30 fish/person/day ScupPrivate and Rental 11" 5/1 - 12/31 30 fish/person/day ScupParty and Charter 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"Only one fish may be greater than 21" 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 TautogParty and Charter 16"Only one fish may be greater than 21" 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(Gray Sole) 14" 1/1 - 12/31 No limit Yellowtail Flounder 13" 1/1 - 12/31 No limit Lobsters, Blue Crabs, and Horseshoe Crabs Minimum Sizes and Possession Limits Lobsters: THE POSSESSION OF EGG-BEARING LOBSTERS IS PROHIBITED. ALL LEGAL SIZED EGG-BEARING LOBSTERS MUST BE V-NOTCHED. Harvesting by licensed residents only, all lobsters must be measured IMMEDIATELY. All lobsters measuring less than the legal minimum size of 3-3/8" carapace length must be returned immediately to the water from which taken.Measuring: The carapace length is measured from the rear of the eye socket along a line parallel to the centerline of the body shell to the rear end of the body shell. Blue Crabs: THE POSSESSION OF EGG-BEARING BLUE CRABS IS PROHIBITED. Harvesting by residents only. It is illegal to harvest crabs from sunset to sunrise. All blue crabs measuring less than the legal minimum size of five inches (5") from spike-end to spike-end must be returned immediately to the water from which taken. No person shall possess, take, or attempt to take more than twenty-five (25) blue crabs from any of the waters of Rhode Island except when taken by a scoop or crab net, trot, or hand line.Measuring: A direct line measured from the end of one spike across the body shell to the end of the opposite spike must be no less than five inches (5"). As of 6/17/2024, bill H7440 removing the prohibition on harvesting blue crabs at night was passed by the RI General Assembly and signed by Governor McKee. However, the prohibition on nighttime harvest remains in effect through RI DEM’s current regulations. The proposal to remove the nighttime prohibition from regulation will be brought to public workshop in October 2024 for further discussion. Following the workshop, there will be a public comment period and a vote by the RI Marine Fisheries Council, with the final decision to be made by the DEM Director. For further information, please call the DEM Division of Marine Fisheries at 401-423-1923 or email DEM.MarineFisheries@dem.ri.gov. Horseshoe Crabs: No person shall harvest horseshoe crabs from waters or shoreline of the state during the 48-hour period preceding and the 48-hour period following the new and full moons during the month of May annually. No person shall harvest horseshoe crabs for commercial or recreational purposes on or within 100 feet seaward of Patience and Prudence Islands in Narragansett Bay. Commercial: It is illegal for any person to harvest horseshoe crabs in Rhode Island for commercial purposes without a Multi-Purpose Commercial License and a Horseshoe Crab Harvest Permit. There is an annual commercial harvest quota allocated to the State of Rhode Island by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Recreational: It is illegal for any person to harvest horseshoe crabs in Rhode Island for recreational purposes without a Horseshoe Crab Harvest Permit. Any resident with a Horseshoe Crab Harvest Permit may possess not more than five (5) horseshoe crabs in any calendar day. Horseshoe Crab Harvest Permits are obtainable at the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Fisheries Section. For more detailed lobster, blue crab, or horseshoe crab regulations click here Shellfish Minimum Sizes Shellfishing is prohibited statewide between sunset and sunrise. Species Minimum size Season Non-Management Area Management Areas Resident Limit Non-Resident Limit Resident Limit Non-Resident Limit Channeled and Knobbed Whelk (Conch)Busycotypus canaliculatus and Busycon carica 2 1/4" shell height 1/1 - 12/31 1/2 Bushel Residents Only 1/2 BushelMax 1 bushel/vsl Residents Only Bay QuahaugMercenaria mercenaria 1" hinge width 1/1 - 12/31 1/2 Bushel 1 Peck 1Peck 1/2 Peck Soft-shelled clamMya arenaria 2" longest axis 1/1 - 12/31 1/2 Bushel 1 Peck 1 Peck 1/2 Peck OysterCrassostrea virginica 3" longest axis 9/15 - 5/15 1/2 Bushel 1 Peck 1 Peck 1/2 Peck ScallopArgopecten irradians No seed possession 1st Sat Nov - 12/31 Dip Nets12/1 - 12/31 Dredge 1 Bushel Residents Only 1 Bushel Residents Only Surf ClamSpisula solidissima 5" longest axis 1/1 - 12/31 1/2 Bushel 1 Peck 1 Peck 1/2 Peck