Atlantic Menhaden
Brevoortia tyrannus
Also called Bunker, Pogy, Fatback.
How to tell it
Deep-bodied herring with a big black shoulder spot trailed by smaller spots; swims in tight flipping schools.
- Not a atlantic thread herring? That one last dorsal ray trails a long thread. (Atlantic Thread Herring)
- Not a alewife? That one single spot only, slimmer. (Alewife)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | No size limit | 50 fish or 5 gallons per day, whichever is greater | Open year-roundCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maine | No size limit | 25 per day | Open year-roundME DMR 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maryland | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-roundMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
| New Hampshire | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-roundNH F&G 2026 · checked | Open |
| New York | No size limit | 100 | Open year-roundNY DEC 2026 · checked | Open |
| North Carolina | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked | Open |
| Rhode Island | No size limit | 200/person/day (fish over 4"; unlimited under 4") | Open year-roundRI DEM 2026 · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Bait and chum — not table fare.
In the app
Point the camera at a atlantic menhaden and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about atlantic menhaden
How many atlantic menhaden can you keep?
Connecticut: 50 fish or 5 gallons per day, whichever is greater; Maine: 25 per day; New York: 100; Rhode Island: 200/person/day (fish over 4"; unlimited under 4").
How do you tell atlantic menhaden from atlantic thread herring?
Atlantic Menhaden has this: Deep-bodied herring with a big black shoulder spot trailed by smaller spots; swims in tight flipping schools.. Atlantic Thread Herring last dorsal ray trails a long thread.