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Species · Inshore

Atlantic Tomcod

Microgadus tomcod

Also called Frostfish.

Rules in 0 state rulebooks, checked Sep 22, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Studio photograph of an Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod), side view, on a white background

How to tell it

A miniature marbled cod with ventral fins drawn out into filaments; rarely over a foot.

Often mistaken for

One fish that gets called Atlantic tomcod, and what gives it away.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday

Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).

On the table

Sweet winter panfish.

Related fish

Side by side: Atlantic Tomcod vs Atlantic Cod.

In the app

Point the camera at an Atlantic tomcod 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.

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Questions anglers ask about Atlantic tomcod

How do you tell Atlantic tomcod from Atlantic cod?

Atlantic Tomcod: A miniature marbled cod with ventral fins drawn out into filaments; rarely over a foot. Atlantic cod: juveniles lack the marbling and fin filaments.