Black MargateorWhite Margate
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Black Margate
Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body.
White Margate
Big pale grunt, high back, quiet colors.
White margate, next to black margate: no black blotch.
Side by side
| Black Margate | White Margate | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Anisotremus surinamensis | Haemulon album |
| Also called | Pompon | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 12.8 lb · Texas (2000) | 19.5 lb · Florida (2011) |
| On the table | Good. | Good panfish. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 4 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 5 of 5 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), black margate is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day and white margate is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Black Margate: size · bag · season | White Margate: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Georgia | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, black margate or white margate, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell black margate from white margate?
Black Margate: Chunky pale grunt with a black smudge behind the pectoral and jet-black fins; sheepshead-deep body. White Margate: Big pale grunt, high back, quiet colors. White margate, next to black margate: no black blotch.
Which gets bigger, black margate or white margate?
White Margate. The heaviest state record we hold is 19.5 lb in Florida; the heaviest black margate record is 12.8 lb in Texas.
Which is better to eat, black margate or white margate?
Black Margate: Good. White Margate: Good panfish.
Do black margate and white margate have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 5 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): black margate No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Florida (Gulf): black margate No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, white margate no rule of its own; Georgia: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; South Carolina: black margate no rule of its own, white margate No size limit, 20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one species.