Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Also called Chopper, Snapper blue.
How to tell it
Chopper jaw full of visible teeth, greenish back, forked tail; snapping at everything.
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | No size limit | 5 per angler (7 on party/charter) | Open year-roundCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Open |
| Delaware | No size limit | 5 per day (7 from charter/headboat) | Open year-roundDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Open |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 12 in fork length min | 3 per person | Open year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
| Florida (Gulf) | 12 in fork length min | 10 per person | Open year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
| Georgia | 12 in fork length | 15 per person per day | May 1 - Feb. 28 annuallyGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maine | No size limit | 5 per day | Open year-roundME DMR 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maryland | 8 in min | 5 (shore/private boat); 7 (charter/for-hire) | Open year-roundMD DNR 2026 · checked | Open |
| Massachusetts | No size limit | 5 fish (7 on for-hire vessels) | Open year-roundMA DMF 2026 · checked | Open |
| New Hampshire | No size limit | 5 fish/day (7 on for-hire vessels) | Open year-roundNH F&G 2026 · checked | Open |
| New Jersey | No size limit | 5 (7 on for-hire vessels) | Open year-roundNJ DEP 2026 · checked | Open |
| New York | No size limit | 5 (7 on party/charter) | Open year-roundNY DEC 2026 · checked | Open |
| North Carolina | No size limit | 5/day private; 7/day for-hire | Open year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked | Open |
| Rhode Island | No size limit | 5/person/day (party/charter: 7) | Open year-roundRI DEM 2026 · checked | Open |
| South Carolina | No size limit | 5/day (7/day on for-hire trips) | Open year-roundSC DNR 2026 · checked | Open |
| Virginia | No size limit | 5 per person | Open year-roundVMRC 2026 · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
State records
| State | Weight | When, where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 17 lb 8 oz | 2024 | Outdoor Alabama Saltwater State Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Connecticut | 24 lb 13 oz | 1979 · Norwalk Island | CT DEEP Saltwater State Record Fish (Harvested) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Delaware | 24 lb 13 oz | 2015 | DNREC Delaware Fishing Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Florida | 22.13 lb | 1973 · Jensen Beach | FWC Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Georgia | 17 lb 12 oz | 1980 | GA DNR CRD Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-23 · GA keeps men's/women's records; heavier taken as overall; frozen record (harvest prohibited) |
| Louisiana | 21.88 lb | 1982 | LOWA Louisiana State Fish Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Maine | 19.66 lb | 1994 · Boothbay Harbor | Maine DMR Saltwater Angler Records (Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Maryland | 23.5 lb | 1974 · Assateague Island | MD DNR Sport Fish State Records · checked 2026-08-23 · MD Atlantic division record |
| Massachusetts | 27 lb 4 oz | 1982 · Graves Light | MA DMF Saltwater Game Fish Records · checked 2026-09-04 |
| Mississippi | 16 lb 6 oz | 1984 | MDMR State Saltwater Records (Conventional) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| New Hampshire | 21 lb | 1975 · Great Bay, Durham | NH Fish & Game Verified Record Saltwater Fish · checked 2026-08-23 |
| New Jersey | 27 lb 1 oz | 1997 · Five Fathom Bank | NJ DEP Fish & Wildlife State Record Saltwater Fish · checked 2026-09-04 |
| New York | 25 lb | 1998 | NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records · checked 2026-09-04 |
| North Carolina | 31 lb 12 oz | 1972 · Cape Hatteras | NCDMF State Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-22 |
| Rhode Island | 26 lb | 1981 | RI DEM Saltwater Sportfish Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| South Carolina | 21 lb | 1975 · Charleston | SCDNR Saltwater Game Fish Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Texas | 16.62 lb | 1987 · Gulf of America | TPWD State Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Virginia | 25 lb 4 oz | 1986 · Bluefish Rock | VMRC Saltwater Fishing Tournament, 2025 brochure · checked 2026-09-04 |
On the table
Good fresh or smoked; oily — bleed and ice immediately.
In the app
Point the camera at a bluefish 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 bluefish
What is the size limit for bluefish?
It depends on the state. Florida (Atlantic): 12 in fork length min; Florida (Gulf): 12 in fork length min; Georgia: 12 in fork length; Maryland: 8 in min.
How many bluefish can you keep?
Connecticut: 5 per angler (7 on party/charter); Delaware: 5 per day (7 from charter/headboat); Florida (Atlantic): 3 per person; Florida (Gulf): 10 per person; Georgia: 15 per person per day; Maine: 5 per day; Maryland: 5 (shore/private boat); 7 (charter/for-hire); Massachusetts: 5 fish (7 on for-hire vessels); and more in the table above.
When is bluefish season?
Georgia: May 1 - Feb. 28 annually.
What is the record bluefish?
31 lb 12 oz in North Carolina (1972), Cape Hatteras. Other states’ records are in the table.