BonefishorPermit
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
Bonefish
Chrome flats torpedo with an underslung mouth beneath a conical snout; tail flashes like foil.
Permit
Pompano's big cousin: taller body, dark dorsal lobe, orange wash near the anal fin.
Permit, next to bonefish: deep-bodied with a black-edged sickle tail.
Side by side
| Bonefish | Permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Albula vulpes | Trachinotus falcatus |
| Also called | Gray ghost | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 16.19 lb · Florida (2007) | 56.13 lb · Florida (1997) |
| On the table | Never kept — Florida is release-only. | Good; ciguatera caution far south. |
| Rules of its own in | 2 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 2 of 2 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), bonefish is Catch-and-release only, No harvest and permit is 11–22 in slot · Keys zone: 22 in min, 2 per person · Keys zone: 1. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Bonefish: size · bag · season | Permit: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Catch-and-release onlyNo harvestCatch-and-release year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | 11–22 in slot · Keys zone: 22 in min2 per person · Keys zone: 1Open all year · Keys zone: closed Apr 1–Jul 31CheckFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Catch-and-release onlyNo harvestCatch-and-release year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | 11–22 in slot · Keys zone: 22 in min2 per person · Keys zone: 1Open all year · Keys zone: closed Apr 1–Jul 31CheckFWC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, bonefish or permit, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell bonefish from permit?
Bonefish: Chrome flats torpedo with an underslung mouth beneath a conical snout; tail flashes like foil. Permit: Pompano's big cousin: taller body, dark dorsal lobe, orange wash near the anal fin. Permit, next to bonefish: deep-bodied with a black-edged sickle tail.
Which gets bigger, bonefish or permit?
Permit. The heaviest state record we hold is 56.13 lb in Florida; the heaviest bonefish record is 16.19 lb in Florida.
Which is better to eat, bonefish or permit?
Bonefish: Never kept — Florida is release-only. Permit: Good; ciguatera caution far south.
Do bonefish and permit have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 2 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): bonefish Catch-and-release only, No harvest, permit 11–22 in slot · Keys zone: 22 in min, 2 per person · Keys zone: 1; Florida (Gulf): bonefish Catch-and-release only, No harvest, permit 11–22 in slot · Keys zone: 22 in min, 2 per person · Keys zone: 1.