Clearnose SkateorAtlantic Stingray
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
Clearnose Skate
Translucent panes either side of a pointed snout; thorn row down the back; barred, spotted disc.
Atlantic Stingray
Small tan ray with a pointed, spade-shaped snout and a barbed whip tail.
Atlantic stingray, next to clearnose skate: whip tail with a venomous barb — skates have neither.
Side by side
| Clearnose Skate | Atlantic Stingray | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rostroraja eglanteria | Hypanus sabinus |
| Also called | Brier skate | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 9 lb 8 oz · Connecticut (2017) | 10.75 lb · Texas (1994) |
| On the table | Wings are good eating — scallop-sweet. | Wings are edible; most go back. |
| Rules of its own in | 8 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 6 of 8 states with a rule for either. In Delaware, clearnose skate is No size limit, No bag limit while Atlantic stingray has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Clearnose Skate: size · bag · season | Atlantic Stingray: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit3 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | No size limit3 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New Jersey | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New York | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | No size limit10/person/dayOpen year-roundOpenRI DEM 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Virginia | No size limitNo bag limitOpen all yearOpenFederal rule (Mid-Atlantic federal waters)NOAA GARFO / MAFMC 2026 · likely · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, clearnose skate or Atlantic stingray, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell clearnose skate from Atlantic stingray?
Clearnose Skate: Translucent panes either side of a pointed snout; thorn row down the back; barred, spotted disc. Atlantic Stingray: Small tan ray with a pointed, spade-shaped snout and a barbed whip tail. Atlantic stingray, next to clearnose skate: whip tail with a venomous barb — skates have neither.
Which gets bigger, clearnose skate or Atlantic stingray?
Atlantic Stingray. The heaviest state record we hold is 10.75 lb in Texas; the heaviest clearnose skate record is 9 lb 8 oz in Connecticut.
Which is better to eat, clearnose skate or Atlantic stingray?
Clearnose Skate: Wings are good eating — scallop-sweet. Atlantic Stingray: Wings are edible; most go back.
Do clearnose skate and Atlantic stingray have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 6 state rulebooks. Delaware: clearnose skate No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic stingray no rule of its own; Maryland: clearnose skate No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic stingray no rule of its own; New Jersey: clearnose skate No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic stingray no rule of its own; New York: clearnose skate No size limit, No bag limit, Atlantic stingray no rule of its own; Rhode Island: clearnose skate No size limit, 10/person/day, Atlantic stingray no rule of its own; and more in the table on this page.