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Species · Sharks

Dusky Shark

Carcharhinus obscurus

Rules in 19 state rulebooks, checked Sep 16, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Dusky Shark
Drawing: Duane Raver / USFWS

How to tell it

Low, sloping first dorsal set behind the pectorals; slender body; faint ridge between dorsals.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday
AlabamaHarvest prohibitedZeroClosed year-roundAL MRD 2026 · checked Put it back
ConnecticutTake prohibited0Closed year-roundCT DEEP 2026 · checked Put it back
DelawareHarvest prohibited0No harvest permittedDE DNREC 2026 · checked Put it back
Florida (Atlantic)No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked Put it back
Florida (Gulf)No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked Put it back
GeorgiaNo harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked Put it back
LouisianaNo harvestNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundLDWF 2026 · checked Put it back
MaineTake prohibitedNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundME DMR 2026 · checked Put it back
MarylandNo take0ClosedMD DNR 2026 · checked Put it back
MassachusettsN/ANo possessionClosed year-roundMA DMF 2026 · checked Put it back
MississippiNo takeNo takeClosed year-roundMS DMR 2026 · checked Put it back
New HampshireFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundNOAA HMS 2026 · checked Put it back
New JerseyProhibited0No open seasonNJ DEP 2026 · checked Put it back
New YorkNo possession0Closed all yearNY DEC 2026 · checked Put it back
North CarolinaN/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked Put it back
Rhode IslandN/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundRI DEM 2026 · checked Put it back
South CarolinaNo harvestPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundSC DNR 2026 · checked Put it back
TexasNo harvest0Closed year-roundTPWD 2026 · checked Put it back
VirginiaNo harvest0ClosedVMRC 2026 · checked Put it back

State records

StateWeightWhen, whereSource
Florida764.25 lb1982 · Longboat KeyFWC Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle) · checked 2026-08-23
Georgia272 lb1978GA DNR CRD Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-23 · GA keeps men's/women's records; heavier taken as overall; frozen record (harvest prohibited)
Maryland469 lb1982 · Ocean CityMD DNR Sport Fish State Records · checked 2026-08-23 · marked * by the state (no footnote on page); MD Atlantic division record
New Jersey530 lb1987 · Off Great Egg InletNJ DEP Fish & Wildlife State Record Saltwater Fish · checked 2026-09-04
North Carolina610 lb1962 · Jennette's Ocean PierNCDMF State Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-22
South Carolina466 lb 12 oz1981 · CharlestonSCDNR Saltwater Game Fish Records · checked 2026-08-23 · frozen record (protected/slot species)
Texas530 lb1975 · Gulf of AmericaTPWD State Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23
Virginia673 lb1982 · S.E. LumpsVMRC Saltwater Fishing Tournament, 2025 brochure · checked 2026-09-04

On the table

Prohibited for recreational harvest — release.

In the app

Point the camera at a dusky shark 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 dusky shark

Where is dusky shark harvest prohibited?

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. Release it there.

How do you tell dusky shark from sandbar shark?

Dusky Shark has this: Low, sloping first dorsal set behind the pectorals; slender body; faint ridge between dorsals.. Sandbar Shark much taller, forward-set first dorsal.

What is the record dusky shark?

764.25 lb in Florida (1982), Longboat Key. Other states’ records are in the table.