SheepsheadorAtlantic Spadefish
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
Sheepshead
Bold black vertical bars and startlingly human-like teeth.
Atlantic Spadefish
Silver disc with faint dark bars; travels in spirals.
Atlantic spadefish, next to sheepshead: rounder, disc-shaped, small mouth.
Side by side
| Sheepshead | Atlantic Spadefish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Archosargus probatocephalus | Chaetodipterus faber |
| Also called | Convict fish | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 21.25 lb · Louisiana (1982) | 14 lb 14 oz · Virginia (2009) |
| On the table | Excellent — sweet, crab-fed; famously hard to clean. | Good, crab-sweet. |
| Rules of its own in | 10 states | 5 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), sheepshead is 12 in TL min, 8 per person and Atlantic spadefish 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 | Sheepshead: size · bag · season | Atlantic Spadefish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 in fork length minimum8 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 12 in TL min8 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · 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) | 12 in TL min8 per personOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Georgia | 10 in fork length15 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenGA DNR CRD 2026 · 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 |
| Maryland | 12 in min4Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Mississippi | 14 in total length minimum15 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | 14" TL min5/dayOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | No size limit20/day aggregate (max 10 spadefish)Open year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | 14 in total length10/day, max 30/boatOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | 14 in total length30 per boat per dayOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | 15 in total length5Open year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Virginia | No size limit4 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked | No size limit4 per personOpen year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, sheepshead or Atlantic spadefish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell sheepshead from Atlantic spadefish?
Sheepshead: Bold black vertical bars and startlingly human-like teeth. Atlantic Spadefish: Silver disc with faint dark bars; travels in spirals. Atlantic spadefish, next to sheepshead: rounder, disc-shaped, small mouth.
Which gets bigger, sheepshead or Atlantic spadefish?
Sheepshead. The heaviest state record we hold is 21.25 lb in Louisiana; the heaviest Atlantic spadefish record is 14 lb 14 oz in Virginia.
Which is better to eat, sheepshead or Atlantic spadefish?
Sheepshead: Excellent — sweet, crab-fed; famously hard to clean. Atlantic Spadefish: Good, crab-sweet.
Do sheepshead and Atlantic spadefish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): sheepshead 12 in TL min, 8 per person, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Georgia: sheepshead 10 in fork length, 15 per person per day, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: sheepshead 14" TL min, 5/day, Atlantic spadefish No size limit, 20/day aggregate (max 10 spadefish); South Carolina: sheepshead 14 in total length, 10/day, max 30/boat, Atlantic spadefish 14 in total length, 30 per boat per day; Alabama: sheepshead 12 in fork length minimum, 8 per person, Atlantic spadefish no rule of its own; and more in the table on this page.