Atlantic Shark Recreational Fishery Statuses, Minimum Sizes, and Bag Limits
Check if Atlantic recreational shark fisheries are open and review minimum sizes and retention limits.
Minimum sizes and bag limits for Atlantic sharks vary by species. This page is kept up to date with changing statuses and retention limits. Additional requirements may be applicable. View the HMS Recreational Compliance Guide for details.
Species | Fishery Status | Minimum Size (fork length) | Bag Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic sharpnose shark | Open | None | 1/person/trip |
Bonnethead shark | Open | None | 1/person/trip |
Smoothhound shark | Open | None | No limit |
Hammerhead*, blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger, blacknose, finetooth, blue, porbeagle**, and thresher sharks | Open |
| 1 total /vessel/trip |
*Hammerhead sharks cannot be retained if a swordfish, tuna, or billfish is on board.
**Porbeagle sharks alive at haulback must be released unharmed if a swordfish, tuna, or billfish is on board.
Permits
Vessels must have a valid HMS Angling or HMS Charterboat/Headboat permit to fish for Atlantic sharks. The permit covers everyone fishing on that vessel. Tournament vessels may instead fish for sharks with an Atlantic Tunas General category or Swordfish General Commercial permit. All HMS permit holders must have a shark endorsement on their permit before they can fish recreationally for sharks.
Measurement
Measure fork length in a straight line from the snout to the fork of the tail.
Retention Prohibited
The following are prohibited species and must be released with minimal injury and without removing it from the water:
- Atlantic angel
- Basking
- Bigeye sand tiger
- Bigeye sixgill
- Bigeye thresher
- Bignose
- Caribbean reef
- Caribbean sharpnose
- Dusky
- Galapagos
- Longfin mako
- Shortfin mako
- Narrowtooth
- Night
- Oceanic Whitetip
- Sandbar
- Sand tiger
- Sevengill
- Silky
- Sixgill
- Smalltail
- Whale
- White