Georgia Fishing
Daily bag is 5 fish except from Nov. 1-30, when the daily bag limit is 2 fish and flounder may be taken only by pole-and-line; and from December 1-14, when the daily bag limit is 2 fish and flounder may be taken by any legal means, including gigging. Possession limit is equal to the daily bag. Gar, alligator Daily Bag: 1 Min Length.
All limits per person unless specified. FL = fork length, TL = total length (see “How to Measure a Fish” below)
Species | Open Season | Daily Limit and Possession Limit | Minimum Size (inches) |
| Amberjack* | All year | 1 | 28 FL |
| American Eel | All year | 25 | 9 TL |
| Atlantic croaker | All year | 25 | |
| Atlantic sturgeon | No Harvest | ||
| Billfish (Blue marlin, White marlin, Sailfish)* | Catch and Release Only | ||
| Black drum | All year | 15 | 14 TL |
| Black sea bass* | All year | 15 | 12 TL |
| Bluefish | All year | 15 | 12 FL |
| Cobia | Mar. 1 – Oct. 31 | 1 per angler, max 6 per boat. | 36 FL |
| Dolphin* | All year | 10 (Not to exceed 60 per boat, except for headboats which are allowed 10 per paying customer. | 20 FL |
| Flounder | All year | 15 | 12 TL |
| Gag grouper* | All year | 2 | 24 TL |
| King mackerel* | All year | 3 | 24 FL |
| Red drum (Channel bass, Spottail bass, Redfish) | All year | 5 | 14 TL (23 TL maximum) |
| Red porgy* | All year | 3 | 14 TL |
| Red snapper* | All year | 2 | 20 TL |
| Sharks (other than Hammerheads, SSC and Prohibited Sharks)* | All Year | 1 per angler or boat, whichever is less | 54 FL |
| Sharks: Hammerheads (Great, Scalloped, and Smooth) | All Year | 1 per angler or boat, whichever is less | 78 FL |
| Small shark composite (SSC)* (Atlantic sharpnose, Bonnethead, Spiny dogfish) | All Year | 1 per angler | 30 FL |
| Prohibited Sharks (NO HARVEST) | Sand tiger, Sandbar, Silky, Bigeye sand tiger, Whale, Basking, White, Dusky, Bignose, Galapagos, Night, Reef, Narrowtooth, Caribbean sharpnose, Smalltail, Atlantic angel, Longfin mako, Bigeye thresher, Sharpnose sevengill, Bluntnose sixgill, and Bigeye sixgill | ||
| Sheepshead | All year | 15 | 10 FL |
| Spanish mackerel* | All year | 15 | 12 FL |
| Spot | All year | 25 | |
| Spotted seatrout | All year | 15 | 14 TL |
| Striped bass (Saltwater) | All year | 2 | 22 TL |
| Striped bass (Savannah River) | All year | 2 | 27 TL |
| Tarpon | All year | 1 | 68 FL |
| Tripletail | All year | 2 | 18 TL |
| Weakfish | All year | 1 | 13 TL |
* These species are also federally managed from 3 to 200 miles offshore. Go to www.safmc.net for federal regulations. | |||
Tagged Fish
Coastal Resources Division (CRD) biologists are conducting long-term studies on the growth, migration and fishing exploitation rates of red drum, black drum, tarpon, and tripletail. If you catch a tagged fish, please record and report the following information: 1) your name, address, and phone number, 2) fish species, 3) date caught, 4) tag number, 5) total length and location, and 6) whether the fish was kept or released. To report a tagged fish call (912) 264-7218. If released, please do not remove the tag.
If kept, please return the tag to GADNR/CRD, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520. If the tag number is not legible lightly scrape the tag with your fingernail or similar flat object.
If you are an angler who practices catch and release and would like to become a cooperative angler please contact the Cooperative Angler Tagging Program at 912-264-7218.
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Valid Sep. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2020.
Notice: Red Snapper season in federal waters closes August 2, 2019. Read more about the 2019 federal red snapper season closing.
Bag and length limits apply to listed saltwater species. There are no bag, possession, or length limits on game or nongame fish, except as listed in this guide. See definitions of daily bag and possession limits.
For freshwater finfish species caught in the public salt waters of this state, statewide freshwater limits apply.
Amberjack, greater
- Daily Bag:
- 1
- Min length:
- 38 inches
- Max length:
- No limit
Bass
Striped, its hybrids and subspecies
- Daily Bag:
- 5 (in any combination)
- Min Length:
- 18 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Catfish
Channel and blue, their hybrids and subspecies
- Daily Bag:
- 25 (in any combination)
- Min Length:
- 12 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Flathead
- Daily Bag:
- 5
- Min Length:
- 18 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Gafftopsail
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 14 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Cobia
- Daily Bag:
- 2
- Min Length:
- 40 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Drum
Black drum
- Daily Bag:
- 5
- Min Length:
- 14 inches
- Max Length:
- 30 inches
No more than one black drum over 52 inches may be retained per person per day and counts as part of the daily bag limit and possession limit.
Red drum
- Daily Bag:
- 3
- Min Length:
- 20 inches
- Max Length:
- 28 inches
During a license year, one red drum over the stated maximum length limit may be retained when affixed with a properly completed Red Drum Tag and one red drum over the stated maximum length limit may be retained when affixed with a properly completed Bonus Red Drum Tag. Any fish retained under authority of a Red Drum Tag or a Bonus Red Drum Tag may be retained in addition to the daily bag and possession limit as stated in this section.
Flounder
All species, their hybrids and subspecies
- Daily Bag:
- 5/2 (see details below)
- Min Length:
- 14 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Daily bag is 5 fish except from Nov. 1-30, when the daily bag limit is 2 fish and flounder may be taken only by pole-and-line; and from December 1-14, when the daily bag limit is 2 fish and flounder may be taken by any legal means, including gigging. Possession limit is equal to the daily bag.
Gar, alligator
- Daily Bag:
- 1
- Min Length:
- No limit
- Max Length:
- No limit
Grouper
Black grouper
- Daily Bag:
- 4
- Min Length:
- 24 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Gag grouper
- Daily Bag:
- 2
- Min Length:
- 24 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Goliath grouper (formerly called Jewfish)
- Daily Bag:
- 0 (catch and release only)
Nassau grouper
- Daily Bag:
- 0 (catch and release only)
Mackerel
King
- Daily Bag:
- 3
- Min Length:
- 27 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Spanish
- Daily Bag:
- 15
- Min Length:
- 14 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Marlin
Blue marlin
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 131 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
White marlin
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 86 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Mullet
All species, their hybrids and subspecies
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- No limit
- Max Length:
- 12 inches (see below)
May not take from public waters, or possess on board a boat, mullet over 12 inches during October, November, December, and January. No limits apply during other months.
Sailfish
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 84 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Seatrout, spotted
- Daily Bag:
- 5
- Min Length:
- 15 inches
- Max Length:
- 25 inches - No more than one spotted seatrout over the stated maximum length may be retained per person per day and counts as part of the daily bag and possession limit.
New regulation note: effective Sept. 1, 2019, the daily bag limit for spotted seatrout is five fish per day, coastwide.
Sharks
- Daily Bag:
- 1 (in any allowable combination) - Special regulation: The daily bag limit is one fish for all allowable shark species including Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead.
Non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks MUST be used when fishing for sharks in state waters.
See Shark Limits and Identification for identification tips.
Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, bonnethead
- Min Length:
- 24 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Hammerhead (smooth, great, scalloped)
- Min Length:
- 99 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Other allowable shark species
- Min Length:
- 64 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Prohibited shark species
Atlantic angel, Basking, Bigeye sand tiger, Bigeye sixgill, Bigeye thresher, Bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin mako, Narrowtooth, Night, Oceanic Whitetip, Sandbar, Sand tiger, Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale, and White.
- Daily Bag:
- 0 (catch and release only)
Non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks MUST be used when fishing for sharks in state waters.
See Shark Limits and Identification for identification tips.
Sheepshead
What Is A Fish Slot Limit
- Daily Bag:
- 5
- Min Length:
- 15 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
What Is A Fish Slot Limit Per
Snapper
Lane
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 8 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Red
- Daily Bag:
- 4
- Min Length:
- 15 - No limit
Red snapper may be taken using pole and line, but it is unlawful to use any kind of hook other than a circle hook when using natural bait.
Notice: Red Snapper season in federal waters closes August 2, 2019. Read more about the 2019 federal red snapper season closing.
Vermilion
- Daily Bag:
- No limit
- Min Length:
- 10 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Snook
- Daily Bag:
- 1
- Min Length:
- 24 inches
- Max Length:
- 28 inches
Tarpon
- Daily Bag:
- 1
- Min Length:
- 85 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Triggerfish, gray
- Daily Bag:
- 20
- Min Length:
- 16 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit
Tripletail
- Daily Bag:
- 3
- Min Length:
- 17 inches
- Max Length:
- No limit