DNREC News

July 17, 2000
Vol. 30, No. 214

For more information, contact Jennifer Hall, Information and Education, 302-739-4506.

Division of Fish and Wildlife Reminds Fisherman of Legal Size Limits

The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section would like to encourage all fishermen to exercise sound conservation practices when fishing in Delaware’s waters.

“Setting minimum size limits on recreational fish is an important management tool designed to sustain the fish stock in question,” said Charles Lesser, Fisheries Administrator for the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Penalties for keeping undersized fish are assessed per fish. Fines can be assessed from $25 to $200 per fish.

Size limits for fish are:

	Open Season	Minimum size	Creel limit
American eel	all year	6 inches	50
Atlantic croaker	all year	8 inches	none
Atlantic sturgeon	closed	0	none
Summer flounder	May 10 - Oct. 2	15.5 inches	8
Tautog	July 1 – March 31	14 inches	10
	April 1 – June 30 (Except closed Sept. 8-18)	15 inches	3
Black sea bass	all year	10 inches	none
Bluefish	all year	none	10
Spotted sea trout	all year	12 inches	none
Spanish mackerel	all year	14 inches	10
Red drum	all year	18 – 27 inches	5 or 1 larger than 27 inches
Scup (porgy)	all year	7	none
Shad	Closed in Nanticoke River and its tributaries
American other locations		none	10
Hickory other locations		none	10
Sharks	all year	54 inches	1 per vessel

	Open Season	Minimum size	Creel limit (#/day)
Striped bass	all year, closed April 1 – May 30 on spawning grounds	1 fish 24-28 inches and 1 fish more than than 28 inches	2
Striped bass hybrid	all year	none	none
Weakfish	all year	14 inches	14
White perch	all year	8 inches	none
Winter flounder	year	10 inches	none

A complete list of fish sizes may be found in the Delaware 2000 Fishing Guide.

Abiding by size limits means fish populations are allowed to grow and reproduce. Abiding by size limits means good fishing tomorrow and next year as well as today.

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Document no. 40-01/00/07/10

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Division of Fish and Wildlife Reminds Fisherman of Legal Size Limits

Open Season

Minimum size

Creel limit

Open Season

Minimum size

Creel limit (#/day)