Virginia Saltwater Fishing Regulations: Size Limits

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VMRC rules verified August 15, 2026

Virginia saltwater limits — the legal keeper depends on where your boat actually is

A 20-inch fish can be legal in one Virginia jurisdiction and illegal in another. Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Atlantic waters, the PRFC mainstem Potomac and federal waters beyond three miles do not always share the same size, bag, season or handling rules.

2026 size limits State vs federal waters PRFC Potomac differences Striped bass zones Cobia Sharks License + FIP
What applies today? Size-limit table Choose jurisdiction
Current on August 15, 2026

Virginia saltwater season dashboard

OPEN

Cobia

43″ TL

June 15–September 20. One per person and no more than two per vessel, whichever is more restrictive.

Virginia marine waters: no gaffing and no towing.

OPEN

Summer flounder

17.5″

June 1–December 31 minimum in Virginia tidal waters. Four fish per person in Virginia tidal waters.

OPEN

Speckled trout

14″ • 5 fish

Virginia’s special April 1–June 30 closure is over.

Only one retained fish may be 24 inches or longer.

OPEN

Black sea bass

13″ • 15

Regular 2026 season: May 11–December 31.

OPEN

Tautog

16″ • 4

Current Virginia open period runs July 1–December 31.

ZONE CHECK REQUIRED

Striped bass

Virginia coastal: open.
Chesapeake Bay: closed.
VA Potomac tributaries: closed until Aug. 21.
PRFC mainstem: no direct targeting through Aug. 20.

The jurisdiction is part of the regulation. Do not decide whether a fish is legal from species and length alone.
Keeper decision

Six checks before a Virginia saltwater fish enters the cooler

1 Name the species

Do not guess with sharks or similar-looking fish.

2 Locate yourself

Virginia water, PRFC mainstem Potomac or federal Atlantic?

3 Check season

Some seasons change by month or management zone.

4 Measure correctly

TL and FL are different measurements.

5 Count person + vessel

Cobia is the obvious vessel-limit example.

6 Check handling

Hooks, towing, gaffing, transfer and landing form can matter.

Pick the correct rulebook

Which Virginia-area fishing jurisdiction are you actually in?

VMRC

Virginia tidal & marine waters

This includes Virginia tidal waters, Chesapeake Bay waters under Virginia jurisdiction and the Atlantic Territorial Sea generally out to three nautical miles.

Start with:
  • VMRC live recreational table
  • Virginia Administrative Code
  • Current VMRC notices
PRFC

Mainstem Potomac River

The Potomac River Fisheries Commission publishes a separate recreational table and striped-bass order for the mainstem Potomac.

Why it matters:

Croaker, bluefish, red drum, speckled trout, tautog and even cobia handling can differ from VMRC waters.

NOAA / FEDERAL

Atlantic federal waters

Federal waters generally begin beyond three nautical miles from shore and extend through the federal EEZ.

Examples:
  • No recreational striped bass
  • No recreational red drum
  • Federal bluefish/scup rules
  • Federal HMS/tilefish permits
3-mile visual

One GPS line can change the legal bag

Virginia’s individual saltwater license covers applicable Virginia marine waters out to the three-mile limit. Federal fishery rules become especially important beyond that line.

3 nautical miles
Virginia marine waters Use VMRC seasons, sizes and bags unless another Virginia-area jurisdiction such as the PRFC mainstem applies.
Federal Atlantic waters NOAA regulations, vessel permits and federal closures can change the same species’ legal answer.
VMRC state-water master table

Virginia recreational saltwater size & possession limits

This table is the Virginia marine/tidal-water baseline. Mainstem Potomac and federal-water differences are shown in separate sections below.

Species Size Virginia limit Season / practical note
American eel 9″ minimum 25/person VMRC’s 2026 regulation card also shows an allowance of 50 for captain and mate on qualifying for-hire trips.
Black drum 16″ minimum 1/person State-water baseline.
Black sea bass 13″ minimum 15/person 2026 regular season: May 11–Dec. 31. February vessel fishery has separate permit/reporting rules.
Bluefish No Virginia minimum 5/person private/shore;
5/person VA for-hire 		Federal and PRFC for-hire limits differ — see comparison below.
Cobia 43″ TL minimum 1/person;
2/vessel 		June 15–Sept. 20. Virginia waters prohibit gaffing and towing.
Atlantic croaker No Virginia minimum 50/person Qualifying for-hire vessels can have an additional live-bait allowance based on customer capacity.
Grey trout / weakfish 12″ minimum 1/person State-water recreational baseline.
Grouper No general VA minimum listed 1/person Offshore federal grouper requirements may still apply.
King mackerel 27″ minimum 3/person Check federal regulations offshore.
Red drum / redfish 18–26″ TL 3/person Keeper slot — no Virginia oversized allowance.
River herring — NO POSSESSION Includes recreational moratorium provisions for river herring.
Scup / porgy 9″ minimum 30/person This is Virginia state water. Federal rule currently differs.
American shad — NO POSSESSION Virginia marine recreational possession prohibited.
Sheepshead No Virginia minimum 4/person State-water recreational limit.
Spadefish No Virginia minimum 4/person State-water recreational limit.
Spanish mackerel 14″ minimum 15/person Check federal regulation offshore.
Speckled trout 14″ minimum 5/person Only 1 of the 5 may be 24″ or longer. Special 2026 closure April 1–June 30 has ended.
Spot No minimum 50/person For-hire live-bait allowance may apply based on customer capacity.
Sturgeon — NO POSSESSION Release immediately.
Summer flounder 16″ Jan.–May;
17.5″ Jun.–Dec. 		4/person Virginia tidal-water season is year-round. Potomac tributary and federal-water rules require separate checks.
Tautog 16″ minimum 4/person Open Jan. 1–May 15 and July 1–Dec. 31.
Blueline tilefish No general minimum 3 private vessel;
5 uninspected for-hire;
7 inspected for-hire 		May 15–Nov. 14 under current federal rule. Recreational tilefish permit/reporting requirements apply offshore.
Golden tilefish No general minimum 8/person Federal tilefish permit/reporting requirements apply.
Measure before possession

Total length and fork length are different legal measurements

TOTAL LENGTH — TL FORK LENGTH — FL
Total length
Measure in a straight line from the most forward point of the snout with the mouth closed to the end of the longer tail lobe with the tail compressed along the midline.
Fork length
Used for many sharks and measured to the fork in the tail.
Do not measure around the curve
Legal size is not the curved length of the fish’s body.
Keep a real ruler aboard
Slot species such as red drum leave little room for estimation.
Virginia red drum ruler

18–26 inches is a keeper slot — not an 18-inch minimum

UNDER 18″ — RELEASE 18–26″ KEEPER OVER 26″ — RELEASE
Virginia size 18–26″ TL
Virginia bag 3/person
Federal Atlantic No harvest

Recreational red drum fishing is prohibited in federal waters.

Summer flounder calendar

Virginia flounder changes minimum size on June 1

Jan. 1–May 31 16″

Virginia tidal-water minimum.

Jun. 1–Dec. 31 17.5″

Current minimum on August 15.

Virginia tidal bag 4
2026 federal-water notice 3/person/trip
Crossing offshore matters: Virginia issued a specific 2026 public notice setting a three-summer-flounder-per-person-per-trip recreational possession limit in federal waters.
Cobia compliance flow

A legal Virginia cobia has four separate tests

1. Season Jun. 15–Sep. 20
2. Size 43″ TL
3. Count 1/person • 2/vessel
Virginia marine waters: gaffing cobia is prohibited. Towing cobia is also prohibited.
What “towing” means: Virginia defines towing of fish as tethering the fish behind the vessel while the engine is running and in gear.
Mainstem Potomac warning: PRFC’s current recreational order specifically states that gaffing is allowed to land a recreational cobia in PRFC jurisdiction. That does not change the VMRC prohibition in Virginia marine waters.
Rockfish zone router

Where are you fishing for striped bass?

OPEN AUG. 15

Virginia coastal area

28–31″

1 fish/person

Open Jan. 1–Mar. 31 and May 16–Dec. 31.

CLOSED AUG. 15

Chesapeake Bay + tributaries

19–24″

1 fish/person when open

May 16–June 15 and Oct. 4–Dec. 31.

REOPENS AUG. 21

Virginia Potomac tributaries

19–24″

1 fish/person when open

May 16–July 6 and Aug. 21–Dec. 31.

NO DIRECT TARGETING

PRFC mainstem Potomac

Jul. 7–Aug. 20

PRFC’s current order prohibits direct targeting during this closure. Harvest reopens Aug. 21 downstream of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Striped bass handling & bait rules

  • Use a non-offset, corrodible, non-stainless-steel circle hook when fishing with bait under Virginia striped-bass rules.
  • Virginia prohibits gaffing striped bass.
  • Virginia also prohibits towing striped bass behind a moving/in-gear vessel.
  • Do not combine possession limits from multiple Virginia striped-bass zones to create a larger daily bag.
  • Do not transfer recreational striped bass to another person while on the water or while actively fishing from shore/pier.
  • PRFC mainstem rules prohibit high-grading once a fish is placed in a cooler/storage area.
  • PRFC mainstem rules require the head and tail to remain on striped bass while aboard a vessel or while engaged in fishing.
Federal Atlantic waters: recreational striped-bass fishing and possession are prohibited.
Information-gain table

Same fish, three different answers

Virginia tidal / VMRC
PRFC mainstem Potomac
Federal Atlantic
Species Virginia / VMRC PRFC mainstem Potomac Federal-water difference
Atlantic croaker No minimum; 50/person 9″ minimum; 25/person Check applicable federal/landing requirements.
Bluefish No minimum;
5 private/shore;
5 VA for-hire 		8″ minimum;
5 recreational;
7 charter for-hire 		No federal minimum;
5 private;
7 federally permitted for-hire
Cobia 43″; 1/person or 2/vessel;
no gaffing; no towing 		43″; 1/person or 2/vessel;
current PRFC order allows recreational gaffing 		Verify current Atlantic coastal/federal cobia measures before trip.
Red drum 18–26″; 3/person Through Aug. 31, 2026: 18–25″; 5/person Recreational harvest prohibited.
Speckled trout 14″; 5/person;
only one 24″+ 		14″; 10/person under current 2026 order Primarily state/estuarine management; verify if trip crosses jurisdictions.
Summer flounder 16″ Jan–May;
17.5″ Jun–Dec;
4/person 		16″ Jan–May;
17.5″ Jun–Dec;
4/person 		VMRC 2026 notice: 3/person/trip in federal waters.
Tautog 16″; 4/person;
closed May 16–Jun. 30 		14″; no recreational limit under current PRFC table Landing-state and applicable federal measures require verification.
Scup / porgy 9″; 30/person Not a primary row in the PRFC current table; check PRFC before targeting. 10″; 40/person; open year-round under current federal recreational rule.
PRFC red drum changes September 1: PRFC explicitly states that its displayed 18–25 inch / 5-fish red drum rule is valid only through August 31, 2026. Recheck the PRFC public notice before fishing the mainstem on or after September 1.
Offshore trap

Bluefish and scup show why a Virginia table alone is not enough offshore

Bluefish

Virginia waters:
5/person private/shore and 5/person on Virginia for-hire trips.

Federal waters:
5/person private vessel but 7/person on federally permitted party/charter trips.

Scup / porgy

Virginia state waters:
9″ minimum and 30/person.

Federal waters:
10″ minimum and 40/person under the current federal recreational rule.

2026 speckled trout

Virginia trout reopened July 1 after a cold-stun protection closure

Minimum 14″
Virginia limit 5
Large fish 1 at 24″+
2026 closure Apr. 1–Jun. 30
VMRC imposed the 2026 closure after multiple years of cold-stun-related mortality to protect remaining spawning stock through much of the spawning period.
Black sea bass

Regular season is simple; February is not

2026 regular season May 11–Dec. 31
Minimum 13″
Bag 15/person

If Virginia opens the special February vessel fishery

1 Captain gets permit

The vessel captain/operator needs the free Recreational Black Sea Bass Permit.

2 Call before/at trip start

Contact VMRC Law Enforcement Operations at 1-800-541-4646 before or immediately after starting the trip.

3 Report every targeted trip

Report even if sea bass were released or none were caught.

4 March 15 deadline

Trip reports — or a no-participation report — are due by March 15.

The February permit belongs at the vessel-captain/operator level. The captain reports the number of persons aboard and the fish kept/released.
Shark keeper equation

Virginia’s shark bag is not simply “one shark per person”

Vessel base 1 permitted shark

One general recreationally permitted shark per vessel/trip, excluding smooth dogfish.

Per eligible angler 1 bonnethead
Per eligible angler 1 Atlantic sharpnose

Size rules

General permitted shark 54″ FL
Great / scalloped / smooth hammerhead 78″ FL
No general size minimum

Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth, blacknose and smooth dogfish are exempt from the normal 54-inch recreational minimum.

Large Coastal Shark Group seasonal closure

Virginia closes the Large Coastal Shark Group May 15 through July 15. The group includes species such as blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger and the covered hammerheads.

Shark gear & landing checklist

  • Recreational sharks may be taken only with handline or rod-and-reel under Virginia’s shark rule.
  • Use non-offset, corrodible, non-stainless-steel circle hooks unless the applicable artificial-lure/fly exception applies.
  • Harvested sharks must retain head, tail and fins naturally attached through landing; gutting/bleeding is allowed under the rule.
  • Do not fillet the shark until it has been offloaded at the dock or shore.
  • Virginia’s prohibited list includes species such as Atlantic angel, dusky, sand tiger, sandbar and white sharks, among others.
  • Shortfin and longfin mako are currently on Virginia’s prohibited recreational list.
Federal shark trip: an Atlantic HMS permit and shark endorsement can be required in federal waters. The shark endorsement process includes required shark-identification training/testing.
Offshore permits

Some offshore fisheries require a federal permit even when you already have a Virginia license

Blueline tilefish

Current federal season: May 15–Nov. 14.

  • 3/person private vessel
  • 5/person uninspected for-hire
  • 7/person USCG-inspected for-hire

Tilefish permit

From the Virginia/North Carolina border north, a recreational tilefish permit/reporting requirement applies when targeting or catching tilefish.

Atlantic HMS

Tuna, billfish, swordfish and shark trips can require the appropriate federal Atlantic HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat vessel permit.

Tidal-river crossover

Blue catfish is an important Virginia tidal rule missing from most saltwater charts

Under 32 inches No creel limit

Virginia DWR’s current tidal-river guidance states there is no creel limit for blue catfish under 32 inches in Virginia tidal rivers.

Over 32 inches 1/person/day

Only one blue catfish larger than 32 inches may be possessed per person per day.

This rule is especially useful for anglers fishing the tidal James, Rappahannock, Mattaponi and other Virginia tidal-river systems.
Gear & handling

Legal size is not the end of the regulation

Cast-net bait

Small quantities of mullet, menhaden or minnows may be taken with a cast net for personal bait use without a separate fishing license for that bait-taking activity.

Bait taken under this provision may not be sold, traded or bartered.

Snagging

Virginia prohibits intentionally snagging finfish except for the narrow Atlantic menhaden and mullet-group exceptions recognized in the rule.

Recreational sale

Fish taken under recreational fishing privileges may not be sold, traded or bartered.

Do not alter away the legal measurement

Keep enough of the fish intact while aboard/actively fishing for enforcement officers to determine species and required legal length.

Virginia saltwater license gears

The ordinary recreational saltwater license covers personal, noncommercial rod-and-reel/hook-and-line, spear/gig, dip net, cast net and up to two eel pots.

License or FIP?

Virginia saltwater license decision

Under 16 Neither

No ordinary paid Virginia saltwater fishing license and no FIP registration are required based solely on age.

Age 16–64 Usually paid license

Purchase the applicable saltwater license unless an exemption applies.

If using an exemption, annual FIP registration is commonly required.

Age 65+ FIP route

Ordinary paid license not required, but free annual FIP registration is generally required.

Virginia residents 65+ can buy the optional $5 lifetime saltwater license instead of renewing FIP annually.

Licensed charter/headboat Passenger covered

A customer fishing only from a properly licensed Virginia or PRFC charter/headboat generally does not need an individual paid license or FIP for that charter trip.

Common exemption routes that still require FIP

Licensed public pier

Unlicensed adult angler: generally FIP required.

Licensed private boat

Unlicensed adult passenger: generally FIP required.

Private waterfront property exemption

Qualifying adult user generally needs FIP.

Reciprocal Maryland license

Virginia FIP registration required when using MD reciprocity.

Freshwater surprise: even if you are fishing freshwater, targeting anadromous or marine species such as striped bass or shad can trigger Virginia’s FIP requirement.
FIP micro-steps

How to complete Virginia FIP registration

1. Confirm you are license-exempt

FIP is not a substitute for buying a license when a paid license is legally required.

2. Open VMRC FIP

Use the official online Register Online option.

3. Register annually

Complete the free identification registration for the applicable year.

4. Save your number

Keep proof available before fishing under the exemption.

Online registration only: VMRC states that its old toll-free operator-assisted FIP registration service was discontinued. Required anglers must register online themselves or have someone complete the online registration for them.
Current license menu

Virginia recreational saltwater license fees

Resident annual SW $17.50
Nonresident annual SW $25.00
10-day SW $10

Resident or nonresident.

Resident FW/SW $39.50
Nonresident FW/SW $71
Resident boat SW $48
Nonresident boat SW $76

Nonresident boat-license eligibility has Virginia-registration conditions.

Tidal Boat Sport Fishing $126 / $201

Resident / nonresident.

Resident multiyear options

2-year SW $33.50
3-year SW $49.50
4-year SW $65.50
Recreational Virginia saltwater licenses are sold through the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources even though VMRC manages the marine fishing regulations.
Maryland / Potomac reciprocity

License reciprocity does not create regulation reciprocity

Maryland license used in Virginia

Qualifying Maryland saltwater recreational licenses are honored in Virginia tidal waters under the reciprocity agreement.

Virginia FIP registration is generally required for the reciprocal Maryland-license user.

PRFC recreational license used in Virginia

Qualifying PRFC recreational licenses are recognized under the reciprocal arrangement.

PRFC license holders covered by the arrangement do not use the same FIP treatment as reciprocal Maryland users.
When you enter another jurisdiction, follow that jurisdiction’s fishing laws even if your license is accepted there.
2026 calendar

Virginia Free Fishing Days have already passed

2026 dates June 5–7
License Waived
Fish limits Still apply
A free-fishing event removes the applicable license requirement for the designated dates — not species size, possession, season or protected-species rules.
Keep legally, eat intelligently

Fishing regulations and fish-consumption advisories answer different questions

Fishing rule

Answers whether a fish is legal to harvest.

  • Season
  • Size
  • Bag
  • Method
  • Jurisdiction

Consumption advisory

Answers whether Virginia health officials recommend limiting meals.

  • Exact waterbody
  • Exact species
  • Fish size when specified
  • Contaminant
  • Meal frequency
Virginia Department of Health advises that people who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should not eat fish listed in a Virginia fish-consumption advisory.
Do not generalize an advisory. Search the current VDH table using the exact river/bay segment and fish species.
Different rule system

Finfish limits do not answer crab, clam or oyster questions

Blue crabs

Recreational crab harvest uses separate VMRC gear, sex/size, season and possession requirements.

Clams & oysters

Recreational shellfish uses separate harvest areas, seasons and limits.

Health closures

Virginia Department of Health shellfish classifications and emergency condemnations are a separate safety layer.

Pre-trip compliance console

Save these answers before leaving the dock

  • Exact jurisdiction: Virginia marine/tidal, mainstem Potomac/PRFC, Potomac tributary or federal Atlantic.
  • Target species: save the current size and bag.
  • Season: confirm the fishery is open on the trip date.
  • Measurement: know whether the species uses TL or FL.
  • Vessel limit: confirm whether a boat cap applies in addition to per-person limits.
  • Hook/gear: circle hooks, shark gear, gaffing and towing rules may matter.
  • License or FIP: decide which route applies before fishing.
  • Federal permit: verify HMS or tilefish requirements before an offshore trip.
  • Keep fish identifiable: do not process regulated fish too early.
  • Food fish: check VDH consumption guidance for the exact water/species.
Avoid the citation

18 Virginia saltwater mistakes this rebuild fixes

Using the old 40-inch cobia minimum

Current Virginia minimum is 43 inches.

Gaffing cobia in VMRC waters

Virginia prohibits it.

Towing cobia behind the boat

Virginia expressly prohibits towing cobia.

Using 16 inches for August flounder

Current June–December Virginia minimum is 17.5 inches.

Using Virginia’s 4-flounder bag in federal waters

VMRC’s 2026 federal-water notice uses 3/person/trip.

Thinking red drum has only a minimum

Virginia uses an 18–26 inch keeper slot.

Fishing Chesapeake stripers in August

Bay harvest is closed until October 4.

Directly targeting PRFC stripers Aug. 15

Current mainstem closure/no-targeting period runs through Aug. 20.

Using Virginia croaker rules in the mainstem Potomac

PRFC currently uses 9 inches and 25/person.

Using Virginia tautog rules in the mainstem Potomac

PRFC’s current rule is materially different.

Using Virginia’s state bluefish for-hire bag offshore

Federal permitted for-hire trips currently use 7/person.

Using state scup size offshore

Current federal minimum is 10 inches, not Virginia’s 9.

Keeping an unidentified shark

Virginia’s prohibited list is extensive.

Treating the shark vessel limit as one per person

The actual vessel + sharpnose + bonnethead formula is different.

Assuming license exemption means no FIP

Many unlicensed adults still need annual FIP.

Trying to register for FIP by the old toll-free service

VMRC directs required anglers to online registration.

Selling recreational catch

Sale, trade and barter are prohibited.

Using a finfish chart for blue crabs or oysters

Those fisheries have separate regulations.

When the answer is still unclear

Call the agency that controls the water

VMRC general information 757-247-2200
VMRC Marine Police 800-541-4646
DWR license phone 866-721-6911
VDH fish advisory 804-864-8182
Better phone script:
“I’m fishing [exact water/jurisdiction] on [date], targeting [species] from [shore/private boat/charter]. Can you confirm the current size, possession limit, season, handling rule and license/FIP or federal permit requirement?”
Official verification center

Official sources behind this Virginia guide

The practical answers have already been converted into tables and decision tools above. Use these pages for the final live check before fishing.

VMRC live recreational table Current marine species size, possession and season rules. 2026 Finfish Regulation Card PDF Official compact Virginia finfish reference. 2026 Recreational Fishing PDF Official visual regulation sheet. Virginia snagging/towing law Defines and prohibits towing cobia and striped bass. Current Virginia shark law Species lists, sizes, bags, seasons, gear and landing rules. Black sea bass regulation 2026 season and February permit/reporting workflow. Virginia striped bass law Bay, coastal and Potomac-tributary seasons plus handling rules. 2026 federal-water flounder notice Virginia notice for recreational federal-water possession. PRFC 2026 Commission Orders Mainstem Potomac fishing limits and striped-bass rules. Virginia saltwater licensing License exemptions, reciprocity, fees and license boundaries. FIP registration Free annual registration for qualifying unlicensed anglers. Buy Virginia fishing license Virginia DWR licensing portal. Federal bluefish rules Current private vs federal for-hire bag difference. Federal scup rules Current 10-inch / 40-fish federal recreational rule. NOAA federal species table Striped bass, tilefish and other offshore recreational regulations. Tidal blue catfish rule Current DWR tidal-river blue-catfish guidance. Virginia fish-consumption advisories Search current advice by waterbody and species. Virginia shellfish safety Closures and shellfish-health classifications.
Practical FAQ

Virginia saltwater fishing regulation questions

What is the Virginia cobia size limit in 2026?

The recreational minimum is 43 inches total length. The season runs June 15 through September 20. The limit is one per person and no more than two per vessel, whichever is more restrictive. Virginia also prohibits gaffing and towing cobia in its marine waters.

What is the Virginia flounder size limit in August 2026?

The Virginia tidal-water minimum from June 1 through December 31 is 17.5 inches total length, with a four-fish-per-person possession limit. Virginia’s current 2026 federal-water notice uses a three-fish-per-person- per-trip federal-water possession limit.

What is the Virginia red drum limit?

Virginia marine waters use an 18-to-26-inch total-length keeper slot and a three-fish-per-person recreational limit. Red drum recreational harvest is prohibited in Atlantic federal waters.

What is the Virginia speckled trout limit?

Speckled trout must be at least 14 inches and the Virginia recreational limit is five per person. Only one fish in that five-fish limit may be 24 inches or longer. The special April 1 through June 30 closure for 2026 has ended.

Is Chesapeake Bay striped bass fishing open in August 2026?

No. The Virginia Chesapeake Bay harvest seasons are May 16 through June 15 and October 4 through December 31. The fall Bay harvest season therefore does not begin until October 4.

Can I target striped bass in the mainstem Potomac on August 15, 2026?

The current PRFC mainstem Potomac order closes the summer/fall striped-bass fishery from July 7 through August 20 and specifies no direct targeting during that period. The harvest season resumes August 21 downstream of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Do Virginia and the mainstem Potomac have the same saltwater limits?

No. The PRFC mainstem Potomac has different limits for several species, including Atlantic croaker, bluefish, red drum, speckled trout and tautog. Always determine whether you are in VMRC or PRFC jurisdiction.

What is the Virginia recreational shark limit?

A recreational vessel may generally possess one recreationally permitted shark, excluding smooth dogfish, per trip. In addition, each eligible vessel angler may possess one bonnethead and one Atlantic sharpnose. Size limits, prohibited-species rules and seasonal closures also apply.

Do I need FIP if I am fishing from a licensed Virginia pier?

An adult angler using the licensed-pier exemption generally does not need an individual paid saltwater license but does need the free annual Virginia Fisherman Identification Program registration.

Do I need FIP on a licensed Virginia charter?

A paying customer fishing only aboard a properly licensed charter or headboat generally does not need separate FIP registration for that trip.

What is the blue catfish limit in Virginia tidal rivers?

Current Virginia DWR guidance states there is no creel limit for blue catfish under 32 inches in Virginia tidal rivers, while only one blue catfish larger than 32 inches may be possessed per person per day.

Can I sell fish I catch recreationally in Virginia?

No. Fish harvested recreationally may not be sold, traded or bartered.

Virginia final check

Measure the fish only after you identify the rulebook

Virginia saltwater compliance is not one size-limit chart. The complete answer is: species + exact jurisdiction + date + legal length + possession count + handling rule.

Regulation research reviewed . VMRC, PRFC and federal regulations can change during the year.

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