Bluefish regulations

Wintertime surf and inlet blitzes on the Atlantic coast. Metal spoons and plugs with a wire leader.

Applies to: Atlantic state waters, Atlantic federal waters, Gulf state and federal waters

Species / zone	Season	Size	Bag	Notes
Bluefish Atlantic state waters boundary Nassau through Miami-Dade counties	open now Open year-round	12" fork length	3 fish per person from Nassau through Miami-Dade counties	hook and line, spears, gigs, seine, cast net Regulation Update: Effective Oct. 26, 2020, the recreational daily bag limit is three fish per person along the Atlantic coast from Nassau through Miami-Dade.
Bluefish Atlantic federal waters boundary regulated by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council	open now Open year-round	none	3 per person for anglers fishing from private recreational vessels and 5 per person on for-hire vessels	For-hire vessels are required to have a federal bluefish charter permit to keep bluefish.
Bluefish Gulf state and federal waters boundary includes Monroe County	open now Open year-round	12" fork length	10 per harvester (includes Monroe County)	hook and line, spears, gigs, seine, cast net

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29.

Seasonal pattern

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