Highly Migratory Species

Updated January 06, 2026 16:05

Seasons and Size and Bag/Possession Limits

Unless otherwise established, there are no size limits for species not listed. Unless otherwise noted, possession limits for saltwater fish are the same as the daily bag limit.

Seasons and regulations may differ in federal waters off Louisiana’s coast. Visit the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s site for federal seasons and regulations. Note that federally permitted for-hire reef fish vessels must comply with the more restrictive of federal or state reef fish regulations when fishing for reef fish in state waters.

Gear Restrictions and Requirements

See the latest recreational regulations.

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You must report all recreational landings of marlin to NOAA Fisheries within 24 hours of landing at the dock. Report online, via the mobile app, or by calling 800.894.5528
Species	Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
Blue marlin	99 inches minimum lower jaw fork length	None	Open year-round in state waters
White marlin	66 inches minimum lower jaw fork length	None	Open year-round in state waters

Marlin

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
66” lower jaw fork length.	No bag or possession limit	Open Year Round

Roundscale Spearfish

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season	Notes
47 inches Lower Jaw Fork Length (LJFL) or 25 inches Cleithrum to Caudal Keel (CK).	Recreational fishing vessels shall not possess more than one swordfish per person with a maximum of four swordfish per vessel per trip, whichever is less. Charter vessels may not possess more than one swordfish per paying passenger with a maximum of up to six per vessel per trip, whichever is less. Headboat vessels may not possess more than one swordfish per paying passenger with a maximum of up to fifteen per vessel per trip, whichever is less. Swordfish taken under a recreational bag limit shall not be sold, purchased, exchanged, bartered, or attempted to be sold, purchased, exchanged, or bartered.	Open year-round in state waters	You must report all recreational landings of swordfish to NOAA Fisheries within 24 hours of landing at the dock. Report online, via the mobile app, or by calling 800.894.5528.

Swordfish

Anglers fishing for tunas in Louisiana state or federal are subject to both state and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Federal regulations regarding the recreational harvest of tunas change often, especially for bluefin tuna; federal regulations may supersede Louisiana regulations. Prior to fishing for or harvesting tuna, be aware of the most current federal regulations, including size and bag limits and seasons. For updates on tuna quota monitoring and tuna retention limit adjustments, call 888-872-8862.
Species	Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season	Notes
Bluefin tuna	73 inches minimum curved fork length	One trophy per vessel per year if caught incidentally while targeting other species while the trophy season is open	Opens January 1 each year and closes when the quota is met Check with NOAA Fisheries for more information.	Directed or targeted recreational fishing of bluefin tuna is prohibited in the Gulf of America. You must report all bluefin tuna landings and dead discards to NOAA Fisheries within 24 hours of landing. Report online, via the mobile app, or by calling 888.872.8862.
Bigeye tuna	27 inches minimum curved fork length	None	Open year-round in state waters
Yellowfin tuna	27 inches minimum curved fork length	Three per person per day	Open year-round in state waters

Tuna

• Finning (removing only the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea) is prohibited in state and federal waters. • Information on identifying sharks and best practices for handling sharks
Species	Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season	Notes
Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks	None	One per person per day in aggregate; no one may possess any shark in excess of the bag limit at any time, regardless of the number of trips or duration of a trip	Open year-round in state waters
Blacktip and Bull Sharks	None	None	Open year-round in state waters	Regulations differ in federal waters
Small coastal, large coastal, and pelagic sharks (except silky, sandbar)	54 inches minimum fork length	One per vessel per trip in aggregate; no one may possess any shark in excess of the bag limit at any time, regardless of the number of trips or duration of a trip; no silky or sandbar sharks; no prohibited species	Open year-round in state waters	Small coastal sharks: blacknose, and finetooth sharks Large coastal sharks: nurse, smooth hammerhead, bull, sandbar, spinner, great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, tiger, lemon, and silky sharks Pelagic sharks: blue, porbeagle, thresher, oceanic whitetip *Recreational harvest of sandbar and silky sharks (ridgeback sharks) is prohibited
Prohibited sharks	Atlantic angel, Sand Tiger, Dusky, Bigeye, Sixgill, Largetooth Sawfish, Bigeye Thresher, Smalltooth Sawfish, Shortfin Mako, Narrowtooth, Caribbean reef, white, Caribbean sharpnose, Basking, Sevengill, Galapagos, Bigeye Sixgill, Smalltail, Longfin m=Mako, Bignose, Whale, and Night sharks A person may fish for but not retain white shark with rod and reel only under a catch and release program, provided the person releases and returns such fish to the sea immediately with a minimum of injury. Recreational harvest of sandbar and silky sharks (ridgeback sharks) is prohibited.

Shark

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season	Notes
63 inches minimum lower jaw fork length	None	Open year-round in state waters	You must report all recreational landings of sailfish to NOAA Fisheries within 24 hours of landing. Report online, via the mobile app, or by calling 800.894.5528.

Sailfish