DELAWARE - Delaware anglers will follow the same recreational black sea bass rules in state and federal waters when the season opens May 1.
NOAA Fisheries has taken regulatory action to align federal waters with Delaware’s updated 2026-2027 recreational black sea bass regulations, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
DNREC revised the state’s regulations earlier this month after a regional review found black sea bass are more abundant and not overfished.
The updated rules reduce the minimum size for black sea bass from 13 inches to 12.5 inches. The season will open May 1, about two weeks earlier than in previous years. The rules also eliminate the Oct. 1 through Oct. 9 in-season closure.
The recreational daily possession limit remains 15 fish per angler.
Delaware waters extend three miles offshore, while federal waters extend from three to 200 miles offshore. DNREC said most of Delaware’s recreational black sea bass catch happens in federal waters.
The NOAA action means Delaware anglers will be bound by the revised state rules whether fishing in state or federal waters.
The changes follow a meeting last August by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The review found the spawning stock biomass for black sea bass was estimated to be almost three times higher than the target in the fishery management plan.
The council and commission approved a recreational harvest limit of 8.14 million pounds for 2026 and 2027, a 30% increase from 2025. Delaware, as part of the southern region, was limited to a 16.5% harvest increase.
