Several fish species are completely illegal to catch and keep in U.S. waters, regardless of where you’re fishing or what gear you use. The most well-known are all three species of sturgeon, great white sharks, and smalltooth sawfish. Beyond these outright bans, many other species are illegal to catch without specific permits, during certain seasons, or below certain sizes. The penalties for violations can reach $250,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.
Fish You Can Never Keep
Some species carry a total no-retention rule across all U.S. waters. If you accidentally hook one of these, you’re required to release it immediately.
- All sturgeon (Atlantic, Shortnose, and Gulf): It is illegal to fish for, catch, or keep any sturgeon in U.S. waters. Atlantic sturgeon populations along the East Coast were listed as endangered in 2012, with four distinct population segments classified as endangered and one (Gulf of Maine) as threatened. If you accidentally hook a sturgeon, you must release it carefully.
- Great white sharks: White sharks are a prohibited species with no retention allowed in any U.S. fishery, recreational or commercial. They’re managed under federal plans in both the Atlantic and Pacific, with complementary state protections along both coasts. Anglers who accidentally catch one must release it immediately.
- Smalltooth sawfish: These ray-like fish with their distinctive toothed snout are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to harm, injure, or kill them. Commercial and recreational fishers who encounter one must follow specific release procedures.
Endangered Salmon, Rockfish, and Other Protected Species
The Endangered Species Act protects dozens of fish populations, though the protections often apply to specific geographic groups rather than the entire species. Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon have been listed as endangered since 2000, making it illegal to target or harvest wild Atlantic salmon in that region. Bocaccio rockfish in the Puget Sound and Georgia Basin area have been listed as endangered since 2010, so catching them in those waters is prohibited even though bocaccio can be legally harvested in other parts of the Pacific coast.
This pattern repeats across many species. A fish that’s legal to catch in one region may be fully protected in another because the local population is struggling. Checking your state and regional fishing regulations before you cast a line is the only reliable way to know what’s allowed where you fish.
Fish That Are Illegal Without the Right Permit or Size
A large category of fish falls between “always legal” and “always illegal.” These species are heavily regulated, and catching them without proper permits, outside designated seasons, or below minimum sizes is a federal or state offense.
Atlantic bluefin tuna is one of the most tightly controlled. You need a valid HMS Angling permit or HMS Charter/Headboat permit just to fish for them. Even with a permit, bluefin under 27 inches can never be kept. Fish between 27 and 73 inches are limited to one per vessel per day when the season is open, and trophy-size bluefin (73 inches or larger) are limited to one per vessel per year. If you have a hammerhead shark on board or have already offloaded one, you cannot retain any bluefin tuna at all. Seasons open and close throughout the year by region, so what’s legal one week may be illegal the next.
Pacific bluefin tuna is similarly restricted on the commercial side, with a total catch cap of about 1,873 metric tons for 2025 and 2026 combined. As the fleet approaches that limit, individual trip limits shrink from 60 metric tons down to just 5, and the fishery closes entirely once the cap is reached.
Goliath Grouper in Florida
Goliath grouper were completely off-limits for decades after their population crashed in the 1980s. Florida now allows a very limited recreational harvest, but the requirements are strict. You must apply for a specific recreational goliath grouper harvest permit during a set application window. If selected, you receive a single tag that must be secured around the fish’s lower jawbone immediately after harvest. Only one fish per permit, one application per period. Harvesting a goliath grouper without this tag and permit is illegal. Waters inside Everglades National Park have additional restrictions under a separate permit category.
Penalties for Catching Protected Fish
Federal law takes illegal fishing seriously. The Lacey Act, which covers trafficking in illegally taken wildlife, treats knowing violations as felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000. Even if you didn’t know the fish was protected, you can still face misdemeanor charges carrying up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine if authorities determine you should have known better. State penalties vary but often include license revocation, gear seizure, and additional fines.
The “I didn’t know” defense has limited value. Courts consider whether a reasonable person exercising basic caution would have known the species was protected. Given that fishing regulations are publicly available and most states require anglers to carry a license, the expectation is that you’ve done your homework before you fish.
How to Stay Legal
The fastest way to check what’s prohibited in your area is through your state fish and wildlife agency’s website, which will list species-specific size limits, bag limits, seasons, and total prohibitions. For federal waters (generally beyond 3 miles offshore, or 9 miles in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas and Florida’s west coast), NOAA Fisheries maintains current regulations by region. Many states also offer free mobile apps that let you look up rules by species while you’re on the water.
If you hook something you can’t identify or suspect might be protected, the safest course is to release it quickly and carefully. For species like sturgeon or sawfish, minimizing handling time and keeping the fish in the water as much as possible gives it the best chance of survival. NOAA also asks anglers to report encounters with endangered species, which helps biologists track population recovery.