Black sea bass in the northeast: MA closes October 14 as NY and NJ run open into December
Massachusetts closes its 2026 recreational black sea bass season after October 14. New York allows 6 fish per day through December. New Jersey runs 10 fish from September 23 through October, then 15 fish in November and December. Maine reopens October 18. The ASMFC approved a 20% harvest increase for 2026 across the range.
Update, Monday October 12: Massachusetts has two days remaining in its 2026 black sea bass season. Wednesday, October 14, is the last day; the season then closes until May 2027. Maine reopens October 18 with a 13-inch minimum size and a 10-fish daily bag limit through December 31. New York and New Jersey remain open through the fall with the limits below.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved a 20% increase in recreational black sea bass harvest for 2026, and the result differs by state. Massachusetts is the first to close in the northeast: the 2026 season runs through October 14, then closes through next spring. The fall window runs September 1 through October 14 with a 16-inch minimum size and a two-fish daily bag limit. From May 16 through August 31 the limit was four fish at the same 16-inch minimum.
New York runs a 16-inch minimum size through the full season and moved to a six-fish daily bag limit starting September 1, up from four fish earlier in the summer. The season runs through December 31. New Jersey has a different structure: 12.5-inch minimum size, a one-fish daily limit during the summer months from June 22 through September 22, then a jump to 10 fish per day from September 23 through October 31, followed by 15 fish per day November 1 through December 31. The NJ fall window is one of the more generous in the region for anglers who work nearshore structure through November. Maine closed for fall earlier in the season and reopens October 18; the Maine season runs through December 31.
October and November are consistently the most productive months for nearshore black sea bass fishing in the northeast. As surface temperatures drop into the 50s, fish concentrate on rocky structure, artificial reefs, and wreck edges in the 30 to 80 foot range. Day trips from New Jersey inlets to Long Island south shore ports pick up sea bass on jigs and bucktails through the fall; party boats working Atlantic City, Manasquan, and Montauk regularly target sea bass structure alongside flounder as the fluke season closes after October 15 in Connecticut and New York.
Connecticut's 2026 private and shore season continues through November 25; party and charter vessels run through December 31. CT minimum size is 15.5 inches and the daily bag limit is four fish for private and shore anglers, per the CT DEEP saltwater fishing guide at portal.ct.gov/DEEP. Rhode Island runs through December 31 at a 16-inch minimum and three fish per day for general recreational anglers. Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia seasons also continue through December 31. Rules differ across states and at the three-nautical-mile line between state and federal waters; the federal recreational season in waters beyond state jurisdiction follows NOAA Fisheries rules, which may differ from the state-water limit. The ASMFC black sea bass page at asmfc.org/species/black-sea-bass carries the management framework and current addendum status. The state marine fisheries agency page is the controlling source for current rules in that state's waters; emergency closures or in-season adjustments post there first.
On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.