Saltwater bag and size limits

Bag limit: The maximum number of fish or invertebrates per person per day. A maximum daily bag limit of 20 applies to any fish or invertebrate not included in the tables below. Protected and threatened species cannot be taken.

* Bag limit comprised of any single species or a combination of listed grouped species.

Possession limit: The maximum number of fish a person is allowed to have in their possession at any one time. This includes fish that are also stored elsewhere e.g. in fridge/freezer. For the following species or species groupings; Australian Bass and Estuary Perch, Bream and Tarwhine, Flathead species, Tailor, Luderick, Trevallies and Blue Swimmer Crab, the possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

For all other saltwater species, the possession limit is the bag limit.

Finfish bag and size limits

Species Size limits or legal length (cm) Bag limit

Australian Bass & Estuary Perch

Australian Bass
Australian bass

Closed season in rivers and estuaries May - August incl.

Only 1 over 35cm 2 in total *, 4 in possession

Estuary Perch
Estuary perch

Closed season in rivers and estuaries May - August incl.

Australian Salmon

Australian Salmon
Australian salmon
- 5

Blue Drummer

Blue Drummer
Blue Drummer
-

0 - release only

Lord Howe Marine Park 5

Bonito

Bonito
Bonito
- 10

Bream & Tarwhine

Bream (Black/Southern)
black/southern

25 cm

10 in total *. 20 in possession.
Bream (Yellowfin)
Yellowfin Bream
25 cm
Tarwhine
Tarwhine
20 cm

Cobia

Cobia
Cobia
- 5

Deep-sea fish

Hapuku (Hapuka)
Harpuka

- 5 in total *, gemfish: only 2 and boat trip limit of 10
Banded Rock Cod (Bar Cod)
barcod
-
Bass Groper
Bass Groper
-
Gemfish
gemfish
-
Blue-Eye Trevalla (Cod)
blue-eye 
        cod
-

Dogfish

Dogfish
Dog Fish
  
Harrisson's - 0
Southern - 0
All other - 2 in total*

Eastern Blue Groper

Eastern Blue Groper (Blue, Brown, Red Groper)
Blue groper
Red groper

More information

-

0, release only

Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish)

Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Dolphinfish
60 cm, only 1 over 110 cm 10

Eels

Eels (Shortfin and Longfin)
Eels 
        (Short and longfinned)

(Southern Shortfin) 30cm

(Longfin) 58cm

(Southern Shortfin) 10

(Longfin) 10

Flathead

Flathead (Dusky) common
Dusky 
        flathead

36cm - 70cm

5 in total. 10 in possession.

Flathead (Bluespotted)
Flathead (sand)

33 cm 10 in total *. 20 in possession.

Flathead (Tiger)
Flathead (tiger)

Flounder & Sole

Flounder and Sole
Flounder
25cm (0 for Sole) 20 in total *

Garfish

Garfish (Eastern Sea)
Garfish
- 20

Hairtail

Hairtail
Hairtail
- 10

Leatherjacket

Leatherjacket
Leatherjackets
- 20 in total *

Luderick

Luderick
Luderick
27 cm 10. 20 in possession.

Mackerel

Mackerel (Spanish)
Mackerel 
        (Spanish)

(Spanish) 75cm

5 in total *

Mackerel (Spotted)
Mackerel 
        (Spotted)
(Spotted) 60cm

Mangrove Jack

Mangrove Jack
Mangrove Jack
- 5

Marlin

Marlin (Striped)
Marlin (striped)

- 1 of each species
Marlin (Black)
Marlin (black)
Marlin (Blue)
Marlin (blue)

Morwong

Morwong, Grey (Rubberlip)
Rubberlip 
        morwong
30cm 10
Morwong (Jackass)
Jackass morwong
30cm 10
Morwong (Red)
Morwong (Red)
30cm 5

Morwong (Banded)
Morwong banded

-

5

Moses Snapper

Moses Snapper (Moses Perch)
Moses 
        perch
- 5

Mullet

Mullet
Mullet

Small (poddy) Under 15 cm

20 in total* for live bait only

Sea (bully) only 30 cm 20 in total*

Mulloway

Mulloway
Mulloway

70 cm 1
Boat limit of 2 per boat per day (if 2 or more fishers are onboard).
Charter Boat limit of 3 per boat per day. 

Pearl Perch

Pearl Perch
 Pearl 
        perch
30 cm 5

Eastern Red Scorpionfish (Red Rock Cod)

Eastern Red Scorpionfish (Red Rock Cod)
Red rock cod (Scorpionfish)
- 5

Rock Blackfish (Black Drummer)

Rock Blackfish (Black Drummer)
Eastern rock blackfish
30 cm 10

Sailfish

Sailfish
Sailfish
- 1

Samson & Amberjack

Samsonfish
Samsonfish

Amberjack
Amberjack

- 5 in total*

Australian Sawtail

Australian Sawtail
Australian 
        Sawtail
- 5

Sharks and rays

Shark (Wobbegong)
Wobbegong shark

- 0 for wobbegong (release only).
Shark (Mako)
Shark (Mako)
-

5 in total*. Only 1 tiger, mako, hammerhead # or whaler/ blue shark.

# Only smooth hammerheads may be taken. Great and scalloped hammerheads are protected species in NSW and must be released immediately with minimal harm.

Shark (School)
School shark
91 cm
Shark (Whaler)
Shark (Whaler)
-

Snapper

Snapper
Snapper
30 cm 10

Spearfish

Spearfish, Shortbill
Shortbill 
        spearfish
- 1

Swordfish

Swordfish
Swordfish
- 1

Tailor

Tailor
Tailor
30 cm 10. 20 in possession.

Teraglin

Teraglin
Teraglin
38 cm 5

Trevallies

Trevallies
Trevallies
(silver trevally only) 30 cm 10 in total*. 20 in possession.

Tuna

Tuna (Albacore)
albacore

90 cm or above

Less than 90 cm

2 in total *

5 in total*

Tuna (Bigeye)
Bigeye Tuna
Tuna (Longtail)
Longtail tuna
Tuna (Yellowfin)
Yellowfin tuna
Tuna (Southern Bluefin)
southern bluefin
- 1

Wahoo

Wahoo
Wahoo
- 5

Whiting

Whiting
Sand Whiting
(sand only) 27 cm 20 in total*

Yellowtail Kingfish

Yellowtail Kingfish
Kingfish
65 cm 5

* Bag limit comprised of any single species or a combination of listed grouped species.

Invertebrates bag and size limits

Species Size limits or legal length (cm) Bag limit

Abalone
Abalone

11.7 cm 2
Balmain Bug +
Balmain Bug
10 cm 20
Beach Worms
Beach Worms

-

20 whole or part in total*

All other worms
All other worms
- 100 in total*
Cockles, Mussels and Pipis
Cockles
Pipis for bait only - do not take
beyond 50m of high-tide mark.
- 50 in total* including a maximum of 20 cockles.
Crab (Blue Swimmer) +
Blue swimmer 
        crab
6.5 cm 10. 20 in possession.
Mud Crab +
Mud Crab
8.5 cm 5
Crab (Spanner) +
Crab (spanner)
9.3 cm 10
Crab (Soldier) +
Crab (Soldier)
- 100 in total *
All other crabs +
All other crabs
- 10 in total *
Cunjevoi
Cunjevoi
- 20 in total *

Lobster (Eastern Rock) +
Lobster

Min. 10.4cm, none over 18cm

3 in total in any combination

Lobster (Southern Rock) (male) +

Lobster (Southern Rock) (female) +

11 cm

10.5 cm

Tropical Rock Lobster (Painted and Ornate) + - 2 in total *
Slipper Lobster (Flat) + - 2
Octopus
Octopus
-

10 in total *  Octopus cannot be taken from ocean rock platforms in NSW or from rock platforms in Sydney Harbour

Oysters (Sydney Rock, Pacific, Native)
Oyster
- 50 in total *
Prawns
Prawn
- 10 litres in total *
Saltwater Nippers
King scallop
- 100 in total *
Scallops
Scallops
- 50 in total *
Sea Urchins
Sea Urchin
- 10 in total *
Squid & Cuttlefish
Squid
- 20 in total *
Turban Snails
Turban shell

(Sydney, Military) 7.5 cm

(All other molluscs) -

20 in total*

20 in total* including turban shells

* Bag limit comprised of any single species or a combination of listed grouped species.

+ All lobsters, crabs, bugs and crayfish carrying eggs must be returned to the water.

Baitfish bag limits (excluding charter boat operators)

Species Bag limit

Australian Anchovy

Maray (or Round Herring)

Southern Herring

Australian Sardine (Pilchard)

Blue Sprat (or Blue bait)

Sandy Sprat (or Whitebait)

A bag limit of 100 for each species.

Blue (Slimy) Mackerel

Jack Mackerel and Yellowtail Scad

Garfish (other than Eastern Sea Garfish)

Hardyhead and Silverfish

A bag limit of 50 for each species or species grouping.