Georgia fishing rules from mountain trout streams to Atlantic saltwater
Georgia’s statewide limits are only the starting point. A legal catch can depend on the exact reservoir, trout-water designation, Public Fishing Area, border-water agreement, saltwater boundary, federal offshore season and even a pending rule change.
Georgia fishing limits most anglers check first
Combined daily limit; special native-bass restriction applies.
Black + white combined.
Brook, brown, rainbow and hybrids combined.
Normally only two may be 22″+; major exceptions apply.
What’s new enough to matter this season?
2026–2027 regulations
Georgia DNR released the current Hunting & Fishing Regulations and Seasons guide on July 23, 2026.
Catfish
Current fishing-method guidance allows any catfish species, including game-fish catfish, to be taken by bow and arrow in Georgia waters day or night with a light, subject to the bowfishing equipment rules.
Evans + Paradise
The current guide highlights updated largemouth-bass limits at Evans County and Paradise Public Fishing Areas.
Before a Georgia fish enters your cooler
Reservoir, trout stream, PFA, boundary water, state coast or federal ocean?
Largemouth, shoal, striped bass, trout, redfish and snapper all use different rules.
Minimum, maximum or protected slot?
Pole, bow, trotline, jug, noodling, artificial lure or saltwater gear?
Check closures, federal season and any current DNR proposal that has actually taken effect.
Georgia freshwater game-fish limits
| Species | Daily / possession limit | Important exception |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass | 10 combined | Only five of the ten may be Altamaha, Bartram’s, Chattahoochee, Coosa/redeye, shoal, smallmouth, Suwannee or Tallapoosa bass. |
| Mountain trout | 8 combined | Special trout streams can have stricter size, lure or catch-and-release rules. |
| Striped + white + hybrid striped bass | 15 combined | Normally only two may be 22″+. Coastal rivers, Savannah River and border waters use special rules. |
| Bream / sunfish | 50 combined | Public Fishing Areas use a lower 15-fish baseline. |
| Walleye | 8 | Border-water agreement rules should still be checked. |
| Sauger | 8 | Statewide baseline. |
| Pickerel | 15 combined | Chain, grass and redfin pickerel combined. |
| Crappie | 30 combined | Black and white crappie counted together. |
| American + hickory shad | 8 combined | Gear rules differ when more than two poles are used for shad. |
| Channel / flathead catfish | No statewide daily limit listed | Special waters and fishing-method restrictions can still apply. |
| Lake sturgeon | NO HARVEST | Coosa River and tributary sturgeon season is closed. |
Most Georgia freshwater fishing is open continuously — but not everything
Most freshwater species
Georgia’s rule says other freshwater fishing seasons are open continuously unless another law or regulation creates an exception.
Striped bass / spearfishing closure
Applies to specified portions of the lower Flint, Chattahoochee and Spring Creek system near Lake Seminole.
Lake Seminole fish refuges
All fishing is prohibited during this period in the marked refuge areas around five named springs.
Noodling / grabbling
Legal statewide freshwater season for hand-taking qualifying flathead, channel and blue catfish under the specific method rules.
Georgia’s 12-inch largemouth rule has important exceptions
| Water | Largemouth bass rule |
|---|---|
| Most Georgia waters | 12″ minimum total length. |
| Lake Lanier | 14″ minimum largemouth; spotted bass also 14″ minimum. |
| Lake Oconee | 14″ minimum largemouth. |
| West Point Reservoir | 14″ minimum largemouth. |
| Walter F. George / Lake Eufaula | 14″ minimum largemouth. |
| Lake Blackshear | 14″ minimum largemouth. |
| DNR Public Fishing Areas | Normally 14″ minimum unless the individual lake is posted differently. |
| Lake Lindsay Grace | Bass from 15–22″ must be released; only one bass over 22″ may be kept. |
| Lakes Burton, Juliette & Blue Ridge | No statewide largemouth minimum length under the current listed exception. |
Lake Lindsay Grace: the middle fish is the illegal one
Largemouth bass from 15 through 22 inches must be released. Fish outside that protected range can be treated differently, and only one bass greater than 22 inches may be possessed.
Shoal bass has its own unusual slot
Georgia’s normal shoal-bass minimum is 15 inches. On the Flint River and tributaries downstream of Warwick Dam at Lake Blackshear, however, shoal bass from 15 through 20 inches must be released.
Trout requires more than checking the 8-fish limit
Brook, rainbow, brown and hybrids combined unless special rules apply.
Maximum in designated trout waters.
A separate trout license/privilege is generally required for anglers 16+.
Delayed Harvest trout calendar
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1–14 C&R
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C&R
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November 1–May 14
Designated Delayed Harvest waters are catch-and-release only.
Gear during Delayed Harvest
Only single-hook artificial lures may be used during the Delayed Harvest restriction period.
Georgia pole, trotline, jug, bowfishing & bait rules
Specific waters/methods create exceptions.
More than two triggers commercial shad-rule requirements.
Sport trotlines
- Less than 51 hooks.
- Owner name/address + visible buoy required.
- At least 3 feet below surface.
- Must be attended regularly.
- Remove after the fishing trip.
- Not within ½ mile below a lock or dam.
Set hooks & jugs
May be used for qualifying catfish/nongame fish and shad during shad season, but are prohibited at PFAs, State Park lakes and Lake Tobesofkee.
Noodling
March 1–July 15. Only flathead, channel and blue catfish may be taken by hand under the qualifying no-device/no-scuba rule.
2026 bowfishing rule to remember
Bowfishing equipment
- Sport fishing license required.
- Arrow needs barb/retrieval device.
- Arrow must be connected by line.
- Exploding or poisonous arrowheads prohibited.
- Do not discharge within 150 feet of another person recreating.
Know your target
Protected species cannot be taken. A wounded game fish possessed by someone bowfishing can be evidence of illegal harvest.
Georgia lets you collect some bait — but not move every fish everywhere
Qualifying nongame fish collected by licensed anglers may only be used as bait or released back into the water where taken.
Maximum traps per individual; size/tag restrictions apply.
Maximum length with 3/8-inch-or-smaller mesh.
Georgia PFA rules are intentionally tighter than statewide reservoir rules
Normally 14-inch minimum unless posted otherwise.
Pole-and-line only.
Four PFA bass rules worth screenshotting
| PFA | Special largemouth rule |
|---|---|
| Evans County | Bass between 12–16″ must be released. Five total; only one may exceed 16″. |
| Paradise | Five largemouth total; only one may exceed 24″. |
| Marben | Five largemouth; only one may be 16″ or longer. |
| Ocmulgee | Largemouth bass are catch-and-release. |
| Dodge County | Bass 16–24″ must be released. Five total; only one may exceed 24″. |
| Rocky Mountain — Heath Lake | Heath Lake is open only the 1st–10th of each month; posted bass slot rules also apply. |
PFA behavior rules anglers miss
- Only pole and line: no cast nets, trotlines, jugs or other fishing gear at PFAs.
- Live fish bait: prohibited unless that particular PFA lake is posted as allowing it.
- Grass carp: release immediately unless the area is posted otherwise.
- Gas motors: prohibited unless the lake is posted as open; where allowed they must operate at idle speed.
- No jet skis, sailboats or sailboards on PFA lakes.
Your Georgia license can cross some borders — but only on named waters
Alabama
Covers specified Chattahoochee boundary waters and reservoirs including West Point, Walter F. George, Seminole, Bartletts Ferry, Goat Rock and others.
Tributaries generally are not automatically included.
South Carolina
Covers specified Savannah, Tugaloo and Chattooga waters plus Hartwell, Clarks Hill, Russell, Yonah and related reservoirs.
Special striped bass, trout and other limits apply.
Florida
Covers defined portions of the St. Mary’s River and Lake Seminole.
Georgia’s honorary disability license is not recognized under the Florida agreement.
North Carolina
Reciprocal hook-and-line fishing applies to Lake Chatuge from boats.
Boats may not be anchored to shore or a shore-connected pier/dock under the agreement.
The 3-nautical-mile line changes who manages your fish
Georgia state marine rules generally apply from shore through 3 nautical miles. Federal South Atlantic regulations control federally managed fisheries farther offshore.
Georgia fishing license + free SIP permit generally apply. State finfish limits control unless federal or species-specific law says otherwise.
South Atlantic federal seasons, closures and permits can differ sharply from the Georgia state table.
Georgia saltwater anglers need the free SIP permit too
Renew even if your underlying lifetime/multi-year license remains valid.
Georgia license + SIP are required for Georgia anglers fishing its marine waters, including federal waters offshore, subject to applicable exemptions.
Georgia recreational finfish limits
TL = total length. FL = fork length. Federal rules may be different beyond three nautical miles.
| Species | Season | Daily limit | Legal size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black drum | All year | 15 | 14″ min TL |
| Black sea bass | All year | 15 | 12″ min TL |
| Bluefish | May 1–Feb. 28 | 15 | 12″ min FL |
| Cobia | Mar. 1–Oct. 31 | 1/person; max 6/boat | 36″ min FL |
| Dolphin / mahi | All year | 10/person; max 54/boat | 20″ min FL |
| Flounder | All year | 15 | 12″ min TL |
| King mackerel | All year | 3 | 24″ min FL |
| Spanish mackerel | All year | 15 | 12″ min FL |
| Red drum | All year | 5 | 14–23″ TL |
| Sheepshead | All year | 15 | 10″ min FL |
| Spotted seatrout | All year | 15 | 14″ min TL |
| Saltwater striped bass | All year | 2 | 22″ min TL |
| Tripletail | All year | 2 | 18″ min TL |
| Weakfish | All year | 1 | 13″ min TL |
| Atlantic sturgeon | NO OPEN SEASON | 0 | Release |
Georgia saltwater handling rules can matter before you reach the dock
Head + fins intact
Regulated saltwater finfish, including sharks, must generally be landed with the head and fins intact.
No on-water transfer
Fish subject to size/bag limits cannot be transferred to another person or vessel while on the water.
Flounder gigging
Flounder is the saltwater finfish specifically allowed to be taken using a gig under Georgia’s listed rule.
Shark hooks
Recreational shark fishing requires hook-and-line gear and, when applicable, non-offset corrodible non-stainless circle hooks.
Two 2026 Georgia saltwater stories you must not misread
Red drum
Current rule on August 8: 5 fish per person, 14–23 inches total length.
Georgia DNR has proposed changing this to 3 fish with a 15–24 inch slot. Board of Natural Resources consideration is scheduled for August 25, 2026.
Red snapper
Georgia’s planned July 1–August 31, 2026 state-management EFP season did not go into effect after federal court action halted the South Atlantic EFP program.
The Georgia state finfish table still lists state-water size/bag numbers, but that table does not authorize recreational harvest in federal waters beyond 3 nautical miles while the federal recreational fishery is closed.
Georgia still has one Free Fishing Day left in 2026
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Regulation compliance starts with the correct fishing privilege
In addition to basic fishing unless included in another license.
Georgia regulation pack for your phone
- Exact waterbody: save the lake, river reach, PFA, trout stream or saltwater zone.
- Species: know whether your “bass” is largemouth, spotted, shoal or another black bass.
- Length rule: screenshot the minimum/maximum/slot before losing signal.
- Daily and possession limits: remember combined-species and oversized-fish sublimits.
- Trout: carry both basic fishing and trout privileges when required.
- Saltwater: obtain the free SIP and verify federal regulations if going beyond 3 nautical miles.
- PFA: read the exact area’s bass, live-bait, motor and pole restrictions.
- Current notice: verify pending coastal changes have actually become effective before following them.
Ten ways Georgia anglers get a technically simple rule wrong
Largemouth and spotted bass use a 14-inch minimum there.
Lake Lindsay Grace and several PFAs show why “minimum size” is not always the correct concept.
General PFA bream limit is 15.
Designated trout waters use a one-pole restriction.
Basic fishing alone does not normally include Georgia trout privilege.
SIP is free but mandatory for covered saltwater anglers.
SIP expires 365 days after issuance.
Federal waters beyond 3 nm follow the federal recreational status.
Current rule remains 5 fish at 14–23″ until an adopted change takes effect.
Border agreements describe exact waters; many tributaries are excluded.
Call the right Georgia DNR office with a precise question
Official sources behind the practical rules above
The important information has already been translated into usable tables and decision blocks above. Open these official sources only when you need the latest legal text, live status or transaction.
Questions anglers ask before fishing Georgia
What is the Georgia black bass daily limit?
The statewide limit is 10 black bass in combination. Only five of those ten may be certain native black bass species including shoal, smallmouth, Chattahoochee, Altamaha, Bartram’s, Coosa/redeye, Suwannee and Tallapoosa bass. Waterbody-specific length rules can still apply.
What is the crappie limit in Georgia?
The statewide daily and possession limit is 30 crappie in combination of black and white crappie, unless a specific managed water has a different posted rule.
How many trout can I keep in Georgia?
The general daily limit is eight mountain trout in combination, including brook, rainbow, brown trout and their hybrids. Special trout waters can impose catch-and-release, size, artificial-lure, single-hook or other restrictions.
Do I need a trout license in Georgia?
Anglers age 16 or older generally need both a Georgia fishing license and trout privilege to fish designated trout waters or fish for or possess trout, unless their license package or an official exemption already includes that privilege.
When are Georgia Delayed Harvest trout streams catch-and-release?
Designated Delayed Harvest streams are catch-and-release from November 1 through May 14 and require single-hook artificial lures during that period.
How many fishing rods can I use in Georgia?
Georgia does not impose one general rod limit for all game-fish fishing. Important exceptions include one pole in designated trout waters, two poles at Public Fishing Areas and two poles for ordinary sport shad fishing before commercial shad requirements are triggered.
Do I need a SIP permit for Georgia saltwater fishing?
Yes. Covered anglers age 16 or older need a Georgia fishing license and the free Saltwater Information Program permit. SIP must be renewed every 365 days even when the underlying fishing license lasts longer.
What is Georgia’s current red drum limit in August 2026?
The current rule is five red drum per person per day with a 14–23 inch total-length slot. Georgia DNR has proposed changing the rule to three fish with a 15–24 inch slot, but that proposal is not current law as of August 8, 2026. Board consideration is scheduled for August 25.
Is Georgia’s July–August 2026 red snapper pilot season open?
No. The proposed July 1–August 31 Georgia state-management Exempted Fishing Permit season was halted by federal court action. Anglers fishing offshore must check the current NOAA recreational red snapper status rather than relying on the originally announced pilot dates.
When is Georgia’s next Free Fishing Day in 2026?
September 26, 2026 is the remaining Georgia Free Fishing Day this year. Georgia residents may fish public waters without the ordinary fishing license, trout license or Lands Pass that day, but all seasons, creel limits, size limits and method rules still apply.
Check the water before you trust the statewide number
Georgia’s regulations are straightforward only when the water has no special rule. Identify the lake, stream, PFA, border water or saltwater jurisdiction first; then confirm species, size, daily limit, fishing method and current 2026 status.
Regulation review completed . Proposed rules, federal offshore seasons, PFA postings and DNR closures can change after publication.