---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 C.F.R. § 648.147"
title: "50"
number: "648.147"
heading: "Black sea bass size requirements."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/50/648.147"
---

# §648.147. Black sea bass size requirements.

- (a) **Moratorium (commercially) permitted vessels.** The minimum size for black sea bass is 11 inches (27.94 cm) total length for all vessels issued a moratorium permit under [§ 648.4(a)(7)](/cfr/50/648.4.md?p=a-7) that fish for, possess, land or retain black sea bass in or from U.S. waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from 35°15.3′ N. Lat., the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina, northward to the U.S.-Canadian border. The minimum size may be adjusted for commercial vessels pursuant to the procedures in [§ 648.142](/cfr/50/648.142.md).
- (b) **Party/Charter permitted vessels and recreational fishery participants.** The minimum fish size for black sea bass is 14 inches (35.56 cm) total length for all vessels that do not qualify for a black sea bass moratorium permit, and for party boats holding a black sea bass moratorium permit, if fishing with passengers for hire or carrying more than five crew members, and for charter boats holding a black sea bass moratorium permit, if fishing with more than three crew members, unless otherwise specified in the conservation equivalent measures as described in [§ 648.151](/cfr/50/648.151.md). However, possession of smaller black sea bass harvested from state waters is allowed for state-only permitted vessels when transiting Federal waters within the Block Island Sound Transit Area provided they follow the provisions at [§ 648.151](/cfr/50/648.151.md) and abide by state regulations. Vessels landing black sea bass in a state with an approved Wave 1 recreational fishery are subject to the state regulations regarding size requirements during that Wave 1 fishery.

## Notes

### Amendments

[76 FR 60638, Sept. 29, 2011, as amended at ; 84 FR 65705, Nov. 29, 2019; 87 FR 35116, June 9, 2022; 88 FR 15, Jan. 3, 2023; 88 FR 55419, Aug. 15, 2023; 91 FR 23184, Apr. 30, 2026]

### Source

Source: 61 FR 58467, Nov. 15, 1996, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

### Source

Source: 61 FR 34968, July 3, 1996, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[76 FR 60638, Sept. 29, 2011, as amended at ; 84 FR 65705, Nov. 29, 2019; 87 FR 35116, June 9, 2022; 88 FR 15, Jan. 3, 2023; 88 FR 55419, Aug. 15, 2023; 91 FR 23184, Apr. 30, 2026]