Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Photo: Unknown author · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Keep or release?
Where are you fishing?
Size limits, seasons and female rules are set by each state. Pick yours to get a verdict.
TIDE covers New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland rules, plus federal protections everywhere.
Verifying against GBIF…
Conservation status
IUCN Red ListAssessed globally as Vulnerable. The US Atlantic stock was found overfished in 2021 and is under a rebuilding plan — which is why the daily bag is small.
What Vulnerable means
Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
On your plate
Check Local Guidance
Rich, oily and best eaten fresh. Keep a few within the bag limit and release the rest.
Conservation status and seafood sustainability are two different questions. A species can be Least Concern globally and still be overfished, protected or unsustainable where you are.
Habitat
Coastal ocean, bays and surf
Range
Temperate and subtropical waters worldwide
Size
Commonly 40–80 cm
Diet
Almost any smaller fish, especially menhaden and sand eels
Group
fish
Feeding 'blitzes' can drive baitfish right out of the water and onto beaches.
Young bluefish are called snappers.
Its teeth are sharp enough to bite through light fishing line.
Cook this species
Ways to cook Bluefish
Global conservation status does not tell you whether this species is sustainable to catch in your region. Where it was caught, and how, decides that.
Try this instead
Sustainable seafood alternatives
While Bluefish stocks recover, these choices carry a lighter footprint.