Southern New England bluefin trophy closure begins July 3, 2026

Southern New England captains lost their trophy window at 11:30 p.m. July 3, when NOAA closed the recreational bluefin fishery for fish measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater after the area's subquota was reached and exceeded. The shutdown runs through Dec. 31, 2026, and it applies only to vessels with Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Angling or Charter/Headboat permits fishing recreationally. Commercial bluefin operations are not affected.

Inside the Southern New England area, the band of water south of 42 degrees north latitude and north of 39 degrees 18 minutes north latitude, anglers can still target bluefin, but they cannot retain, possess or land a trophy fish in the closed zone. Anglers can still fish the grounds, but every 73-inch fish must be released.

NOAA's June 1 adjustment kept the recreational Angling limit at two bluefin per vessel per day or trip from 27 inches to less than 73 inches, with only one fish from 47 inches to under 73 inches. The fishery is still open for keeper-sized fish below the trophy line, and the biggest fish are off limits in the Southern New England box stretching from Cape Cod toward the New York and New Jersey line.

NOAA reopened the recreational trophy fishery on Jan. 1, 2026, and then closed it again once landings pushed past the subquota. It had already done the same in 2025 after projecting the Southern New England trophy subquota would be reached and exceeded.