Species guide

Blackfin Tuna Fishing

FWC sets no minimum size for blackfin tuna and a daily bag limit of 2 fish per person or 10 per vessel, whichever is greater, and says a federal HMS angling permit is not required in state or federal waters.

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Blackfin Tuna

Every charter here names blackfin tuna on its own website, checked on the captain's own site

Check before you keep a fish. Seasons and limits change, sometimes in the middle of a season, and a court or an agency can change them overnight. Seasons and limits are set state by state. The ones on this page are Florida's, copied from FWC in Sep 2026 and listed with their source at the foot of the page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the rule for the water you will fish with your captain or with that state's wildlife agency.

Where to fish for blackfin tuna

234 charters name blackfin tuna on their own website, across 78 towns in 1 state.

State records for blackfin tuna

The heaviest blackfin tuna each state has certified, biggest first.

StateWeightWhereYearAngler
Florida 45.5 lb Key West 1996 Sam J. Burnettsource
Alabama 43.32 lb — 2014 David Denicolasource
North Carolina 40.69 lb Off Wrightsville Beach 2011 Michael Accattatosource
Georgia 40.5 lb — 2016 Tyler Dealsource
South Carolina 40.38 lb Charleston 2005 M. Hartleysource
Texas 38.89 lb Gulf of Mexico 1988 John Alvarez Jr.source
Louisiana 37.6 lb Midnight Lump 2001 James Hawkinssource
Mississippi 33.05 lb — 2011 Mark Herrmannsource
Maryland 32 lb 30 Fathom Line 1998 Bob Zangsource

Each from that state's own records page, linked on every row. A location links to its town only where the agency named that town — a record logged to "Gulf of Mexico" or an offshore block belongs to no city. Weights are printed as the agency prints them. Records are certified by the state and can be broken at any time.

How big blackfin tuna run

Federal interviewers measured 1,691 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 16.1–30.6 inches, with a median of 23.7 inches.

Separately, MRIP's catch records for those trips count 2,678 kept against 166 released. That is a different tally from the fish that were measured, not a breakdown of them.

  • North Carolina26.1" median, 935 measured
  • Florida18.5" median, 756 measured

NOAA Fisheries MRIP dockside interviews, 2022–2024. A sample of the fish boats brought in, not a total, and not a forecast for any one trip.

About the fish

SizeCommon to 28 inches
Where it livesCoastal to offshore waters
What it eatsSmall fishes, invertebrates and plankton

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • Blackfin needs no federal HMS permit, in state or federal waters.
  • The limit is 2 per person or 10 per boat, whichever is greater, so a boat of six can keep 12.
  • Ask the captain whether the trip heads far enough offshore for tuna.

Harvest rules

When can you keep one in Florida?

Blackfin, both coasts

Florida state waters.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
No minimum sizeSize limit
2 per personDaily limit. Or 10 per vessel, whichever is greater. FWC: a federal HMS permit is not required in state or federal waters.

Questions about blackfin tuna

Is there a size limit on blackfin tuna?

No. FWC lists no minimum size.

How many blackfin tuna can I keep?

2 per person or 10 per vessel, whichever is greater.

Do I need a federal permit for blackfin?

No. FWC says the federal HMS permit is not required in state or federal waters.

Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from FWC, billfish, tuna and swordfish regulations and FWC, blackfin tuna profile in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.