Swordfish

Swordfish Fishing in Florida

Swordfish are deep sea fish found from the surface down below 2,000 feet; FWC notes most drift fishing occurs at night. FWC and NOAA Fisheries both set a 47-inch lower jaw fork length minimum.

Florida rules from FWC and NOAA Fisheries, checked Sep 2026

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. Everything here was copied from FWC and NOAA Fisheries in Sep 2026 and is listed with its source at the bottom of this page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the current rule with your captain or with FWC before you keep a fish.

Florida state record

  • 612.75 lb Key Largo · May 7, 1978 · Stephen Stanford

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. Records are certified by FWC and can be broken at any time.

About the fish

SizeUp to 15 feet and 1,400 pounds
Where it livesDeep sea, from the surface to below 2,000 feet
What it eatsMainly fishes, and some invertebrates

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • FWC says no federal HMS permit is needed for swordfish in state waters. NOAA requires a valid HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit to fish for Atlantic swordfish (tournament vessels may instead use an Atlantic Tunas General category or Swordfish General Commercial permit).
  • On a charter, FWC limits the boat to 6 swordfish, and the captain and crew may not keep any.
  • Under NOAA Fisheries rules, swordfish cannot be kept if a hammerhead or oceanic whitetip shark is on board or has been offloaded from the vessel.
  • A landed swordfish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours, at 800-894-5528 or hmspermits.noaa.gov.

Swordfish, Florida state waters: when you can keep one

Florida state waters.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
47 inches lower jaw to fork, or 25 inches cleithrum to keelSize limit
1 per personDaily limit. Up to 4 per private boat or 15 per for-hire vessel, and charter boats are limited to 6 per vessel. Captain and crew of a for-hire vessel: 0. Hook and line only.

Swordfish, federal waters: when you can keep one

Federal waters, under NOAA Fisheries rules.

  • Vessels with an HMS permitOpenNOAA Fisheries lists the fishery as open.
47 inches lower jaw to fork, or 25 inches cleithrum to keelSize limit
1 per paying passenger on a charter boatDaily limit. Up to 6 per charter boat or 15 per headboat per trip. Private boats with an HMS Angling permit: 1 per person, up to 4 per vessel.

Questions about swordfish

How big does a swordfish have to be?

47 inches from the lower jaw to the fork of the tail, or 25 inches from the cleithrum to the keel. A shark-bitten fish can be kept only if what remains still meets that size.

How many swordfish can a charter keep?

In state waters FWC limits charter boats to 6 per vessel. In federal waters it is 1 per paying passenger, up to 6 per charter boat.

Does a swordfish have to be reported?

Yes, to NOAA within 24 hours of landing, at 800-894-5528 or hmspermits.noaa.gov.

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