Where to fish for yellowfin tuna
67 charters name yellowfin tuna on their own website, across 36 towns in 1 state.
State records for yellowfin tuna
The heaviest yellowfin tuna each state has certified, biggest first.
| State | Weight | Where | Year | Angler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 290 lb | Hudson Canyon | 1980 | Wayne Brinkerhoffsource |
| Rhode Island | 265 lb | The Dip | 1997 | R. Hughessource |
| Louisiana | 251 lb | West Delta Block 122 | 2012 | Elliot Salesource |
| New York | 248.5 lb | — | 9/9/ | Bruce Weisinger, East Hills, NYsource |
| South Carolina | 241.75 lb | Charleston | 1979 | T. C. Lewissource |
| Florida | 240 lb | Key West | 2002 | Michael Delphsource |
| Alabama | 237.1 lb | — | 2025 | Donald R. Rhodessource |
| North Carolina | 237 lb | Off Cape Lookout | 1979 | James Mixon Jr.source |
| Mississippi | 236.6 lb | — | 2020 | Michael McElroy IIIsource |
| Maryland | 236.5 lb | Washington Canyon | 2002 | Mark Bennettsource |
| Texas | 216.2 lb | Gulf of Mexico | 1998 | Jim Dicksonsource |
| Massachusetts | 187 lb | Nantucket | 1990 | Mark Bojoukossource |
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 yellowfin tuna run
Federal interviewers measured 1,177 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 29.6–41.6 inches, with a median of 36.8 inches.
Separately, MRIP's catch records for those trips count 1,706 kept against 76 released. That is a different tally from the fish that were measured, not a breakdown of them.
- North Carolina36.6" median, 991 measured
- New Jersey37.4" median, 123 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
NOAA says yellowfin grow fairly fast, up to 400 pounds, and live about 7 years.
From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.
Which rules apply to your trip
- The boat needs an HMS Angling or HMS Charterboat/Headboat permit, and NOAA says the permit covers everyone fishing aboard. On a charter you don't need your own.
- Federal rules apply in state waters too, per FWC.
- Yellowfin cannot be kept if a hammerhead or oceanic whitetip shark is on board or has been offloaded from the vessel.
- Ask whether the boat holds the HMS permit before you book a tuna trip.
Harvest rules
When can you keep one in Florida?
Yellowfin, state and federal waters
Federal rules, which FWC says apply in state waters.
- Anglers on a vessel with an HMS permitOpenNOAA Fisheries lists the fishery as open.
Questions about yellowfin tuna
How big does a yellowfin tuna have to be?
27 inches curved fork length, measured along the curve of the body from the tip of the jaw to the fork of the tail.
How many yellowfin can I keep?
3 per person per day or trip.
Does the charter's permit cover me?
Yes. NOAA says the vessel's HMS permit covers everyone fishing on that vessel.
Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from NOAA Fisheries, recreational Atlantic tuna statuses and limits and FWC, billfish, tuna and swordfish regulations and FWC, yellowfin tuna profile and NOAA Fisheries, Atlantic yellowfin tuna in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.