The 2026-2027 recreational fishing season for black sea bass in federal waters of the South Atlantic, south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (35°15.19′ N. latitude), will open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on April 1, 2026, and remain open through March 31, 2027*.
Estimates indicate recreational landings for the 2026-2027 fishing year will be below the 2026-2027 recreational catch limit. Therefore, black sea bass will be open for the entire 2026-2027 recreational fishing year.
NOAA Fisheries projects that recreational landings will not exceed the 2026-2027 recreational catch limit of 366,510 pounds whole weight based on recent landings data.
This announcement is in compliance with the current regulations which require NOAA Fisheries to announce the length of the recreational season.
* The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has approved Regulatory Amendment 37 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region for review and implementation by NOAA Fisheries. If implemented, the regulatory amendment would establish an annual catch target for the recreational sector of 63,143 pounds whole weight. NOAA Fisheries would project the length of recreational fishing seasons based on this annual catch target.
It is currently unknown whether the timing for Regulatory Amendment 37 could affect the 2026-2027 fishing year for black sea bass. However, if NMFS does implement Regulatory Amendment 37, NMFS would inform fishermen and the public about how that action would affect the length of the recreational season for black sea bass at the time of implementation.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR part 622 or at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-I/.