2022 Georgia Code
Title 27 - Game and Fish
Chapter 4 - Fish
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 27-4-10. Creel and Possession Limits; Size Restrictions

1. It shall be unlawful to take in one day or to possess at any one time, except at a commercial storage facility or at one’s place of abode, more than the creel and possession limits established by the board for that fish species; provided, however, that it shall be illegal to possess more than a total of 50 individuals of all fresh water species named in this Code section. It shall be unlawful to take from the waters of this state or to possess any fish species larger or smaller or in numbers greater than the limits established by the board in accordance with this Code section. The board shall establish creel and possession limits which shall be no greater than the following limits and shall establish sizes of fish species within the following ranges which may not be taken:

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2. In accordance with sound principles of wildlife research and management, the board shall have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations establishing size limits, open seasons, creel and possession limits, and possession and landing specifications on a state-wide, regional, or local basis in accordance with this Code section. The board is further authorized to designate certain areas as catch and release fishing areas and to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the management of such areas for catch and release fishing.

Species Ranges of Sizes Within Which Fish May Not Be Taken Maximum Daily Creel And Possession Limit (1) Genus micropterus (black bass) 0 — 24 inches 10 (2) Mountain trout 0 — 24 inches 8 (3) White bass 0 — 36 inches 15 (4) Striped bass 0 — 36 inches 15 (5) Striped white bass hybrids 0 — 36 inches 15 (6) Any one or combination of the species of bream or sunfish 0 — 10 inches 50 (7) Walleye 0 — 24 inches 15 (8) Sauger 0 — 24 inches 15 (9) Chain pickerel 0 — 24 inches 15 (10) Grass pickerel 0 — 12 inches 15 (11) Redfin pickerel 0 — 12 inches 15 (12) Black crappie 0 — 14 inches 30 (13) White crappie 0 — 14 inches 30 (14) American shad 0 — 30 inches 8 (15) Hickory shad 0 — 24 inches 8 (16) Amberjack 0 — 50 inches 5 (17) Atlantic croaker 0 — 10 inches 25 (18) Atlantic sturgeon 0 — 86 inches 1 (19) Black drum 0 — 36 inches 15 (20) Black sea bass 0 — 15 inches 15 (21) Blue marlin 3 (22) Bluefish 0 — 20 inches 15 (23) Cobia 0 — 40 inches 5 (24) Dolphin 0 — 24 inches 15 (25) Flounder (Paralicthys spp.) 0 — 15 inches 15 (26) Gag grouper 0 — 25 inches 5 (27) King mackerel 0 — 36 inches 5 (28) Red drum 0 — 36 inches 5 (29) Red porgy 0 — 20 inches 10 (30) Red snapper 0 — 25 inches 5 (31) Sailfish 3 (32) Sand tiger shark 0 — 140 inches 1 (33) Sharks 0 — 120 inches 2 (34) Sheepshead 0 — 20 inches 15 (35) Small sharks composite (Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, and spiny dogfish) 0 — 54 inches 4 (36) Spanish mackerel 0 — 20 inches 20 (37) Spot 0 — 10 inches 25 (38) Spotted sea trout 0 — 25 inches 15 (39) Tarpon 0 — 90 inches 1 (40) Tripletail 0 — 25 inches 5 (41) Weakfish 0 — 15 inches 15 (42) White marlin 3

History. Code 1933, § 45-713, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, § 50; Ga. L. 1986, p. 504, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 552, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1552, § 4; Ga. L. 1990, p. 762, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 27; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1636, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 543, § 3; Ga. L. 1996, p. 980, § 4; Ga. L. 2012, p. 739, § 5/HB 869; Ga. L. 2021, p. 105, § 2-7/HB 362; Ga. L. 2022, p. 308, § 5/HB 1233.

The 2021 amendment, effective April 27, 2021, substituted “Genus micropterus (black bass)” for “Largemouth bass” in paragraph (a)(1).

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, in the table in subsection (a), deleted former items (2) through (6), relating to Smallmouth bass, Shoal bass, Suwannee bass, Spotted bass or Kentucky bass, and Redeye bass or Coosa bass, and redesignated former items (7) through (47) as present items (2) through (42), respectively.

Code Commission notes.

Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 2021, an inch symbol was deleted following “10” in paragraph (a)(1).

Administrative rules and regulations.

Creel and possession limits, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Rules of Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Fishing Regulations, § 391-4-3-.05.