Field Guide / Saltwater Fish
The inshore, reef, and offshore fish U.S. saltwater anglers chase. Search by name or place, or filter by type, coast, and where you fish.
Size limits, bag limits, seasons, and licenses for saltwater species change often and differ by state and by federal waters, and some species are catch-and-release only. Check current rules before you keep a fish. Illustrations are AI-generated for general reference.
25 species
Inshore & FlatsPogonias cromis
A heavy, arched, barbeled drum found around oyster bars, bridges, and piers, easy to catch and very large when old.
Typical size: Small drum 2 to 10 lb; old fish 30 to 60 lb or more
Inshore & FlatsPomatomus saltatrix
A fierce, toothy, schooling predator that blitzes baitfish from the surf to nearshore waters, and a favorite of Atlantic surf anglers.
Typical size: 1 to 10 lb; 'choppers' over 10 lb
Inshore & FlatsAlbula vulpes
A wary silver fish of clear, shallow sand flats, famous for blistering runs and for being hard to approach.
Typical size: Typically 2 to 5 lb; over 8 lb is a trophy
Inshore & FlatsCentropomus undecimalis
A powerful, line-sided ambush predator of mangroves, passes, and beaches in Florida and the western Gulf, known for strong runs and a love of structure.
Typical size: Most fish are 18 to 30 inches and 2 to 10 lb; over 20 lb is a trophy
Inshore & FlatsTrachinotus carolinus
A silver, deep-bodied surf and inlet fish that runs the beaches in spring and fall and is prized for its flavor.
Typical size: 1 to 3 lb; fish over 4 lb are large
Inshore & FlatsTrachinotus falcatus
A deep-bodied, silver jack prized as one of the hardest fish to catch on the flats, and found around wrecks and reefs as well.
Typical size: Typically 5 to 30 lb; larger fish possible
Inshore & FlatsSciaenops ocellatus
A bronze, hard-fighting inshore favorite of marshes, grass flats, and surf, easy to recognize by the black spot near its tail.
Typical size: Slot fish 18 to 27 inches, 3 to 8 lb; bull reds over 40 inches and 20 lb
Inshore & FlatsArchosargus probatocephalus
A bar-striped, tooth-studded fish of pilings, jetties, and oyster beds, a strong fighter and a nibbler that is hard to hook.
Typical size: Typically 1 to 5 lb; fish over 8 lb are large
Inshore & FlatsCynoscion nebulosus
A silvery, spotted inshore predator of seagrass flats and bays, a top target on the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts.
Typical size: 1 to 4 lb and 14 to 22 inches; trophies over 5 lb
Inshore & FlatsMegalops atlanticus
A giant, silver, jumping gamefish of passes, bridges, and beaches, famous for aerial fights and a mouth like a bucket.
Typical size: Typically 40 to 150 lb; fish over 200 lb are possible
Bottom & Reef FishMycteroperca microlepis
A heavy, gray-brown reef predator of the Gulf and South Atlantic, strong and quick to dive into rocks and holes.
Typical size: 5 to 20 lb; fish over 30 lb are large
Bottom & Reef FishOphiodon elongatus
A mottled, toothy predator of Pacific rocky reefs and kelp, strong enough to grab a hooked rockfish and hold on.
Typical size: Typically 5 to 20 lb; large fish over 30 lb
Bottom & Reef FishHippoglossus stenolepis
A huge, right-eyed flatfish of the North Pacific, caught from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest on heavy tackle over deep sand and gravel.
Typical size: Commonly 20 to 60 lb; large fish over 100 lb
Bottom & Reef FishLutjanus campechanus
A reddish, red-eyed reef fish of the Gulf and South Atlantic, one of the most popular offshore bottom fish and one of the most tightly managed.
Typical size: 2 to 15 lb; fish over 20 lb are large
Bottom & Reef FishParalichthys lethostigma
A flat, left-eyed ambush predator of bays and estuaries that runs to inlets in the fall, a favorite for gigging and rod fishing.
Typical size: 1 to 4 lb; fish over 6 lb are large
Bottom & Reef FishParalichthys dentatus
The fluke of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, a big-mouthed, left-eyed flatfish found over sand in bays, inlets, and nearshore water.
Typical size: 1 to 5 lb; 'doormats' over 8 lb
Bottom & Reef FishTautoga onitis
A stout, tough, structure-loving fish of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, caught on crabs around rocks, wrecks, and jetties.
Typical size: 2 to 8 lb; fish over 10 lb are large
Offshore & PelagicIstiophorus platypterus
A spectacular, sail-finned billfish that jumps and runs, caught offshore with live baits and almost always released.
Typical size: Typically 40 to 80 lb
Offshore & PelagicSeriola dorsalis
A strong, yellow-tailed jack of the Southern California coast, found around kelp, islands, and bait schools, and one of the region's top gamefish.
Typical size: 8 to 30 lb; fish over 40 lb are large
Offshore & PelagicRachycentron canadum
A strong, curious fish of wrecks, buoys, and floating objects that often follows rays and turtles, and a prized target during spring migrations.
Typical size: Typically 20 to 50 lb; larger fish over 70 lb
Offshore & PelagicScomberomorus cavalla
A large, toothy, fast mackerel of nearshore and offshore waters, famous for blistering runs and for slicing through line.
Typical size: Typically 5 to 30 lb; smoker kings over 40 lb
Offshore & PelagicCoryphaena hippurus
A brilliantly colored, fast-growing offshore fish found around weed lines and floating debris, and one of the most popular table fish offshore.
Typical size: 5 to 20 lb; bulls over 30 lb
Offshore & PelagicScomberomorus maculatus
A fast, silvery, golden-spotted schooling fish of nearshore waters, beaches, and inlets, easy to catch on small spoons.
Typical size: 1 to 3 lb; fish over 5 lb are large
Offshore & PelagicAcanthocybium solandri
A sleek, very fast offshore predator with vertical blue bars, known for explosive strikes and long, fast runs.
Typical size: 15 to 40 lb; fish over 60 lb are large
Offshore & PelagicThunnus albacares
A powerful, deep-water tuna with long yellow fins, caught by trolling, chunking, and casting to schools in blue water.
Typical size: 20 to 80 lb; fish over 100 lb are large