Cobia (also known as Ling, Lemonfish, Crabeater) in Alabama. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit, slot rule — verified against the ADCNR Marine Resources guide, 2026.
In Alabama, the minimum legal size for Cobia is 36 in and the daily bag limit is 1 per person, no more than 2 per vessel. A slot limit applies: none (36" min fork length, no maximum). There is no closed season in AL.
none (36" min fork length, no maximum)
No closed season
Gulf state and federal waters; size measured as FORK LENGTH (FL), not total length. Min raised 33"→36" FL (2020, adopted from federal Gulf rule). NOTE: the LII mirror of Admin Code 220-3-.30 still shows a stale 33" FL — the current published value is 36". STATE-waters values shown. Federal Gulf cobia min is also 36" FL; cobia is NOT marked (#) on the AL page, so AL state waters do not open/close with a federal seasonal quota. Migratory species — federal NOAA/Gulf Council rules govern offshore but recreational harvest is open year-round in both.
These limits are pulled from the ADCNR Marine Resources saltwater recreational size and creel limits. Last verified June 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Alabama Marine Resources Division (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
Alabama requires a Saltwater Fishing License for all persons fishing or possessing fish in salt water (exemptions for under-16, residents aged 65+, and fishing from a licensed public pier). Alabama saltwater licences.
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen has fished his whole life. Fifteen years of fly fishing, guiding seasons on Norway's Lakselva — his favourite Atlantic salmon river — and a blue marlin landed in Vava'u, Tonga. Founder of Fishare — the app that puts the data behind the decisions every angler makes on the water.
Fishare tracks your home spots and pings you when the next 3-hour peak window opens. Log catches and blanks to teach the model your local patterns. Free forever for everyone who joins now.
Open Fishare