Sheepshead (also known as Convict Fish, Sheephead) in Virginia. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the VMRC guide, 2026.
In Virginia, Sheepshead has no minimum legal size and the daily bag limit is 4 per person. There is no closed season in VA.
No closed season
Atlantic / Chesapeake Bay state waters Virginia tidal/marine state waters (Chesapeake Bay, tributaries, VA Territorial Sea). Potomac River tributaries defer to PRFC.
These limits are pulled from the VMRC recreational saltwater fishing regulations. Last verified June 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Virginia Marine Resources Commission updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
Virginia requires a saltwater fishing licence for anglers aged 16–64 in tidal waters; unlicensed anglers aged 16+ must instead register free with the Fisherman Identification Program (FIP). Virginia 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.
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