The information was developed as an alternative to the mandatory training class for first time halibut fishermen; and as a general guide for all state waters-only fishermen to understand and comply with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Atlantic halibut regulations.
Please note that this summary applies to fishing activity occurring in Maine territorial waters only and does not address any vessel with a federal permit (for lobster or Northeast Multispecies, etc.). Territorial waters include all waters of the State within the rise and fall of the tide seaward to the 3 nautical-mile line. Please refer to NOAA Fisheries for additional information about fishing for halibut if you hold a federal permit or are fishing for halibut in federal waters. The NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Sustainable Fisheries Division can be reached at (978) 281-9315.
Use the following links to jump to information for each sector:
- Recreational (non-Party/Charter) Fishermen
- Party/Charter Operators
- Commercial Fishermen Without a Federal Groundfish Permit
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Information
For questions or more information, contact your local Marine Patrol officer or Corrin Flora at corrin.flora@maine.gov or (207) 446-8126. Regulations related to halibut can be found in DMR Chapter 34: Groundfish and Chapter 8: Landings Program, section 8.20F
Recreational (Non-Party/Charter) Fishermen
Season
- Open May 18 – June 13 inclusive. There is no fishing for or landing halibut on Wednesday or Thursday in Maine territorial waters.
- Closed June 14 – May 17 inclusive
License
- Recreational fishermen fishing for halibut are required to register in the Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry. The online registry can be accessed at: Saltwater Recreational
Fishing Registry and Other Licenses and Permits | Department of Marine Resources (maine.gov)
Tagging Requirement and Annual Landing Limits
- Atlantic halibut must be immediately tagged with a Maine State Recreational tag or released. Tags must remain attached through arrival at the fish’s final destination. It is illegal to possess halibut which are not properly tagged, and therefore a fisherman in possession of a halibut must immediately tag the fish including halibut retained in a live well.
- 2026 recreational halibut tags are light blue with a pink plug.
- Anglers may be issued up to 5 Atlantic halibut tags per year.
- All tags must be assigned to one vessel.
- No halibut tags will be reissued during halibut season.
- Maximum of 5 Atlantic halibut may be landed per vessel per year.
- A person who has not been issued Atlantic halibut tags may land an Atlantic halibut using tags issued to another person, when aboard the vessel that the tags are assigned to.
- Individuals may possess only one type of landing tag (recreational or commercial) per year. Only one type of landing tag (recreational or commercial) may be assigned to any one vessel per year.
Minimum Size Limit
- Head on: 41”
- Head off: 32” (Measurement made from the base of the pectoral fin where it joins the fish’s body to the tip of the tail).
- Filleting at sea is prohibited. Halibut may not be dressed or processed at sea in a manner that inhibits Marine Patrol’s ability to determine compliance with the head off measurement as specified above.
Gear and Handling Requirements
- Must use size 14/0, 15/0, or 16/0 circle hooks only.
- Maximum of 100 hooks per vessel. This means if there are multiple people onboard a recreational fishing vessel, there should be no more than 100 hooks in the water. Additionally, recreational anglers are limited to no more than 100 hooks per person. This means if an angler owns multiple boats, that individual may have no more than 100 hooks in the water.
- Tub trawls are legal, and anglers must mark the trawl buoys with their name and the words “tub trawl”.
- Atlantic halibut may not be transferred between vessels.
Party/Charter Vessel Operators
Season
- Open May 18 – June 13 inclusive. There is no fishing for or landing halibut on Wednesday or Thursday in Maine territorial waters.
- Closed June 14 – May 17 inclusive
License
- New in 2026, if a party/charter vessel operator intends to take paying passengers recreationally fishing in coastal waters, they are required to obtain the For-hire Charter Boat Operator License. The For-hire Charter Boat Operator License may be obtained through the Department’s online licensing system (LEEDS). You may also request a paper application by contacting Licensing at (207) 624-6550 Option 2.
Tagging Requirement and Annual Landing Limits
- Atlantic halibut must be immediately tagged with a Maine State Recreational tag or released. Tags must remain attached through arrival at the fish’s final destination. It is illegal to possess halibut which are not properly tagged, and therefore a fisherman in possession of a halibut must immediately tag the fish including halibut retained in a live well.
- 2026 recreational halibut tags are light blue with a pink plug.
- Party/charter vessel operators may be issued a maximum of 25 halibut tags per year.
- No halibut tags will be reissued during halibut season.
- Party/charter vessels may land a maximum of 25 halibut per year.
- Individuals may possess only one type of landing tag (recreational or commercial) per year. Only one type of landing tag (recreational or commercial) may be assigned to any one vessel per year.
Minimum Size Limit
- Head on is 41”
- Head off is 32” (Measurement made from the base of the pectoral fin where it joins the fish’s body to the tip of the tail).
- Exception: Legal size halibut may be filleted at sea under the following conditions:
- Fillets must come from a legal sized Atlantic Halibut;
- Fillets must remain whole with skin left on;
- Halibut carcasses must be tagged and retained until the boat has been landed;
- Fillets must fit with the Atlantic Halibut carcass.
- Exception: Legal size halibut may be filleted at sea under the following conditions:
Gear and Handling Requirements
- Must use size 14/0, 15/0, or 16/0 circle hooks only.
- Maximum of 100 hooks per vessel. This means if there are multiple people onboard a recreational fishing vessel, there should be no more than 100 hooks in the water. Additionally, recreational fishermen are limited to no more than 100 hooks per person. This means if an angler owns multiple boats, that individual may have no more than 100 hooks in the water.
- Tub trawls are legal, and anglers must mark the trawl buoys with their name and the words “tub trawl”.
- Atlantic halibut may not be transferred between vessels.
Maine State Waters Only Commercial Fishermen Without a Federal Groundfish or Federal Lobster Permit
Season
- Open May 18 – June 13 inclusive. There is no fishing for or landing halibut on Wednesday or Thursday in Maine territorial waters.
- Closed June 14 – May 17 inclusive
License Requirement
- A DMR Halibut Fishing License is required to commercially fish for halibut. This license was established ahead of the 2023 fishing year and replaced the halibut endorsement on the Commercial Fishing License. Those who previously purchased a Commercial Fishing License for the sole purpose of obtaining a halibut endorsement should now purchase the Halibut Fishing License instead. The Halibut Fishing License may be obtained through the Department’s online licensing system (LEEDS). You may also request a paper application by contacting Licensing at (207) 624-6550 Option 2.
- Commercial tags can be requested on the Halibut Fishing License application. There are two tiers of tags which can be purchased: 10 halibut tags for $10, or 25 halibut tags for $100.
Tagging Requirement and Annual Landing Limits
- Atlantic halibut must be immediately tagged with a Maine State Commercial tag or released. Tags must remain attached through arrival at the fish’s final destination. It is illegal to possess halibut which are not properly tagged, and therefore a fisherman in possession of a halibut must immediately tag the fish including halibut retained in a live well.
- It is illegal to possess a halibut seaward of Maine’s territorial waters that is tagged with Maine State Commercial tags.
- 2026 commercial halibut tags are pink with a green plug.
- Commercial fishermen are allowed a maximum of 25 tags per year.
- All tags must be declared to one vessel.
- A vessel may have only one license holder’s tags assigned to that vessel.
- No halibut tags will be reissued during halibut season.
- No individual may possess more than one type of landing tag per year.
- Vessels may land a maximum of 25 Atlantic halibut per year.
- It is illegal for more than one type (recreational or commercial) of landing tag to be assigned to any one vessel per year.
Gear and Handling Requirements
- Must use size 14/0, 15/0, or 16/0 circle hooks.
- No vessel may fish using more than 200 circle hooks.
- With the exception of lobster, it is illegal to possess or land other marine species while fishing for Atlantic halibut aboard commercial vessels in Maine’s territorial waters.
- Lobster must be harvested in accordance with DMR Chapter 25
- When fishing with a tub trawl, must have marking buoys on each end of trawl clearly labeled with your name and Maine Halibut Fishing License number.
- Atlantic halibut may not be transferred between vessels.
Minimum Size Restrictions
- Head on is 41”
- Head off is 32” (Measurement made from the base of the pectoral fin where it joins the fish’s body to the tip of the tail).
- Filleting at sea is prohibited. Halibut may not be dressed or processed at sea in a manner that inhibits Marine Patrol’s ability to determine compliance with the head off measurement as specified above.
Reporting
- Any harvester authorized to commercially fish for halibut is required to submit trip level catch reports on a weekly basis during the halibut season (May 18 – June 13) for landings from Maine’s territorial waters. Reporting must be submitted through an approved electronic method. For reporting questions or help, refer to DMR’s Chapter 8 regulations, contact Licensing at (207) 624-6550 Option 2, or contact Landings at (207) 624-6550 Option 4.
- Below is a calendar which outlines the requirements for weekly trip level reporting in the commercial halibut fishery for 2026. The state waters fishery runs from May 18 – June 13, inclusive, except for Wednesdays and Thursdays during the season. The reporting week starts on Sunday at 12:01AM (0001 hrs) and ends Saturday at 12:00 midnight (2400 hrs); reports must be submitted by the following Monday by midnight, which is two days after the end of the reporting week. As a result, harvester reports will be due on four Mondays in 2026. These reports cover fishing activity in the previous week. For example, on May 25, trip level reports will be due covering May 18-23. On June 15, trip level reports will be due covering June 7-13.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can I purchase a commercial Halibut Fishing License without purchasing tags?
Answer: No. When purchasing the commercial Halibut Fishing License, you must purchase either 10 or 25 tags. Please note that if you purchase 10 tags at the time when you purchase your license, you may not purchase the additional 15 tags later in the same licensing year.
Question: I used to purchase the Commercial Fishing License only to get the halibut endorsement. Do I still need to purchase the Commercial Fishing License in addition to the new commercial Halibut Fishing License?
Answer: If you purchased the Commercial Fishing License for the sole purpose of fishing for halibut, you do not need to purchase a Commercial Fishing License in 2026 and should instead purchase the Halibut Fishing License. As a reminder, the Halibut Fishing License replaces the Commercial Fishing License with the halibut endorsement. The Commercial Fishing License is required to commercially fish for any species not authorized under another license type; with the removal of halibut, the remaining endorsements on the Commercial Fishing License are periwinkle, whelk, and crab taken by otter trawl.
Question: Does the Department require a training course to catch Atlantic halibut commercially?
Answer: No. The training course is no longer required.
Question: How much do commercial tags cost?
Answer: There are two options for purchasing commercial tags: 1) purchase 10 tags for $10 resulting in a cost per tag of $1.00; 2) purchase 25 tags for $100 resulting in a cost per tag of $4.00.
Question: What is the difference between Maine regulations for commercial vessels with and without a federal Multispecies (groundfish) Permit?
Answer: Individuals without a federal groundfish permit may land up to 25 Atlantic halibut per year with one vessel. Federal groundfish permit holders may land up to 25 halibut per year for each vessel that has been assigned a groundfish permit. Additional regulations apply to federal groundfish permit holders when fishing for halibut in both federal waters and Maine territorial waters, such as a one halibut per trip limit. Please contact National Marine Fisheries Service’s Sustainable Fisheries Division for additional information.
Question: I have a federal groundfish permit and am fishing in federal waters. Can I land a halibut in Maine on Wednesday and Thursday during the Maine state waters season?
Answer: Yes, federal Northeast multispecies permit holders may land halibut on Wednesday and Thursday provided those halibut are caught in federal waters and are immediately tagged with federal commercial tags.
Question: If I hold a federal groundfish permit, I am limited to one halibut per trip. Do I still have to apply for a DMR landing tag?
Answer: Yes, all halibut landed in Maine must have a DMR landing tag.
Question: May I transit federal waters while in possession of halibut caught in State waters?
Answer: Harvesters must possess a federal permit to possess halibut while in federal waters regardless of where the fish were caught.
Question: Do the groundfish spawning closures in territorial waters apply to halibut?
Answer: No. Halibut are exempt from the groundfish spawning closure. All of Maine’s territorial waters are open to halibut fishing during the open season May 18 – June 13 (inclusive), except on Wednesday and Thursday during the season.
Question: Can I set a “gangion” off one of my lobster traps to fish for halibut?
Answer: Yes, as long as the hooks are 14/0, 15/0 or 16/0 circle hooks.
Question: If I have a commercial Halibut Fishing License and do not land any halibut, do I have to turn in a landings report?
Answer: Yes, you must submit a landings report regardless of your fishing activity and, if no halibut were caught, complete a negative catch report.
Question: Those authorized to commercially fish for halibut must report electronically. What options do I have for electronic reporting
Answer: Electronic reporting can be completed through DMR’s harvester reporting app called VESL, or through LEEDS. A FAQ regarding halibut reporting, including how to report via VESL and LEEDS, is available on the DMR website.
Question: What would I record for my sea time if I haul halibut trawls and lobster traps on the same trip?
Answer: Estimate the time that it took you to haul your halibut trawls and steam time. Do not record the time it took you to haul your lobster gear.
Question: What are best management practices I can follow to minimize discard mortality?
Answer: The following best management practices can minimize injury to halibut and are recommended: quick release, do not lift fish by gills or tail, do not gaff or puncture the halibut, carefully remove the hook, and avoid allowing halibut to come in contact with the vessel.
Question: During the Maine State waters season, can I set gear on Thursday to fish the gear on Friday?
Answer: No, since it is unlawful to fish for Atlantic halibut in Maine territorial waters on Wednesday and Thursday during the season, gear targeting halibut cannot be in the water on Wednesday and Thursday.
Question: I’m a recreational fisherman fishing in federal waters. Can I land a halibut on Wednesday or Thursday during the Maine state waters halibut season?
Answer: If you are a recreational fisherman in federal waters, you can land a halibut on Wednesday and Thursdays during the Maine state waters halibut season provided that halibut was caught in federal waters and immediately tagged with a recreational tag. Additional regulations apply to recreational fishermen in federal waters. Please see additional information at the GARFO website
Additional Contact Information
If you have questions about Maine’s Atlantic halibut fishery, please contact the following departments or individuals:
Reporting requirements: DMR Landings Program, W. Boothbay Harbor, 207-633-9500 (Option 2 for Landings then Option 4 for electronic reporting options/help)
Research questions: Bill DeVoe, Scientist, W. Boothbay Harbor, (207) 592-7084, William.DeVoe@maine.gov
Management questions: Corrin Flora, Augusta, (207) 446-8126, Corrin.Flora@maine.gov or Megan Ware, Augusta, (207) 446-1093, megan.ware@maine.gov
Licensing questions: DMR’s Licensing Division, Augusta, (207) 624-6550, Option 2. Lobby hours for licensing are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8 am to 4:30 pm. You may speak with anyone from licensing Monday – Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm. If you need to leave anything for licensing to review or process, there is a secure drop box in the entryway.
Questions concerning enforcement:
Marine Patrol Division I (NH border to Belfast) (207) 633-9595;
Marine Patrol Division II (Stockton Springs/Searsport to the Canadian border) (207) 664-2392.
Questions about regulations in federal waters: NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division (978) 281-9315