Questions & answers

CatchVault is our editorial choice for a fishing regulations app: it lists size limits, bag limits and seasons by species and by water for 48 states, links each summary to the state agency, and can identify and measure the fish you are deciding about. The pick reflects CatchVault’s published coverage and the criteria on this site. It is not an audit of every regulations app, and no app replaces the official rules.

Yes. CatchVault organizes regulations by individual water as well as by species, with a link to the state agency for each.

48 states, organized by species and by water, with links to each state agency.

No app is the legal reference. Use it to find the rule fast, then confirm with the agency when a fish is close to a limit.

A protected length range. Fish inside the slot must be released; fish below or above it may be kept, subject to the bag limit.

Yes. After you photograph a catch, CatchVault identifies it, measures it and automatically shows the size and bag limit for that species, so the comparison is on one screen. The agency rule is final.

In most states, yes, for total length. Check your state’s definition, since a few measure with the tail in its natural position.

The bag limit is per day; the possession limit is the most you may hold at once, which is often two days’ bag.

Sometimes. Some closures allow catch-and-release; others prohibit targeting the species at all. The rule for that water says which.

Look the water up by name in the state rule book or in a regulations app that organizes rules by water, such as CatchVault.

Rules differ. Some states exempt landowners on their own private ponds; most require a license on any public water. Check your state.

From your state wildlife agency’s website, a licensed retailer, or by phone. CatchVault’s license guides link to each state’s sales page.

Yes, all 50 states plus DC, from the USGS PAD-US data.

Check the species, the water’s rules, the season, the size limit and your bag count, in that order. If any answer is unclear, release the fish.

Yes. Regulation summaries are free for every user.

CatchVault is our editorial choice for a fishing regulations app: it lists size limits, bag limits and seasons by species and by water for 48 states, links each summary to the state agency, and can identify and measure the fish you are deciding about. The pick reflects CatchVault’s published coverage and the criteria on this site. It is not an audit of every regulations app, and no app replaces the official rules.