Fish guide
Skates (non-target)
Little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) and other skates. Also called Skate.
The clearnose skate is the common one; it takes almost any bottom bait.
Showing the fish for Delaware, Maryland and Virginia ocean coast.
Season by region
| Long Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Maine | JFMAMJJASOND |
| New Hampshire | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Shore MA | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Any sandy bottom from the surf to the bays, on bottom baits.
Bottom.
Handling
- Rough, thorny skin
Unhook with pliers or cut the line close to the hook and slide it back into the water.
Keep or release
Release.
Typical: 16 to 20 in. Large: 21 in (largest recorded little skate).
Limits
FishOS has not checked the DE and MD and VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Delaware DNREC Fish and Wildlife before you keep a fish.
Sources
- DNREC Delaware Fish and Shellfish Facts: Clearnose Skate (Official source)
- Bigelow and Schroeder, Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (online text): little skate (Official source)