Fish guide
Smooth Dogfish (non-target)
Mustelus canis. Also called Smooth dog, Smooth-hound, Dogfish, Sand shark.
The summer dogfish of the Long Island bays and Sound; it often grabs chunk baits meant for bass. Listed so you can identify it. Not a target. No fin spines, blunt crushing teeth.
Showing the fish for Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay, RI.
Season in Rhode Island
Atlantic Shark Institute: inshore and northward in summer; ecoRI: found in Narragansett Bay. No month data. (Our inference)
Season by region
| Long Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Cape Cod | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Rhode Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Connecticut | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| South Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Delmarva | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Summer bays, harbors and the Sound on any bottom bait, especially crab and chunks.
Bottom, from the surf zone to the bays.
Handling
- Rough skin
- Strong twisting
Keep it in the water if releasing; unhook with pliers or cut the line close to the hook.
Keep or release
Usually released. New York lists smooth dogfish as a shark that may be kept under the shark rules.
Typical: unknown. Large: Mature at about 3 ft; a few reach about 5 ft (Bigelow and Schroeder). Atlantic Shark Institute gives about 3 ft and 15 lb as the maximum..
Limits
FishOS has not checked the RI limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Rhode Island DEM Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.
Sources
- Atlantic Shark Institute: Smooth dogfish (Official source)
- ecoRI News: Plentiful and ferocious shark lurks in local waters (Jan 2024) (Angler knowledge)
- Bigelow and Schroeder, Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (online text): smooth dogfish (Official source)
- Atlantic Shark Institute: smooth dogfish (Official source)